Degree Requirements for History

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General Requirements for the Major or Minor

General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major or three units of the minor be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major or the minor; and 3) all courses taken for a major or minor must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.

Requirements for the Major in History (BA)

While courses in the Department of History, as a rule, have no prerequisites, they are numbered at three levels (100//200; 300; 400) that indicate increasing degrees of sophistication, difficulty of material, and workload. Most students with no college work in history first take a 100 or a 200 level course; students with particular interests, however, including juniors and seniors from other departments, are encouraged to take courses at the 300 level at any time, after consulting with members of the Department of History or the instructor. Students considering graduate study in history should seek guidance from a member of the department with expertise in their area of interest; such consultation could occur as early as the freshman or sophomore year.
A major in History consists of 9 units:

Completion of a minimum of 9 units to include
1. two survey courses from the following: HIST 102, 103, 112, 113, 152, 153, 224, 230, 245, 248, 254, 280, 281, 291, 293; GLAM 210, 211, 212;
2. HIST 200;
3. five additional units, at least three of the five at the 300 and 400 levels;
4. HIST 400.
Seminars in Scholarly Inquiry offered by the History Department do not count toward either the History major or minor.
The following courses may count toward the major in History: GLAM 210, 211, 212, 320; SOAN 284; STHS 200, 344, 366.
The following Connections courses may count toward the major in History: AFAM 355, 360; CONN 333, 334, 359; LAS 387; STHS 330, 370. For students whose first major is History, Connections courses that fulfill a requirement for the major in History will not count as satisfying the graduation requirement of three upper-division courses outside the major.
Excluding HIST 200 and HIST 400, the major must include:
1. at least one unit each in three of the following five areas: African history, Asian history, European history, Latin American history, and United States history;
2. at least one unit of ancient/medieval/early modern history, chosen from the following: HIST 112,113, 230, 245, 280, 293, 304, 305, 307, 311, 314, 351, 352; GLAM 210, 211, 212, 320.
At least five units of the nine required for the major must be completed in residence at the Tacoma campus.
Any deviation from these requirements must be approved in writing by the Department of History faculty.
The Department of History reserves the right to exclude a course more than 10 years old from completing a major requirement.

Notes

Classics courses in ancient history will be considered part of the European area of emphasis.
The department advises students who plan to do graduate work in the discipline, especially in African, Asian, European, or Latin American history, to take at least two years of an appropriate foreign language. Students inclined toward research or graduate work in ancient history should consult with members of the Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Department about incorporating Greek and/or Latin in their undergraduate studies.

Requirements for the Minor in History

Completion of a minimum of six units to include:
1. One unit from HIST 112, 113, 152, 230, 245, 280, or 293;
2. Five additional units in the Department of History, or listed below, three of which must be taken at the 300 level.
Students minoring in History must select courses from at least two of the following five areas of emphasis: African history, Asian history, European history, Latin American history, or United States history.
The following courses can count toward a minor in History: AFAM 355, 360; CONN 304, 333, 334, 359; LAS 387; SOAN 284.
At least three units of the six units must be completed in residence at the Tacoma campus.
Any deviation from these requirements must be approved in writing by the Department of History faculty.
The History Department reserves the right to exclude a course more than 10 years old from completing a minor requirement.

Notes

No Classics or STHS courses can be counted toward the History minor. Students interested in ancient history are advised to minor in Classics.
The Department advises students interested in pursuing a career in teaching to take History 200 as one of their six units.