History, BA
Program Description
The history curriculum offers courses that provide all University students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the development of the United States, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. These courses also assist students in refining their reading, listening, critical thinking, writing, communication, and research skills. The history curriculum offers integrated perspectives on political, social, economic, cultural, and military factors, which have shaped the city, the state, the nation, the region, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
The history major is designed for students seeking a greater understanding of the past, teaching certification for grades 4-8 and secondary education, or preparation for careers in public history and graduate-level studies in the humanities and law. Drawing upon the holdings of the Special Collections and Archives Department as well as other library resources, the program also offers graduate courses for students enrolled in the Master of Arts in History program.
Students majoring in history choose one of two tracks, Historical Studies or Public History. With minor exceptions, both tracks share a common core but have different emphases in their upper-division electives. Both require a minimum of 33 semester hours of history coursework, at least 27 of which must be at the upper-division level. Six additional hours of lower-division United States history are required as part of the Core Curriculum Program. The College of Liberal Arts also requires students in history to take at least 6 hours of a second language. Students planning to pursue graduate study should elect additional courses which help achieve proficiency in foreign languages and/or statistics.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- think critically, read analytically, and write clearly;
- conduct independent research, handle primary sources, and construct an original historical thesis;
- and understand the social, economic, cultural, and political dimensions of historical development.
General Requirements
Requirements | Credit Hours |
---|---|
Core Curriculum Program | 42 |
University Seminar (when applicable)1 | 0-2 |
History Major Requirements | 33 |
Electives | 39 |
Foreign Language Requirements | 6 |
Total Credit Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.
- USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)
Program Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Full-time, First-year Students | ||
USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
Core Curriculum Program | ||
University Core Curriculum | 42 | |
History Core Requirements | ||
See the Core Curriculum Program for information on the requirements for American History. In addition to satisfying these requirements, students in all History B.A. tracks must take six semester credit of English in the core curriculum program, including ENGL 1302 and three hours of Core English Literature. | ||
History Tracks | ||
Select one of the following Tracks: | 33 | |
Historical Studies Track | ||
Public History Track | ||
Note: | ||
Students must take at least 3 hours of History ethnicity or gender classes. These classes can be used to satisfy the requirements of other clusters. They include: | ||
Mexican American History | ||
United States Women's History | ||
European Women's History | ||
The History of Sexuality in the West | ||
Mexican American Women's History | ||
Topics in History 1 | ||
Electives | ||
Select 39 hours of university electives. | 39 | |
Foreign Language Requirements | ||
See the College of Liberal Arts for the college language requirement. | 6 | |
Total Hours | 122 |
- 1
When topic is approved for cluster–see S.A.I.L. or advisor for further information.
Historical Studies Track
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements | ||
HIST 3385 | The Art and Practice of History | 3 |
HIST 4385 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
Lower-division Surveys | ||
HIST 2322 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
HIST 2321 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
Upper-division Surveys | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Colonial Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Asia 1 | ||
Mexican American History 1 | ||
U.S. History | ||
Select two of the following: | 6 | |
Texas History | ||
Colonial North America | ||
The American Revolution | ||
Colonial and Revolutionary U.S. | ||
The Early American Republic | ||
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
U.S. Gilded Age and Progressive Era | ||
Emergence of Modern U.S. | ||
U.S. Since 2nd World War | ||
The U.S. Urban Experience | ||
Environmental History and Environmental Justice | ||
Introduction to Public History | ||
Oral History and Podcasting | ||
U.S. Cultural Experience | ||
U.S. Modern Popular Culture | ||
The Military and United States History | ||
Mexican American History 1 | ||
United States Women's History | ||
Transnational Histories of Asia and the Pacific 1 | ||
Narratives of World War II in the Pacific 1 | ||
Mexican American Women's History | ||
Topics in History 2 | ||
European and World History | ||
Select two of the following: | 6 | |
History of World Religions | ||
Colonial Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Latin America 1 | ||
The Ancient World | ||
Europe 1750-1815 | ||
Europe 1815-1914 | ||
Europe 1914 to the Present | ||
Modern Asia 1 | ||
Dictators and Dirty Wars in Latin America | ||
European Women's History | ||
The Holocaust | ||
European Thought and Culture, 1750-present | ||
The History of Sexuality in the West | ||
Transnational Histories of Asia and the Pacific 1 | ||
Narratives of World War II in the Pacific 1 | ||
Mexico: the National Period | ||
Cold War Kids: Youth in Modern Latin America | ||
Topics in History 2 | ||
History Electives | ||
Select 6 hours of upper division HIST courses not required for the major | 6 | |
Total Hours | 33 |
- 1
May not be used to satisfy requirements in more than one cluster.
