History (BA/BS)

From the controversies over monuments to the “Lost Cause” of the American south to the impact of pandemics on indigenous communities to the roots of authoritarianism, understanding the past and its resonance in the present and future is more important than ever. Studying the past trains majors to think rigorously, to write clearly, and to interpret events and problem-solve with creativity and confidence.

The bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in history are amazingly versatile degrees. The history major cultivates learning and skills that are crucial for careful and systematic thinking and, more broadly, are integral to a liberal arts education.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Recognize the complexity of historical experiences in diverse parts of the world.
  • Understand other chronological eras in context, including substantial historical knowledge of premodern histories.
  • Analyze historical arguments and evaluate conflicts of interpretation, examine the evidence, and learn how historians construct explanations in writing.
  • Identify a historical problem for study, locate evidence relevant to that problem, analyze that evidence critically, and develop a research strategy to address the historical questions.
  • Synthesize information from a variety of sources to construct cogent arguments, and express those arguments in clear, convincing prose.

All history majors, regardless of whether they are earning a BA or BS, must fulfill the second-language requirement associated with the university’s bachelor of arts core-education requirement. They must demonstrate proficiency in a second language either by completing, with a C– or better or P, at least the third term, second year of a second language. History courses that satisfy major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and that grade must be a C- or better. Specific requirements follow:

Bachelor's Degree in History (BA/BS)

Upper-Division History Courses33
21 credits at the 400 level, including a 5-credit Seminar (HIST 407) 1
8 credits in history before 1800
4 credits in each of four concentration areas selected from a list of six historical fields 2
Additional History Courses 312
HIST 290Historian's Craft4
Total Credits49
1

No more than 8 credits of Reading and Conference (HIST 405) may be used to fulfill major requirements.

2

Historical fields: 1) Europe, 2) United States, 3) Africa and the Middle East, 4) Asia, 5) Latin America, 6) World

3

Upper or lower division

Historical Fields Courses

Europe
Modern Europe
Modern Europe
Modern Europe
High Middle Ages in Europe
Late Middle Ages in Europe
France
German History: [Topic]
Imperial Russia
Soviet Union and Contemporary Russia
Early Modern Science
Ancient Greece: [Topic]
Ancient Rome: [Topic]
Intellectual History of Modern Europe: [Topic]
Europe in the 20th Century: [Topic]
Medieval Central Europe: [Topic]
16th-Century European Reformations
Modern Germany: [Topic]
The Holocaust
Modern Russia: [Topic]
United States
History of Women in the United States I
History of Women in the United States II
US Military History
American Radicalism
The United States in the 1960s
History of US Cities
American Business History
American West in Popular Culture
American Environmental History to 1890
American Environmental History 1890 to Present
Vietnam War and the United States
Race and Ethnicity in the American West
Colonial American History
Revolutionary America
19th-Century United States: [Topic]
American Economic History: [Topic]
The American West
The American West
The Pacific Northwest
American Indian History: [Topic]
African American History to 1877: [Topic]
African American History since 1877: [Topic]
American Environmental History: [Topic]
Africa and Middle East
Precolonial Africa
Colonial and Postcolonial Africa
Society and Culture in Modern Africa: [Topic]
African Regional Histories: [Topic]
The Iraq War
Asia
India
Early China
Samurai in Film
China: [Topic]
Japan: [Topic]
Medicine and Society in Premodern Japan
Culture, Modernity, and Revolution in China: [Topic]
Early Japanese Culture and Society: [Topic]
Latin America
Latin America
Latin America
Latin America, 1910 to the Present
Latin America: [Topic]
World
Advanced World History: [Topic]
Advanced Women's History: [Topic]

