Requirements
History Department Requirements for the Major and Minor
The department has recently changed its requirements for the major. Below are listed, in order:
- The requirements for students who declared a history major prior to the Spring 2009 Semester.
- The requirements for a minor in history.
- The requirements for students who declared a history major since the beginning of the Spring 2009 Semester, as well as a list of courses that fulfill each part of the new requirements.
1. The requirements for the major prior to February 2009.
- 2 semesters of History of Western Civilization (HIST 111/211 and HIST 112/212).
- 2 semesters of History of the United States (HIST 165/265 and HIST 166/266).
- 1 semester of course work in non-Western history (Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, or World History).
- 1 advanced course (HIST 300-level or above) in European History before 1800.
- 1 advanced course (HIST 300-level or above) in any field of history after 1800.
- 1 research and methods seminar (HIST 480 or 481).
- 4 electives.
Twelve courses for a total of 36 credits. At least 6 of the courses must be at the 300-level or above. No course may be taken pass/fail.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT and C.L.E.P. (College Level Examination Program)
The Department will accept up to 6 credits toward the major for advanced placement scores of 4 or better in European and American History and a C.L.E.P. score of 50. With a score of 4 or better (50 for C.L.E.P.) in European, the student may waive either HIST 111/211 or HIST 112/212. With a score of 4 or better in American (50 for C.L.E.P.), the student may waive either HIST 165/265 or HIST 166/266. Credit granted for Advanced Placement or C.L.E.P. cannot be used to satisfy the residency requirement.
2. The requirements for a minor in history.
- 2 semesters of History of Western Civilization (HIST 111/211 and HIST 112/212).
- 1 semester of History of the United States (HIST 165/265 and HIST 166/266).
- 3 electives, two of which must be at the 300-level or above.
Six courses for a total of 18 credits. At least 3 of 6 courses must be taken at UMass Boston. No course may be taken pass/fail.
3. The requirements for the major for anyone declaring as of February 2009.
Students must take a total of 12 courses (36 credits) as follows:
- History 101.
- Three 200-level history survey courses. (200-level general education courses do not meet this requirement.)
- Four 300-level history courses.
- Two 400-level history courses. One of these courses must meet the capstone (Research and Methods) requirement.
- Two additional courses above the 100 level.
At least one of these twelve courses must be a pre-1800 history course.
No course may be taken pass/fail.
Breadth requirements
Within the requirements listed above, students must take at least one course in each of the following subject areas:
- European history.
- Asian history (including Japan, China, India, Vietnam, and the Middle East).
- History of the Global South (Africa and Latin America).
- United States history.
Courses that fit different elements of the History Department requirements
List of courses that meet the 200-level survey course requirement
Please note that the survey courses that are still numbered in the 100s will be changed to 200s this year; they do count if taken when still numbered as 100 courses.
- History 152: Introduction to African History
- History 153: Africa in the Twentieth Century
- History 155L: Latin America before 1800
- History 156L: Latin America since 1800
- History 160L: East Asian Civilizations to 1850
- History 161L: East Asian Civilizations since 1850
- History 211: Foundations of Western Civilization
- History 212: Modern Western Civilization
- History 213: World History to 1800
- History 214: Modern World History
- History 248: Early Islamic History
- History 249: Modern Middle East History
- History 262: American Indian History to 1783
- History 265: American History before 1877
- History 266: American History since 1877
List of courses that meet the breadth requirement for European History
- History 211: Foundations of Western Civilization
- History 212: Modern Western Civilization
- History 301: Ancient Greek History
- History 302L: Roman History
- History 303L: The Archaeology of Ancient Greece
- History 304: The Dark Ages
- History 305: The High and Later Middle Ages
- History 306L: The Archaeology of Ancient Rome
- History 307: Renaissance and Reformation
- History 308: The History of Common Law
- History 309: The Mediaeval Mind
- History 311: Europe in the Age of the Enlightenment
- History 312: Cities in Early Modern Europe
- History 313: Nineteenth Century Europe