- 2
When topic is approved for cluster–see S.A.I.L. or advisor for further information.
Public History Track
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements | ||
HIST 4385 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
HIST 3385 | The Art and Practice of History | 3 |
Lower-division Surveys | ||
HIST 2321 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
HIST 2322 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
Upper-division Surveys | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Colonial Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Asia 1 | ||
Mexican American History 1 | ||
U.S. History | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Texas History | ||
Colonial North America | ||
The American Revolution | ||
Colonial and Revolutionary U.S. | ||
The Early American Republic | ||
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
U.S. Gilded Age and Progressive Era | ||
Emergence of Modern U.S. | ||
U.S. Since 2nd World War 1 | ||
The U.S. Urban Experience | ||
Environmental History and Environmental Justice 1 | ||
Introduction to Public History 1 | ||
Oral History and Podcasting 1 | ||
U.S. Cultural Experience | ||
U.S. Modern Popular Culture | ||
The Military and United States History | ||
Mexican American History 1 | ||
United States Women's History 1 | ||
Transnational Histories of Asia and the Pacific 1 | ||
Narratives of World War II in the Pacific 1 | ||
Mexican American Women's History | ||
Topics in History 2 | ||
European and World History | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
History of World Religions | ||
Colonial Latin America 1 | ||
Modern Latin America 1 | ||
The Ancient World | ||
Europe 1750-1815 | ||
Europe 1815-1914 | ||
Europe 1914 to the Present | ||
Modern Asia 1 | ||
Dictators and Dirty Wars in Latin America | ||
European Women's History | ||
The Holocaust | ||
European Thought and Culture, 1750-present | ||
The History of Sexuality in the West | ||
Transnational Histories of Asia and the Pacific 1 | ||
Narratives of World War II in the Pacific 1 | ||
Mexico: the National Period | ||
Cold War Kids: Youth in Modern Latin America | ||
Topics in History 2 | ||
Public History Requirements | ||
HIST 3370 | Introduction to Public History 1 | 3 |
HIST 4399 | Internship 1 | 3 |
Public History Electives | ||
Select two of the following: | 6 | |
U.S. Since 2nd World War 1 | ||
Environmental History and Environmental Justice 1 | ||
Introduction to Museum Studies 1 | ||
Oral History and Podcasting 1 | ||
United States Women's History 1 | ||
Topics in History 2 | ||
Internship 1 | ||
Grants and Proposals | ||
Total Hours | 33 |
- 1
May not be used to satisfy requirements in more than one cluster.
- 2
When topic is approved for cluster–see S.A.I.L. or advisor for further information.
Course Sequencing
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
HIST 1301 | U.S. History to 1865 | 3 |
USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
ENGL 1301 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
Lower-Division History Survey (HIST 2321 or 2322) | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
Language Requirement | 3 | |
Hours | 17 | |
Spring | ||
HIST 1302 | U.S. History Since 1865 | 3 |
ENGL 1302 or COMM 1311 | Writing and Rhetoric II or Foundation of Communication | 3 |
MATH 1332 or PHIL 2303 | Contemporary Mathematics or Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking | 3 |
Lower-Division History Survey (HIST 2321 or 2322) | 3 | |
Language Requirement | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
Lower-Division Elective | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
Lower-Division Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
HIST 3385 | The Art and Practice of History | 3 |
European & World History Course | 3 | |
U.S. History Course | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
U.S. History Course | 3 | |
Upper-Division History Survey Course | 3 | |
Upper-Division History Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
Upper-Division History Elective | 3 | |
European & World History Course | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
HIST 4385 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Total Hours | 122 |