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Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

History B.A. – Liberal Arts Concentration

Program Overview

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Location: Ross Hall 3270

Email: HSS@unco.edu

Website: www.unco.edu/hss/history

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of four parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. Required Minor Credits
  4. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

Historical study is concerned with the record of the human past and forms the indispensable background for all other areas of knowledge in the humanities, the social sciences and the sciences. A well-rounded curriculum of American and world history courses is provided in which students are encouraged to be critical and analytical in thought as well as to be incisive and cogent in their writing. The capstone of a student's study is a seminar during the senior year, which includes an extensive research paper as the central component.

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in History/Liberal Arts pursue careers in law, government and social service, medicine, non-profit work or occupy various positions in the business world; additionally, they are qualified to work towards graduate degrees in history.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

  • History majors must obtain a grade of “C-” or better in all history courses taken at UNC. Majors receiving a grade of "D+" or lower must retake the course -- or an equivalent approved by the academic advisor -- and receive a grade of "C-" or better to have the course counted toward the major.
  • All History majors must take HIST 280 either before or concurrently with their first 300 level HIST course.
  • All history courses numbered 300 or higher include a research and writing component.
  • Only 6 credits of HIST prefixes may be counted toward the LAC.
  • History majors must complete a minor of at least 18 semester credits, preferably within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. (History Education majors seeking elementary or secondary licensure are exempted from this minor requirement.)

Program Recommendations:

The study of a foreign language is recommended for those majors who plan to pursue graduate study in history.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

NOTE: Two of the 100-level HIST courses listed under the Required Major section below will count towards LAC credit. One course will satisfy History; one course will count as 3 of the 15 credits required in Arts & Humanities, History, or Social & Behavioral Sciences of the LAC.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 19 credits

Choose one of the following courses:

HIST 100Survey of American History from Its Beginnings to 1877LAH1

3

HIST 101Survey of American History from 1877 to the PresentLAH1

3

HIST 120Western Civilizations from the Bronze Age to 1689LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 121Western Civilization from 1689 to the PresentLAH1LAIS

3

Choose one of the following courses:

HIST 110African CivilizationLAH1LAIS

3

HIST 112Asian Civilization I: From Prehistory to 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 113Asian Civilizations II: From 1500 to the PresentLAH1LAIS

3

HIST 114World History to 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 115World History Since 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 118History of MexicoLAH1LAIS

3

Choose two additional 100-level courses not already taken above:

HIST 100Survey of American History from Its Beginnings to 1877LAH1

3

HIST 101Survey of American History from 1877 to the PresentLAH1

3

HIST 110African CivilizationLAH1LAIS

3

HIST 112Asian Civilization I: From Prehistory to 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 113Asian Civilizations II: From 1500 to the PresentLAH1LAIS

3

HIST 114World History to 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 115World History Since 1500LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 118History of MexicoLAH1LAIS

3

HIST 120Western Civilizations from the Bronze Age to 1689LAH1LAIS

3

HIST 121Western Civilization from 1689 to the PresentLAH1LAIS

3

Take the following courses:

HIST 280Sophomore Seminar

3

LIB 180History Library Research

1

Choose one of the following courses:

Senior seminar requirement

HIST 480Seminar in History

3

HIST 580Seminar in History

3

Only students enrolled in the History 4+1 BA/MA program are eligible for HIST 580

Remaining Major — 24 credits

  • In addition to the required credits, each major will also take twenty-four hours of electives at the 200-level or above. See course listings below.

  • Students must take at least three credits in all three elective (United States, European, African/Asian/Latin America/World), but no more than twelve credits in one elective area can count toward the major. At least eighteen of the twenty-four credits must be 300-400 level.

  • Six credits may be 200-level.

United States Area

Select at least one course (3-credits) but no more than four courses (12-credits) from the list.

HIST 224History of Colorado

3

HIST 230Class and Culture in America

3

HIST 240Critical Issues in Modern America

3

HIST 250LGBTQ History in the United States (1900-2000)LAH1LAMS

3

HIST 290American Immigration

3

HIST 300History of Feminism

3

HIST 320Early America to 1763

3

HIST 321Revolutionary America, 1763-1815

3

HIST 322Religion in American History

3

HIST 328The United States West Since 1846

3

HIST 329Indigenous North America

3

HIST 331Civil War and Reconstruction

3

HIST 338Advanced Overview of American History

3

HIST 342American Constitutional History

3

HIST 347United States Women's History to 1877

3

HIST 348United States Women's History Since 1877

3

HIST 351The United States and World War II

3

HIST 353The Rise of the American Century: The United States from 1898-1945

3

HIST 354The United States and the Vietnam Wars

3

HIST 355America as a World Power: United States History from 1945 to the Present

3

HIST 356The 1970s: America's Decade of Change

3

HIST 357The United States and the Middle East

3

HIST 395Topics in History

3

HIST 500Historiography

3

Only students enrolled in the History 4+1 BA/MA program are eligible for HIST 500.

Africa/Asia/Latin America/World Area

Select at least one course (3-credits) but no more than four courses (12-credits) from the list.

HIST 304Sex and Gender in East Asia

3

HIST 306Modern China through Film

3

HIST 307History of China to 1500

3

HIST 308Emotions in Chinese History

3

HIST 310History of China Since 1500

3

HIST 311History of Japan

3

HIST 312History of Brazil

3

HIST 314History of Latin America to 1855

3

HIST 315History of Latin America: 1855 to the Present

3

HIST 316History of Caribbean and Central America

3

HIST 318Modern Africa

3

HIST 395Topics in History

3

HIST 396World History

3

HIST 500Historiography

3

Only students enrolled in the History 4+1 BA/MA program are eligible for HIST 500

European Area

Select at least one course (3-credits) but no more than four courses (12-credits) from the list.