- History 315: Europe 1900-1945
- History 316: Europe since 1945
- History 320: Tudor-Stuart England
- History 321: England in the Age of Revolution, 1660-1850
- History 322: Britain and Empire
- History 323: Russia before 1861
- History 324: Russia and the Soviet Union
- History 326: Hitler, A Man and His Times
- History 327: Germany since 1945
- History 328: Germany to 1815
- History 329: Germany from 1815-1945
- History 330: The French Revolution
- History 331: France since 1789
- History 334: Italy since 1815
- History 335: Spain to 1713
- History 336: French Revolution and Napoleon
- History 337: Ancient Jewish History
- History 338: Jewish History since 1500
- History 339: Modern Irish History from 1800 to present
- History 343: History of European Ideas II
- History 349L: The Cold War: Rise and Fall
- History 433: Mussolini
- History 480: Seminar in European History
List of courses that meet the requirement for Asian History (including Japan, China, India, and Vietnam & the Middle East)
- History 160L: East Asian Civilizations to 1850
- History 161L: East Asian Civilizations since 1850
- History 213: World History to 1800
- History 214: Modern World History
- History 248: Early Islamic History
- History 249: Modern Middle East History
- History 300: Ancient Civilization to 600 BC
- Hitory 353: Postcolonial India
- History 357: The Vietnam War
- History 359L: Women in Modern China
- History 360L: Traditional China
- History 361: The History of Modern China
- History 363L: Modern Japan
- History 364: India since 1857
- History 366: The Middle East since 1914
- History 388: Twentieth Century Vietnam
List of courses that meet the requirement for History of the Global South (Africa, Latin America)
- History 152: Introduction to African History
- History 153: Africa in the Twentieth Century
- History 155L: Latin America before 1800
- History 156L: Latin America since 1800
- History 213: World History to 1800
- History 214: Modern World History
- History 300: Ancient Civilization to 600 BC
- History 352: Topics in African History
- History 368: Slavery in Africa
List of courses that meet the requirement for U.S. History
- History 262: American Indian History to 1783
- History 265: American History before 1877
- History 266: American History since 1877
- History 349L: The Cold War: Rise and Fall
- History 357: The Vietnam War
- History 370: Colonial American to 1763
- History 371: The American Revolution, 1763-1789
- History 372: The Early Republic
- History 373: American Slavery
- History 375: The U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction
- History 376: American Urban History
- History 377: The Old South
- History 378: American Legal History
- History 379: The United States, 1900-1945
- History 380: The United States since 1945
- History 381L: The History of American Religion
- History 383: History of the American West
- History 384: E Pluribus Unum?: American Immigration and Ethnicity
- History 387: American Foreign Policy since 1898
- History 392: American Women in Biography
- History 393L: The Social History of American Women
- History 395: The History of Boston
- History 396: The History of Baseball
- History 440L: United States in a Global Context
- History 481: Seminar in American History
400-level history courses that meet the capstone (Research and Methods) requirement
- History 480: Seminar in European History
- History 481: Seminar in American History
- History 490: Honors Thesis
Courses that meet the requirement for a pre-1800 history course
- History 152: Introduction to African History
- History 155L: Latin America before 1800
- History 160L: East Asian Civilizations to 1850
- History 211: Foundations of Western Civilization
- History 213: World History to 1800
- History 248: Early Islamic History
- History 262: American Indian History to 1783
- History 265: American History before 1877
- History 300: Ancient Civilization to 600 BC
- History 301: Ancient Greek History
- History 302L: Roman History
- History 303L: The Archaeology of Ancient Greece
- History 304: The Dark Ages
- History 305: The High and Later Middle Ages
- History 306L: The Archaeology of Ancient Rome
- History 307: Renaissance and Reformation
- History 308: The History of Common Law
- History 309: The Mediaeval Mind
- History 311: Europe in the Age of the Enlightenment
- History 312: Cities in Early Modern Europe
- History 320: Tudor-Stuart England
- History 321: England in the Age of Revolution, 1660-1850
- History 323: Russia before 1861
- History 328: Germany to 1815
- History 330: The French Revolution
- History 335: Spain to 1713
- History 337: Ancient Jewish History
- History 370: Colonial American to 1763
- History 371: The American Revolution, 1763-1789
