History Minor - UMass Boston

Explore History’s Impact on Modern Societies.

Through UMass Boston’s History Minor, you’ll explore the past and learn about a diverse range of historical topics. This program hones your analytical and critical thinking abilities and gives you a strong understanding of historical events and forces that have shaped human society. Coursework in this program focuses on interpreting primary and secondary sources, dissecting complex historical arguments, and clearly presenting your ideas in both written and oral forms.

A History Minor gives you versatility across different career fields and majors. UMass Boston History alums have pursued careers in management, education, international humanitarian work, library science, public policy, and more.

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How to Apply/Declare

Current Undergraduate Students: Declare or change your minor by completing an Undergraduate Program Add/Change form.

Prospective Undergraduate Students: Apply for admission to UMass Boston by completing an application. Start by reviewing the first-year and transfer application pages for important information about requirements, deadlines, and application status checks. Use the links below to apply:

Apply as a First-Year Student

Apply as a Transfer Student

Curriculum

Introductory History Course (3 Credits)

This course must be taken at UMass Boston and requires a minimum grade of C.

HIST 101 - Introduction to Historical Thinking and Analysis 3 Credit(s)

300-Level History Courses (6 Credits)

HIST 301L - Ancient Greek History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 302L - Roman History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 303L - The Archaeology of Ancient Greece 3 Credit(s)
HIST 304 - Early Middle Ages: Europe 300-1000 3 Credit(s)
HIST 305 - Later Middle Ages: Europe 1000-1450 3 Credit(s)
HIST 306L - The Archaeology of Ancient Rome 3 Credit(s)
HIST 307 - Renaissance and Reformation 3 Credit(s)
HIST 308 - The History of Common Law 3 Credit(s)
HIST 311L - The Fall of Rome 3 Credit(s)
HIST 312 - Cities in Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 313 - Nineteenth Century Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 314 - Health and Healing in Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 315 - Europe 1900-1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 316 - Europe since 1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 317L - Women in Medieval and Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 318 - Advanced Topics in History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 322 - Shakespeare’s London 3 Credit(s)
HIST 324 - Russia and the Soviet Union: From the 1917 Revolution to Putin 3 Credit(s)
HIST 326 - Hitler, A Man and His Times 3 Credit(s)
HIST 330 - The French Revolution 3 Credit(s)
HIST 337 - Making a “Second Sex”: Women and Gender in Modern European History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 339 - “Naturally Chic”: Fashion, Gender, and Nationalism in French History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 342 - Cinema in Hitler’s Germany: Movies, Propaganda, Politics in Weimar and Nazi Germany 1919-1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 343 - World War II: The Global War 3 Credit(s)
HIST 346 - Women & Gender in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 347 - Feast to Famine: Food in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 349L - The Cold War: Rise and Fall 3 Credit(s)
HIST 350 - Mexico since 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 351 - Histories of Brazil 3 Credit(s)
HIST 352 - Topics in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 357 - The Vietnam War 3 Credit(s)
HIST 359L - Women in Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 360L - Traditional China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 361L - The History of Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 363L - Modern Japan 3 Credit(s)
HIST 364L - India since 1857 3 Credit(s)
HIST 365L - Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Modern History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 368 - Antebellum African American History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 371 - The American Revolution, 1763-1789 3 Credit(s)
HIST 372 - The Early Republic 3 Credit(s)
HIST 375 - The US Civil War and Reconstruction 3 Credit(s)
HIST 377 - The American Progressive Era, 1890-1920 3 Credit(s)
HIST 380 - The United States Since 1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 387 - US Foreign Policy since 1898 3 Credit(s)
HIST 388 - American Soldiers in American Wars: History and Memory 3 Credit(s)
HIST 390L - Working-Class Boston 3 Credit(s)
HIST 392 - American Women in Biography 3 Credit(s)
HIST 395 - The History of Boston 3 Credit(s)

Additional History Courses (9 credits)

Two must come from the History Department and one can come from the list of affiliated courses.