HIST 264Magic in Europe from Antiquity to the Enlightenment

3

HIST 283Russian Cultural History

3

HIST 361History of Classical Greece and Rome

3

HIST 363Medieval History

3

HIST 365Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Medieval Europe

3

HIST 367Topics in Early Modern Europe

3

HIST 368England: National and Global Histories, 1485-1800

3

HIST 371The European Enlightenment

3

HIST 372Renaissance and Reformation in Early Modern Europe

3

HIST 373France, Empire and War to 1804

3

HIST 382Hitler's Germany 1890-1945

3

HIST 383Great War and Aftermath

3

HIST 384Three Germanies

3

HIST 385History of the Holocaust, 1933 to the Present

3

HIST 386Twentieth Century Russia

3

HIST 388Imperial Russia, 1700-1917

3

HIST 391Gender and Difference in Pre-Modern Europe

3

HIST 392Sex and Gender in Modern Europe

3

HIST 394European Intellectual History

3

HIST 395Topics in History

3

HIST 500Historiography

3

Only students enrolled in the History 4+1 BA/MA program are eligible for HIST 500

3. Required Minor — 18 credits

To ensure a broad based liberal arts education and help students develop a wider range of critical thinking skills across disciples, a minor is required for all History-Liberal Arts major. Choices that align well with a history major include Anthropology, Economics, Geography, and Political Science. The history major is very flexible and allows for additional course work. Students interested in other minors or certificates should consult with their academic advisor.

The required minor is automatically waived for any student who completes a second major.

4. University-Wide Credits — 28 credits*

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 28 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.

Accelerated M.A. (4+1) in History

Motivated students may seek to complete the requirements for the B.A. and M.A. in History in five years. To obtain both degrees, students must complete all the requirements for the B.A. in History described above (120 credit hours) and all of the requirements for the M.A. described in the Graduate Catalog (30 credit hours). However, the accelerated B.A./M.A. program involves shared credit hours shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs, so the total number of credit hours to complete the accelerated Master’s program is 141 for students with a Liberal Arts concentration. Completing the requirements for both degrees is made possible by taking double-counted B.A./M.A. credits during the Senior year (paid for at the undergraduate tuition rate) and graduate-level credits (online – graduate-level tuition rate) in the summer following the Senior year and completion of the undergraduate program. While this is the most efficient route, students may also elect to complete the program at a slower pace. Students remain eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate; any Graduate School aid is not available until students are admitted to the Graduate Program.

Accelerated M.A. Admission

Due to its necessarily streamlined path of progression, admission to the Accelerated B.A. and M.A. in History occurs in the Fall semester only. Students interested in transferring into the accelerated program must:

  • Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 to take graduate-level courses as a Senior.
  • Meet with the History Department’s Director of Graduate Studies in the fall semester of the Junior year and apply during the spring semester of the Junior year (following the same procedure and meeting the same requirements as other M.A. applicants). Full admission is dependent on completing the B.A. requirements in the Senior year while maintaining a minimum 3.25 GPA. The program application will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School with signatures of the program advisor indicating the approval of graduate course transfer.
  • Complete HIST 500 (Historiography) in the fall semester of their Senior year followed by HIST 580 (Senior Seminar) and another 500-level graduate course in the spring. These are the nine credits double counted within the accelerated program.
  • Students must apply for completion of their B.A. degree the semester before completing the degree (e.g., in the fall semester of their Senior Year). To apply, students must be registered for all remaining courses in their final undergraduate semester.

Accelerated M.A. Timeline

Outline for degree completion of the Accelerated B.A. with a Liberal Arts Concentration and M.A. in History - Total 30 Credits

Fall Semester, Junior year
Meet with faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and apply for the program

Fall Semester, Senior year
HIST 500 Historiography (3 credits, double-counted)

Spring Semester, Senior year
HIST 580 Senior Seminar (3 credits, double-counted)
A Second 500-level Graduate Course in History (3 credits, double-counted)

Summer after Senior year
One online 6-week 500-level courses (3 credits)

Notes:

  • Only two of these courses will be offered each summer.
  • Because students are required to register for their three 500-level summer credits while they are still undergraduates, they must call the Office of the Registrar no later than the drop period for the summer semester to change their registration to graduate level.

Fall Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)

Spring Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)

Notes: Students will take 6 credits of HIST 690.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.

Year 1 – 31 credits

Fall Semester

100-Level HIST Liberal Arts CurriculumLAH1

3

100-Level HIST Liberal Arts CurriculumLAH1

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Total Credit Hours:15

100-Level HIST LAC:

Spring Semester

100-Level HIST Liberal Arts CurriculumLAH1

3

100-Level HIST Liberal Arts CurriculumLAH1

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

4

Total Credit Hours:16

100-Level HIST LAC: Choose two courses not already taken.

Year 2 – 31 credits

Fall Semester

HIST 280Sophomore Seminar

3

LIB 180History Library Research

1

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

Major Elective

3

Upper Division Major Elective

3

Minor Course

3

Minor Course

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 3 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

Upper Division Major Elective

3

Upper Division Major Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

Upper Division Major Elective

3

Upper Division Major Elective

3

Minor Course

3

Minor Course

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 – 28 credits

Fall Semester

Upper Division Major Elective

3

Minor Course

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

HIST 480Seminar in History

3

Minor Course

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

4

Total Credit Hours:13

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