Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Arts Degree in History at FAU

Director of Undergraduate Programs: Dr. Eric Hanne

History majors use the study of the past to make sense of a complicated world; they learn how to think critically, evaluate evidence, and write with clarity and strength. Majors attain skills that prepare them for jobs in a wide variety of fields, as employers look for applicants who have broad interests and backgrounds and analytical and verbal skills-- rather than narrow field specialization.

As Dr. Jack Rakove, William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies, Stanford University, observes:

"The study of history is useful in ways that students may not always anticipate, but which employers often understand... There is no single path that carries history undergraduates directly to one chosen career, but many ways in which skills learned in the study of the past can be translated into the enterprises of the present. History always involves asking how we can make sense of complex situations... That kind of awareness of the complexity of events is exactly what decision-making in business, government, law, journalism, and other fields often requires."

Requirements for the BA degree in History: In addition to other requirements as stipulated by the University and the College , the student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History will be required to take a minimum of 42 credits in history, including two survey courses: (AMH 2010 U.S. History to 1877 or AMH 2020 U.S. History Since 1877) AND (WOH 2012 History of World Civilization 1 or WOH 2022 History of World Civilization II) , and two capstone courses: Historical Methods (HIS 3150), which is the prerequisite for the final capstone course, Senior Seminar (HIS 4935).

The remaining course work must include an additional minimum of 30 credits of 3000-level or above courses, including:

2 courses in U.S. History (AMH)
2 courses in European History (EUH)
2 courses in non-Western History (ASH)
2 courses in Latin American History (LAH)
2 additional upper division history courses; any field

Majors who have an overall GPA of 3.2, an average of 3.5 in History courses, and have received grades of B or better in HIS 3150 and HIS 4935 are eligible to pursue the Honors in History degree. In addition, students have the opportunity to work with their professors on a Directed Independent Study.