Program Overview

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History, B.A.

Overview

The History, B.A. program at Saint Louis University is designed to educate students in the values and skills foundational to a wide range of careers. The program focuses on developing critical thinking, research, and communication skills, preparing students for leadership roles in various fields.

Program Highlights

• Small classes and one-on-one mentoring
• Opportunities for internships and individualized research
• Award-winning teachers committed to helping students grow as thinkers and human beings
• A Bachelor of Arts in History or a minor in history will sharpen your mind and open your eyes, giving you the confidence to say, “I know who I am because I know my history.”

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. The program includes:

• University Undergraduate Core (32-35 credits)
• Required Courses (6 credits)
• History Electives (27 credits)
• History Area Attributes (select courses that fulfill each of the following area attributes)
• Senior Seminar (3 credits)

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

SLU's Department of History offers a variety of internships with museums and other historical organizations, most of which are eligible for course credit. Internship opportunities in the St. Louis area include:

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Campbell House Museum
• Discovery Expedition of St. Charles
• Eugene Field House and Toy Museum
• Holocaust Museum
• Jefferson Barracks
• Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Achieves
• Landmarks Association of St. Louis
• Lincoln Home and National Historic Site
• Midwest Jesuit Archives
• Missouri History Museum
• National Archives Records Center
• Saint Louis University Art Museum
• Scott Joplin House
• Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

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.

Admission Requirements

• Freshman: Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.
• Transfer: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED or HiSET.
• International Applicants: Demonstrate English Language Proficiency, and all academic records must include an English translation.

Tuition

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

Scholarships and Financial Aid

• Scholarships: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership, and financial need.
• Financial Aid: provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

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.
• 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.

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.
• Senior thesis (three or six credits, counting toward electives) and internship options available.

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

Roadmap

The roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for the program. It assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.

• Year One:
  • Fall: HIST 1110, CORE 1000, CORE 1500, CORE 1900, General Electives
  • Spring: HIST 1120, CORE 3200, CORE 1600, General Electives
• Year Two:
  • Fall: HIST 2800, HIST 1600, CORE 1200, CORE 1700, General Electives
  • Spring: HIST 1610, HIST Elective above 1120: European History, CORE 3800, CORE 2500, General Electives
• Year Three:
  • Fall: HIST Elective above 1120: World History, HIST Elective Upper Level, CORE 2800, CORE 3400, General Electives
  • Spring: HIST Elective above 1120: U.S. History, HIST Elective Upper Level, CORE 3600, CORE 4000, General Electives
• Year Four:
  • Fall: HIST 4900, HIST Elective Upper Level, CORE 3500, General Electives
  • Spring: HIST 4900, HIST Elective Upper Level, General Electives