History Before 1800 Courses

Modern Europe
History of Women in the United States I
High Middle Ages in Europe
Late Middle Ages in Europe
Precolonial Africa
France
Imperial Russia
Early Modern Science
Latin America
Early China
Ancient Greece: [Topic]
Advanced Reacting to the Past: [Topic] (For some topics)
Ancient Rome: [Topic]
Medieval Central Europe: [Topic]
16th-Century European Reformations
Colonial American History
Revolutionary America
African American History to 1877: [Topic] (For some topics)
Latin America: [Topic] (For some topics)
China: [Topic] (For some topics)
Japan: [Topic] (For some topics)
Medicine and Society in Premodern Japan
Early Japanese Culture and Society: [Topic]

Additional Requirements

A grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or higher is required in history courses taken at the University of Oregon. A mid-C or better is required in (HIST 407 ). Majors who maintain a GPA of 3.50 or better qualify for the history honors track. More information on this option may be found on the department website.

A total of 21 upper-division credits, including three courses numbered 408, 410–499, and the required (HIST 407 ) Seminar must be taken at the University of Oregon.

History Honors Program

The honors program provides an opportunity for capable and highly motivated history majors to develop their interests in historical research by writing a thesis during the senior year. To be eligible for admission to the program, students must have completed at least 28 credits in history, of which at least 16 upper-division credits must have been taken at the University of Oregon. The grade point average in all history courses must be 3.50 or better. Students who satisfactorily complete the thesis and related work and fulfill the requirements of the history major are eligible for a bachelor’s degree with honors in history. Information about procedures for admission to the honors program, the course of study, the nature of the thesis, and the oral examination on the thesis may be obtained from the history department staff.

Four-Year Degree Plan

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Bachelor of Arts in History: Environmental History Emphasis

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
ITAL 101 First-Year Italian 5
WR 121Z Composition I 4
ANTH 150 World Archaeology 4
HIST 215 Food in World History 4
 Credits 17
Winter
ITAL 102 First-Year Italian 5
WR 123 College Composition III 4
ARH 205 Mediterranean Renaissance European Art 4
History course to be chosen in consultation with advisor 4
 Credits 17
Spring
ITAL 103 First-Year Italian 5
HIST 106 World History 4
ANTH 173 Evolution of Human Sexuality 4
 Credits 13
 Total Credits 47
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
ITAL 201 Second-Year Italian 4
MUS 265 US Popular Music 1965 to 2000 4
HIST 290 Historian's Craft 4
HIST 380 Latin America 4
 Credits 16
Winter
ITAL 202 Second-Year Italian 4
PS 205 Introduction to International Relations 4
ARH 211 Survey of Latin American Arts 4
HIST 325 Precolonial Africa 4
 Credits 16
Spring
GEOG 141 The Natural Environment 4
ITAL 203 Second-Year Italian 4
ANTH 361 Human Evolution 4
HIST 382 Latin America, 1910 to the Present Latin America field credits (completed)4
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
FLR 320 Car Cultures 4
CINE 350 Queer European Cinema 4
ENG 362 or similar 4
 Credits 12
Winter
ARH 315 History of World Architecture II 4
PS 326 United States Foreign Policy I 4
ENVS 345 Environmental Ethics 4
HIST 415 Advanced World History: [Topic] (Environmental History of the Pacific) 4
 Credits 16
Spring
ARH 352 Art of the Enlightenment 4
ENVS 411 Environmental Issues: [Topic] (H2O: Life and Death) 4
HIST 415 Advanced World History: [Topic] (Energy and World Politics) 4
PS 440 Causes and Prevention of War 4
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 44
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
ARH 457 Contemporary Art: [Topic] (Global Asia) 4
HIST 473 American Environmental History: [Topic] (United States Environmental History) 4
PS 477 International Environmental Politics 4
 Credits 12
Winter
ARH 407 Seminar: [Topic] (Chinese Cinema) 4
REL 357 War, Terrorism, and Religion 4
ENVS 435 Environmental Justice 4
HIST 473 American Environmental History: [Topic] (Colonial Environmental History) 4
 Credits 16
Spring
HIST 407 Seminar: [Topic] (Environment and Colonialism) 5
Upper-division environmental studies course 4
PS 460 or similar 4
Upper-division art history course 4
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 45