Program Overview

---

History, B.A.

The study of history provides the social and cultural resources necessary to approach the challenges of present-day society and our membership in a global community. As a history student at Saint Louis University, you'll learn information-processing skills that are in strong demand in today's job market: analytical thinking, effective use of evidence, research, writing skills, rhetorical abilities, and an understanding of cultural differences.

Curriculum Overview

History majors at SLU are educated in basic intellectual and communication skills valued in business, journalism, public service, and law, among other fields. In recent years, undergraduates have augmented studies in history with education, political science, foreign language, or business administration combinations that have proven attractive in medicine, business, and government service.

Learning Outcomes

• Graduates will be able to call to mind and explain significant historical facts in appropriate contexts.
• Graduates will be able to critically evaluate and analyze primary sources to produce reasoned historical interpretations.
• Graduates will be able to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical narratives and interpretations.
• Graduates will be able to produce correct, cogent, and effectively structured statements on historical topics.
• Graduates will be able to produce research in which they interpret primary sources in order to propose informed, original solutions to historical problems.
• Graduates will be able to articulate meaningful relationships between contemporary issues and historical facts, interpretations, and skills.

Requirements

History students must complete a minimum of 36 credits for the major.

• University Undergraduate Core: 32-35 credits
• Required Courses:
  • HIST 1000: History Matters (3 credits)
  • HIST 2800: Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar (3 credits)
• History Electives: 27 credits
  • Select 9 HIST elective courses (4 of which must be at the 3000-level)
• History Area Attributes:
  • Select HIST elective courses which fulfill each of the following area attributes (a course may fulfill more than one area attribute)
    • European History
    • U.S. History
    • World History (Asian, African, or Latin American)
    • Pre-1500 History
    • Post-1500 History
• Senior Seminar: 3 credits
  • Select one of the following: HIST 4900, HIST 4901, or HIST 4902
• General Electives: 49-52 credits
• Total Credits: 120

Senior Thesis

HIST 4991 History Senior Thesis (3 credits) will be conducted as an independent study/research course for writing an honors thesis. It is an opportunity for superior students who want to expand and revise a paper for a previous 3000 or 4000-level history course into an honors thesis.

Internships

The Department of History offers a variety of internships (HIST 4910 Internship/History in Practice, 1-6 credits); for example, in an archive, a museum, a historical site, or on specific projects.

Continuation Standards

A 2.00 minimum GPA for all history courses. Students who fall below the continuation standard for two consecutive semesters are eligible for program dismissal.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
• Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
• Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate, or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
• Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate or related elective credits.
• Complete department- and program-specific academic and performance requirements.
• Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
• Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Program Notes

The history major requires successful completion of courses above 1120 in the following areas: pre-1865 U.S. history, post-1865 U.S. history, European history, and World history. At least one course must be a 4000-level seminar.

European History (3 Credits)

Courses with the European history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of commonly taught courses are:

• HIST 3000: Ancient Greece
• HIST 3020: The Roman Empire
• HIST 3030: The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire
• HIST 3040: From Barbarians to Crusaders: Europe in the Early Middle Ages
• HIST 3050: From Cathedrals to Printing Presses: Europe in the Late Middle Ages
• HIST 3090: The Age of Renaissance
• HIST 3100: The Reformation Era
• HIST 3120: French Revolution and Napoleon
• HIST 3140: Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars
• HIST 3250: World in Conflict Since 1945
• HIST 3280: Russia to 1905
• HIST 3290: Russia Since 1905
• HIST 3320: Early Modern History of Spain
• HIST 3720: Cultural Encounters
• HIST 3760: Medieval Spain

Pre-1865 U.S. History (3 credits)

Courses with the Pre-1865 U.S. history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of commonly taught courses are:

• HIST 1600: History of the United States of America to 1865
• HIST 3480: U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction
• HIST 3580: American Slavery
• HIST 3640: History of the American West
• HIST 3660: History of Nature in America
• HIST 3700: U.S. Constitutional History

Post-1865 U.S. History (3 Credits)

Courses with the Post-1865 U.S. history attribute. Examples of commonly taught courses are:

• HIST 1610: History of the United States Since 1865
• HIST 3250: World in Conflict Since 1945
• HIST 3480: U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction
• HIST 3500: Progressive Era to the Jazz Age
• HIST 3600: U.S. History in Film
• HIST 3640: History of the American West
• HIST 3660: History of Nature in America
• HIST 3700: U.S. Constitutional History

World History (3 Credits)

Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Latin American. Courses with the world history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of commonly taught courses are:

• HIST 1700: China and Japan To 1600: Histories, Cultures, Identities
• HIST 1710: China and Japan Since 1600: Samurai, Revolutionaries, Entrepreneurs
• HIST 2730: Crossroads of the World: The Middle East and North Africa Through History
• HIST 3030: The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire
• HIST 3170: Colonial Latin America
• HIST 3220: Jesuits and Their Worlds
• HIST 3240: History of Africa since 1884
• HIST 3250: World in Conflict Since 1945

Senior Research Seminars (3 Credits)

• HIST 4900: Seminar in European History
• HIST 4901: Seminar in American History
• HIST 4902: Seminar in World History

Internship (3 credits may be taken twice)

• HIST 4910: Internship/History in Practice

Senior Thesis (3-6 credits)

• HIST 4990: History Senior Thesis Prep (optional)
• HIST 4991: History Senior Thesis

Admission Requirements

• All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted.
• Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicants file.
• To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score, or take the General Education Development (GED) test.

Tuition

Undergraduate Tuition: $56,960 per year. Additional charges may apply.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership, and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment. Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid, and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

Careers

History majors have gone on to fulfilling careers in law, public policy, education, business, medicine, and technology. They work in secondary education and government, for nonprofits and NGOs, and as entrepreneurs. History majors and minors learn to excel in writing, oral presentation, and research. These skills can be applied in a broad range of fields, including law, education, medicine, and business. Students interested in the sciences often discover that having a major or minor in history diversifies their academic training and makes their applications to graduate and medical schools even more competitive.