Schools

School of Social Sciences

Bachelor of Science in History

Program Description

While long recognizing that history covers all recorded expressions of human activity--political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual--beginning in the 1970s historians adapted social science techniques to study history, including the construction of databases, statistical analysis, and mapping systems to reveal patterns in history that were not available from traditional interpretations of written records. Use of these tools has expanded dramatically over the last three decades as new technological developments have changed the way that people research and explore history, as well the way history is shared and learned. Students and scholars are pushed beyond the boundaries of books and journals into new media that require sophisticated mathematical, geographic, and technological understanding.

The Bachelor of Science degree program melds the broad perspective, analytical, and effective communication skills inherent in the Bachelor of Arts degree with a working knowledge of statistics, science, and computing to prepare students to for work or further research is economic history, digital humanities, finance, business administration, information systems, marketing, and government agencies. 

Student Learning Goals

  1. Students will develop skills in research, critical thinking, data analysis, and oral and written communications.
    • Critical Thinking skills: Students develop their critical thinking skills.
    • Conduct research and analyze data: Students will learn where to find primary sources and historical scholarship in databases and libraries, as well as how to evaluate their sources.
    • Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing:
      1. Oral presentations: Students will give presentations on their research in the sophomore and senior seminars.
      2. Written work: Students will learn to write and incorporate their thesis in introductions to writing; smoothly integrate evidence into writing; organize their writing with coherent paragraphs, transitions, and flow of ideas; and correct citations following the Chicago style.
  2. Students develop the skills and methods of historical scholars, including:
    • Historical Terminology: Students will know basic terminology in history.
    • Historical Methodology: Students will learn and apply methods of historians in writing and research in two research seminars.
    • Historical Analysis: Students will learn how to formulate interpretations of history that convey human agency, context, continuity, and change.
  3. Students learn knowledge about historical geography, historical actors, social movements and ideas, and events of significance in at least three geographic regions.

Degree Requirements 

General

Complete 120 total credit hours, with at least 30 at the 300-400 (upper division) level, with a program cumulative grade point average of 2.0 

General Education Requirements (30 credit hours)

Complete the University General Education curriculum requirements. 

Bachelor of Science Requirements (7 credits hours)

Complete 2 courses, one with a lab; one without from Computer, Physical or Life Sciences disciplines, in addition to the lab course take to fulfill the University General Education requirements. Computer science courses are those under department heading CSCI-*. For Physical and Life Science choices, see BA Distribution Requirement list, and select from choices in the Methods of Inquiry in the Natural Sciences. 

Major Requirements:

Department Number Course Name Credit Hours Minimum Grade
HIST-xx 1xx Any 100-level HIST course 3 C-
HIST-xx 1xx Any 100-level HIST course 3

C-

HIST-xx 1xx Any 100-level HIST course 3

C-

HIST-xx 1xx Any 100-level HIST course 3

C-

HIST-H 199 Careers for History Majors 1

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Geographical Area 1* Out of 12 units*

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Grographical Area 1* Out of 12 units*

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Geographical Area 2* Out of 12 units*

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Geographical Area 3* Out of 12 units*

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Any 200-400 level HIST course 3

C-

HIST-xx 2xx-4xx Any 200-400 level HIST course 3

C-

HIST-H 236 The Historian's Craft 3

C-

HIST-J 495 Proseminar for History Majors 3

C-

xxxx-x xxx Non-HIST elective 3

C-

xxxx-x xxx Non-HIST elective 3

C-

*Students must complete 12 units from three selected geographical areas. Six (6) units must be from one of the selected areas.

Geographical Areas:

Department Number Course Name Credit Hours Minimum Grade
United States History 
HIST-A 260 Early North American Women's History 3 C-
HIST-A 261 Modern American Women's History 3 C-
HIST-A 301 Colonial North America, 1500-1763 3 C-
HIST-A 302 Revolutionary America, 1763-1791 3 C-
HIST-A 303 United States, 1792-1829 3 C-
HIST-A 304 United States, 1830-1865 3 C-
HIST-A 310 Survey of American Indians I 3 C-
HIST-A 313 Origins of Modern America, 1865-1919 3 C-
HIST-A 314 Recent U.S. History, 1919-1945 3 C-
HIST-A 315 Recent U.S. History, 1945-present 3 C-
HIST-A 317 American Social History, 1865-present 3 C-
HIST-A 333 History of Indiana 1 3 C-
HIST-A 348 Civil War and Reconstruction 3 C-
HIST-A 356 African-American History II 3 C-
HIST-A 380 The Vietnam War 3 C-
HIST-A 381 Civil Rights Era in the U.S. 3 C-
HIST-H 218 History of Motion Pictures 3 C-
HIST-H 233 Sports in History 3 C-
HIST-H 373 History of Science and Technology 3 C-
HIST-H 407 Oral History 3 C-
European History
HIST-B 323 History of the Holocaust 3 C-
HIST-B 356 French Revolution and Napoleon 3 C-
HIST-B 377 History of Germany Since 1648 3 C-
HIST-H 205 Ancient Civilization 3 C-
HIST-H 206 Midieval Civilization 3 C-
HIST-H 222 Renaissance and Reformation 3 C-
Latin American History 
HIST-F 216/416 History of Slavery in the Americas 3 C-
HIST-F 232 Upheaval in 20th Century Latin America 3 C-
HIST-F 341 Latin America: Conquest and Empire 3 C-
HIST-F 342 Latin America: Evolution and Revolution 3 C-
HIST-F 350 The Environment in Latin American History 3 C-
HIST-F 360 Natural Disasters in Latin American History 3 C-
Asian History
HIST-G 200 Issues in Asian History 3 C-
HIST-G 300 Issues in Asian History 3 C-
HIST-G 385 Modern China 3 C-
HIST-G 387 Contemporary China 3 C-
HIST-H 207 Modern East Asian Civilizations 3 C-
HIST-H 208 American-East Asian Relations 3 C-
World History Can be used for 200-400 level electives)
HIST-H 243 Environmental History 3 C-
HIST-H 376 Atlantic World History 3 C-
HIST-H 425 Topics in History 3 C-
HIST-W 255 Natural Disasters in World History 3 C-
HIST-W 300 Topics in World History 3 C-

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