HIST 115L - Survey of South Asia 3 Credit(s)
HIST 125L - Jerusalem: Sacred Space, Contested Space 3 Credit(s)
HIST 150 - Food and Empire 3 Credit(s)
HIST 152 - Crime, Corruption, and Scandal in Historical Perspective 3 Credit(s)
HIST 160L - East Asian Civilizations to 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 161L - East Asian Civilizations since 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 171 - Leeches to Lasers: Medicine and Health in the United States 3 Credit(s)
HIST 173 - Baseball and American History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 175 - Comic Books in America: The History of Comic Books and American Society since 1938 3 Credit(s)
HIST 180 - Family Secrets, or How to Become an Online History Detective 3 Credit(s)
HIST 182 - Touring the City: An Introduction to Public History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 185 - Mascots, Monuments, Massacres: Native American History in the Public Sphere 3 Credit(s)
HIST 186 - Road to Black Lives Matter: History of Violence Towards African Americans 3 Credit(s)
HIST 190G - Witchcraft in European History 4 Credit(s)
HIST 210L - Labor and Working Class History in the United States 3 Credit(s)
HIST 211 - Europe to 1600 3 Credit(s)
HIST 212 - Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 213 - World History to 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 214 - Modern World History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 219 - History of the Mediterranean 3 Credit(s)
HIST 220 - History of European Empires 3 Credit(s)
HIST 224G - Revolutionaries 3 Credit(s)
HIST 225L - Berlin: Crossroads of History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 230L - Ancient Egypt 3 Credit(s)
HIST 233L - The Homeric Warrior 3 Credit(s)
HIST 251L - South Asia and the Indian Ocean World 3 Credit(s)
HIST 252 - African History to 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 253 - African History since 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 255L - Gods and Slaves: Latin America before 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 256L - Skyscrapers and Shantytowns: Latin America since 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 257L - Queer Literature and History in the 20th Century US 3 Credit(s)
HIST 262L - American Indian History to 1783 3 Credit(s)
HIST 263L - Modern American Indian Social and Political History: From the American Revolution to Standing Rock 3 Credit(s)
HIST 265 - American History before 1877 3 Credit(s)
HIST 266 - American History since 1877 3 Credit(s)
HIST 271 - Survey of Afro-American History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 275L - Learning to Labor: Work and Education in US History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 276 - This Land is Your Land: A Survey of American Environmental History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 278L - Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies 3 Credit(s)
HIST 280 - Special Topics 1-3 Credit(s)
HIST 285L - Food in American Culture 3 Credit(s)
HIST 290G - Globalization in Historical Perspective 3 Credit(s)
HIST 301L - Ancient Greek History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 302L - Roman History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 303L - The Archaeology of Ancient Greece 3 Credit(s)
HIST 304 - Early Middle Ages: Europe 300-1000 3 Credit(s)
HIST 305 - Later Middle Ages: Europe 1000-1450 3 Credit(s)
HIST 306L - The Archaeology of Ancient Rome 3 Credit(s)
HIST 307 - Renaissance and Reformation 3 Credit(s)
HIST 308 - The History of Common Law 3 Credit(s)
HIST 311L - The Fall of Rome 3 Credit(s)
HIST 312 - Cities in Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 313 - Nineteenth Century Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 314 - Health and Healing in Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 315 - Europe 1900-1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 316 - Europe since 1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 317L - Women in Medieval and Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 318 - Advanced Topics in History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 322 - Shakespeare’s London 3 Credit(s)
HIST 324 - Russia and the Soviet Union: From the 1917 Revolution to Putin 3 Credit(s)
HIST 326 - Hitler, A Man and His Times 3 Credit(s)
HIST 330 - The French Revolution 3 Credit(s)
HIST 337 - Making a “Second Sex”: Women and Gender in Modern European History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 342 - Cinema in Hitler’s Germany: Movies, Propaganda, Politics in Weimar and Nazi Germany 1919-1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 339 - “Naturally Chic”: Fashion, Gender, and Nationalism in French History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 343 - World War II: The Global War 3 Credit(s)
HIST 346 - Women & Gender in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 347 - Feast to Famine: Food in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 349L - The Cold War: Rise and Fall 3 Credit(s)
HIST 350 - Mexico since 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 351 - Histories of Brazil 3 Credit(s)
HIST 352 - Topics in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 357 - The Vietnam War 3 Credit(s)
HIST 359L - Women in Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 360L - Traditional China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 361L - The History of Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 363L - Modern Japan 3 Credit(s)
HIST 364L - India since 1857 3 Credit(s)
HIST 365L - Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Modern History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 368 - Antebellum African American History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 371 - The American Revolution, 1763-1789 3 Credit(s)
HIST 372 - The Early Republic 3 Credit(s)
HIST 375 - The US Civil War and Reconstruction 3 Credit(s)
HIST 380 - The United States Since 1945 3 Credit(s)
HIST 387 - US Foreign Policy since 1898 3 Credit(s)
HIST 388 - American Soldiers in American Wars: History and Memory 3 Credit(s)
HIST 390L - Working-Class Boston 3 Credit(s)
HIST 392 - American Women in Biography 3 Credit(s)
HIST 395 - The History of Boston 3 Credit(s)
HIST 402L - History of US Visual Media 3 Credit(s)
HIST 411L - Post 9/11 Culture: Rumors, Stories and Songs 3 Credit(s)
HIST 413 - Saints, Witches and Heretics 3 Credit(s)
HIST 416L - Thucydides: War & Human Nature 3 Credit(s)
HIST 433 - Mussolini 3 Credit(s)
HIST 440L - United States in a Global Context 3 Credit(s)
HIST 456 - Faith and Politics in Islam 3 Credit(s)
HIST 462 - A Nation in Turmoil: The United States, 1815-1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 468 - Age of FDR: America in Depression and War 3 Credit(s)
HIST 478 - Special Topics Seminar in History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 487 - Cooperative Education/Internship, History 3-6 Credit(s)
HIST 488 - Independent Reading 1-3 Credit(s)
HIST 489 - Independent Reading 1-3 Credit(s)
HIST 490 - Honors Thesis 3 Credit(s)

Affiliated Courses:

One course can come from the list of affiliated courses.

