Program Overview

University Catalog

History Major

Major Requirements

The History Major requires a minimum of 120 semester credits. The degree type offered is B.A. or B.S.

University Degree Requirements

• Minimum of 120 semester credits (some programs may exceed this minimum)
• Complete the University General Education requirements
• Minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU
• Minimum of 30 credits in residence at NDSU
• Minimum of 36 upper-level credits (courses numbered 300 or higher)
• Students with transfer credit must meet the NDSU 30 credits in residence requirement, with a minimum of 15 credits in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 credits in the student's declared major curricula

University General Education Requirements

A list of university-approved general education courses is available. The categories and credits required are as follows:

• Category C: Communication | 12 credits
• Category R: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 credits
• Category S: Science and Technology | 10 credits
• Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts | 6 credits
• Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 6 credits
• Category W: Wellness | 2 credits
• Category D: Cultural Diversity
• Category G: Global Perspectives
• Category L: Digital Literacy Total Credits: 39

Major Requirements

The major requirements include:

• Core Requirements:
  • HIST 1XX or 2XX level | 3 credits
  • HIST 1XX or 2XX level | 3 credits
  • HIST 1XX or 2XX level | 3 credits
  • HIST 390 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 credits
  • HIST 489 | Senior Seminar (Capstone) | 3 credits
• Additional History Electives | 6 credits
• Distribution Requirement: Minimum credit required for each distribution area
  • North American History: Select 6 credits from the following
    • RELS 240 | "Cults" and New Religious Movements
    • RELS 345 | Church and State in America
    • HIST 328 | War and Society in America
    • HIST 415 | Public Memory and Memorialization in America
    • HIST 420 | Colonial American History
    • HIST 421 | Revolutionary America
    • HIST 422 | American Civil War and Reconstruction
    • HIST 423 | The Gilded Age and Progressive America
    • HIST 424 | U.S. History
    • HIST 425 | U.S. History 1917-Present II
    • HIST 426 | Women in American History
    • HIST 431 | The North American Plains
    • HIST 434 | Environmental History
    • HIST 436 | American Frontier to 1850
  • European History: Select 6 credits from the following
    • HIST 320 | History of Christianity
    • HIST 449 | Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire
    • HIST 450 | Ancient History
    • HIST 451 | Medieval History
    • HIST 454 | Renaissance And Reformation
    • HIST 456 | Europe
    • HIST 457 | Europe Since 1914
    • HIST 464 | Imperial Spain
    • HIST 465 | Germany since 1750
    • HIST 467 | History Of Russia II
  • Widening Horizons: Select 6 credits from the following
    • HIST 355 | Global Islam
    • HIST 381 | Australia & New Zealand
    • HIST 440 | The Ottoman Empire
    • HIST 473 | Colonial Mexico
    • HIST 474 | Modern Mexico
    • HIST 475 | The Aztec, Maya, and Inca
    • HIST 477 | Slavery in the Atlantic World
    • HIST 480 | History of Modern China from 1600
    • HIST 481 | History of Japan
    • HIST 482 | Vietnam: 125 Years of Conflict
    • HIST 484 | Cultures and Civilizations of the Pre-modern World
    • HIST 485 | Cultural Exchange and the Making of the Modern World
    • HIST 486 | Plague! Tragedies and Triumphs of Globalization Total Credits: 39

Degree Requirements and Notes

• Twenty-four (24) credits must be taken at the 300-400 level, and of these 24, twenty (20) credits must be taken in residence at NDSU for a history major.
• The prerequisite for HIST 489 Capstone is HIST 390.