Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in History is a comprehensive online degree program designed to provide students with a deep understanding of human activity and capability through the lens of history. This program emphasizes a broad education that can prepare students for complex social, cultural, and organizational issues in various leadership positions.

Program Details

• The course work in this online bachelor's degree program helps students build a strong foundation in source analysis, research, writing, and presentation.
• The program requires a minimum of 123 credits.
• Students can complete their Penn State course work at their own pace and 100% online.

Application Deadline

• Apply by March 15 to start May 18.

Credits and Costs

• 123 Credits
• $638/$685 per credit

Nationally Recognized

• Our bachelor's degrees are highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

Skills and Knowledge

• Examine the complex causality of past events and use critical thinking to articulate the how and why of past events.
• Create evidence-based historical arguments based on the evaluation and interpretation of both primary and secondary source materials.
• Analyze the written work of others and collaborate with peers to analyze and understand historical contexts and content.
• Employ digital technologies to solve writing, reading, and source-analysis problems and present work in a compelling and coherent fashion.

Fully Online History Courses

A Penn State history degree can help students understand history by gaining a deep knowledge of culture, religion, art, politics, and war. Students in this program can develop skills in writing, reading, primary and secondary source analysis, chronological reasoning, and understanding complex causality.

Courses

• The Bachelor of Arts in History requires students to complete a minimum of 123 credits.
• Prescribed Course (3 credits): HIST 302W Undergraduate Seminar
• Additional Courses (6 credits): HIST 20 American Civilization to 1877 and HIST 21 American Civilization Since 1877
• Supporting Courses and Related Areas (27 credits):
  • 100–200 Level History Courses (12 credits)
  • 400-Level History Courses (12 credits)
  • General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements

• Foundations: 15 credits
  • Writing/Speaking: 9 credits
  • Quantification: 6 credits
• Knowledge Domains: 15 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits
  • Arts (GA): 3 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 3 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Integrative Studies: 6 credits
• Exploration: 9 credits

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

• Foreign Language: 0–12 credits
• B.A. Fields: 9 credits
• Other Cultures: 0–3 credits

Career Opportunities

• County Historian
• Historic Sites Registrar
• Museum Educator
• Research Associate
• Education — primary and secondary teaching, higher education
• Business — management, sales, human resources, public relations
• Media — editing, reporting, news
• Law — public and private defense, prosecution, government
• Local and state government — city or town management, community services, law enforcement

Faculty

• Hilary Coulson, Ph.D.
• David Greenspoon, Ph.D.
• Troy D. Harman, Ph.D.
• Thomas C. Lawrence, Ph.D.
• Gregory Peek, Ph.D.

Tuition and Financial Aid

• Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which students register and the number of total credits they have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
• Tuition rates for the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 Semesters:
  • If you have 59 or fewer credits: $638 per credit
  • If you have 60 or more credits: $685 per credit
• Financial aid and military benefits are available to eligible students.

Application Instructions

• Review the admission requirements.
• Gather required materials.
• Create a Penn State login account.
• Read the application instructions.
• Complete the application.
• Admissions help is available for questions about the admissions process.

Contact Information

• World Campus Admissions Counselors
• Phone:
• Email:

News

• Penn State featured in U.S. News’ 2025 ‘Best Online Programs’ rankings

We Are Penn State

This is the real Penn State. Students will take courses with curriculum developed by the same professors who teach on campus and can expect the same caliber of academic quality that they associate with Penn State.