AFRSTY 113 - Islam and the African World 3 Credit(s)
AFRSTY 343L - African Diaspora Archaeology: Uncovering Roots, Routes, and Resistance 3 Credit(s)
AFRSTY 352L - Harlem Renaissance 3 Credit(s)
AFRSTY 440 - Post-Colonial Literature: Africa and the Caribbean 3 Credit(s)
AMST 206 - The Sixties 3 Credit(s)
AMST 352L - Harlem Renaissance 3 Credit(s)
AMST 394L - Radical Voices of Resistance: Gender, Race and US Social Movements 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 224G - The Rise and Fall of the Maya 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 238 - Empire and Imperialism: From Rome to the War in Iraq 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 247 - Ancient Cities & States 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 274 - Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 275L - Peoples and Cultures of China 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 340 - Historical Archaeology 3 Credit(s)
ANTH 343L - African Diaspora Archaeology: Uncovering Roots, Routes, and Resistance 3 Credit(s)
ART 235 - History of Global Design 3 Credit(s)
ART 305 - Early Medieval Art 3 Credit(s)
ART 306 - Romanesque and Gothic Art 3 Credit(s)
ASAMST 265L - World War II Internment of Japanese Americans (A) 3 Credit(s)
ASIAN 367L - Food and Culture in Japan: National Identity and Diversity, Past and Present 3 Credit(s)
CINE 201 - History of International Cinema: Origins to 1945 3 Credit(s)
CINE 202 - History of International Cinema: 1945-the present 3 Credit(s)
CLSICS 281 - Greek Civilization: Multi-Cultural Perspectives 3 Credit(s)
CLSICS 282 - Roman Civilization 3 Credit(s)
ECON 308 - History of Economic Thought 3 Credit(s)
EDC U 466 - Teaching and Learning in the Discipline History and Social Studies 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 352L - Harlem Renaissance 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 406 - The Victorian Age 3 Credit(s)
ENVSCI 270 - Cities and the Environment 3 Credit(s)
JAPAN 367L - Food and Culture in Japan: National Identity and Diversity, Past and Present 3 Credit(s)
LATAM 210G - Food, Culture, and Society in Latin America 3 Credit(s)
LATAM 305 - The Caribbean: Culture and Society 3 Credit(s)
LATAM 375L - Afro-Luso-Brazilian Cultures 3 Credit(s)
POLSCI 265L - World War II Internment of Japanese Americans (A) 3 Credit(s)
POLSCI 369 - Politics of the Middle East (C) 3 Credit(s)
POLSCI 404 - The Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 3 Credit(s)
PORT 375L - Afro-Luso-Brazilian Cultures 3 Credit(s)
WGS 270 - Native American Women in North America 3 Credit(s)
WGS 394L - Radical Voices of Resistance: Gender, Race and US Social Movements 3 Credit(s)

Geographical Breadth Requirement

One History course must be taken from one of these geographical breadth areas: Asia (e.g. Japan, China, India, Vietnam, and the Middle East), Latin America, or Africa.

African History:

HIST 252 - African History to 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 253 - African History since 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 346 - Women & Gender in African History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 347 - Feast to Famine: Food in African History 3 Credit(s)

Asian History:

HIST 115L - Survey of South Asia 3 Credit(s)
HIST 160L - East Asian Civilizations to 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 161L - East Asian Civilizations since 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 251L - South Asia and the Indian Ocean World 3 Credit(s)
HIST 359L - Women in Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 360L - Traditional China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 361L - The History of Modern China 3 Credit(s)
HIST 363L - Modern Japan 3 Credit(s)
HIST 364L - India since 1857 3 Credit(s)
HIST 365L - Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Modern History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 456 - Faith and Politics in Islam 3 Credit(s)

Latin American History:

HIST 255L - Gods and Slaves: Latin America before 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 256L - Skyscrapers and Shantytowns: Latin America since 1800 3 Credit(s)
HIST 350 - Mexico since 1850 3 Credit(s)
HIST 351 - Histories of Brazil 3 Credit(s)

Completion Requirements

Complete 18 credits from six courses, including HIST 101, two 300-level History courses, and three additional History courses at any level (two of which must be from the History Department and one of which can come from the list of affiliated courses). One course must be taken from one of the geographical breadth areas.

Pass/fail: One course of the six can be taken Pass/Fail, except for HIST 101.
Residency: At least three courses for the minor must be taken at UMass Boston. HIST 101 must be taken at UMass Boston and no equivalent can be transferred from another institution.

Contact

Heidi Gengenbach, PhD, History Department Chair
McCormack Hall, 4th Floor, Room 631
617.287.6877
Heidi.Gengenbach [@] umb.edu

History Department

The History Department equips students for success by exploring how past societies grappled with complex challenges. It explores how people have structured & managed their relationships with one another; how and why those structures and relationships changed over time; and how globalization has shaped life, identity, opportunity, and justice. Studying history deepens our understanding of the human condition and of how the past continues to shape our lives today.

Explore the Department of History

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College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

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Next Steps

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