COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES - DEPT OF HISTORY

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History is the broadest and most integrative of all disciplines concerned with human beings and society. Today's historians use the research tools of the social sciences to understand and explain major events and changes in human experience over time. Yet history has always been considered one of the humanities, and it remains so because historians are concerned with issues of value and meaning, with the significance that historical events had for the lives of individuals and groups. Students of history gain an understanding of people, groups, and society and a sensitivity both to detailed research and the “big picture.” Through the study of history, students can become better prepared for life in a rapidly changing world and a rapidly evolving economy.

Professions like law and medicine have always considered history an ideal undergraduate major because it emphasizes the essential intellectual skills: critical thinking, research, writing, and speaking. For these reasons history also remains a sound preparation for almost any undergraduate and a good choice for the typical student in America, who graduates with a basic education rather than specific job training. Whether you plan to teach, work in archives or museums, or pursue a career in government, law, international organizations, or business, the skills you learn as a historian will prove invaluable. The Department offers majors the premier track in Comprehensive Social Studies Teacher Licensure and opportunities in public history. Through the master's program history majors can pursue their interests at the graduate level. (See the UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog.)

Study Abroad. Arrangements can be made for study abroad in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America or Canada.

BACHELOR OF ARTS

A major in History leading to the B.A. degree requires a minimum of 30 hours in History meeting the requirements for A) Foundations, B) Elective Coursework, and C) Senior Seminar outlined below. In addition there is D) a related work requirement in a foreign language. No more than 6 hours of transfer or AP credit will be counted towards 1000-level courses in the major. The student must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all history courses.  Transfer students are required to take at least fifteen hours of history major course work at UNC Charlotte.

A) Foundations (9 hours)
HIST 1121 European History since 1660
HIST 1160 or HIST 1161 US History to or since 1865
HIST 2600  History Skills Seminar

Note: HIST 1121 and 1160/61 are normally taken in the freshman or sophomore year; HIST 2600 is normally taken in the sophomore year or as soon as possible after declaring the major.

B) Elective Coursework (21 hours)
a. No more than 3 hours are at the 1000 level; at least 6 hours at the 3000 level; and 3 hours at the 4000 level. Students seeking secondary certification in History Education must take both HIST 1160 and 1161.
b. At least 6 hours are in Non-Western History (Asia, Africa, Latin America, Middle East).

C) Senior Seminar (3 hours)
HIST 4600 Senior Research Seminar

Note: Students must score a C or higher in HIST 2100 in order to take HIST 4000 and they may not be taken in the same semester.

D) Related Work
Students majoring in History must complete either a 2000-level course in a foreign language that uses the Latin alphabet (French, German, Italian, Spanish, etc.) or a 1202-level course in language that is not written in the Latin alphabet (Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian etc.), or demonstrate proficiency at that level. Intermediate American Sign Language (at the 2000 equivalency level) is accepted.

E) Additional Stipulations
Students doing a second major may count up to nine (9) hours of credit from courses fulfilling requirements in that major towards requirements for the History degree. Students doing a major/minor combination may count up to six (6) hours credit from courses used in the minor towards requirements for the major in History. These stipulations include cross listed courses regardless of program designation under which the course was taken. Exceptions may be approved by the Department Chair upon consultation with the other program.

Note: Students exercising this option should be aware that the accuracy of the on-line degree audit may be affected.

TEACHER LICENSURE

The department, in collaboration with the College of Education offers the premier track to a North Carolina Professional I status Teaching License in History and Social Studies. The coursework for this licensure includes nearly equal numbers of content area courses in history and affiliated social studies supervised by the History Department, and education courses supervised by the Department of Middle and Secondary Education. Students interested in teacher licensure should declare their intent with the History Department as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary delays.

Students seeking teacher licensure in History and Social Studies must complete the requirements for the History major, 12 additional hours in Social Studies consisting of: POLS 1110; POLS 1130 or 1150; one ECON course, and LBST 2102-GEOG, and 33 additional hours in Education (please contact the Teacher Education, Advising, and Licensure Office in the College of Education for details). Students must obtain a grade of C or better for all History, Social Studies, and Education courses, as well as a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better for admission to the College of Education, and a 2.75 GPA in History and Social Studies to be eligible for licensure.

MINOR IN HISTORY

A minor in History consists of 18 semester hours including HIST 1121; no more than six additional hours at the 1000 level; and at least nine semester hours selected from courses above the 1000 level. The student must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all history courses.

HONORS PROGRAM IN HISTORY

The Program. The Department of History offers an Honors Program that consists of a three course sequence: HIST 3795 Honors Seminar; HIST 3797 Honors Methods and Practice; and HIST 3799 Honors Research and Thesis. HIST 3799 is normally taken in the semester before graduation. Candidates may elect however to take HIST 3798, Preliminary Honors Research (pass/fail) in the semester prior to taking HIST 3799. Students considering Honors in History should note that HIST 3795 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 2600, HIST 3797 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 4000, and completion of either HIST 3798 or 3799 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 4600.

Admission. Entry into all honors courses is by permission of the department only, and requires a GPA of 3.25 in History and 3.0 overall. Because HIST 3795 and 3797 are taught in sequence, students must complete their application to the History Honors Program well before their expected graduation. For this reason, qualified students are urged to discuss the History Honors Program with the Department’s Honors Director early in their career. Students must also formally apply and be approved for Honors Candidacy by the University Honors Council, a process which will be initiated as part of the HIST 3797 course.

Certification Requirements. To be awarded a degree in history with University Honors, candidates must write an Honors thesis of A quality as judged by a committee of readers. In addition, the student must complete HIST 3795, HIST 3797, HIST 3799, with a 3.2 GPA and course grades of B or better, obtain a GPA of 3.25 or better in History courses, and an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

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