The History BA degree helps students develop broad and deep knowledge about the complexity and contingency of the past.  History majors learn theories and read arguments that help explain both persistent continuity and enormous change in human civilizations.  In courses and assignments, students learn to wrestle and unpack sources that provide the foundational evidence for interpretations of the past.  Finally, the major develops skills of critical thinking, research, analysis, and communication that are essential for the modern world.

The History major prepares students for graduate and law schools as well as for careers in such fields as teaching in secondary schools, curatorial and educational positions in museums and historical associations, foreign service, library science, public administration and journalism. Moreover, history courses may be especially pertinent to students of language, business, science, or public health who wish to learn the traditions of other nations and cultures.

Curriculum

The major in history consists of a total of twelve (12) courses (36 hours) and a portfolio, detailed below.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Introductory (Core) Courses
Select two courses, one from each of the following categories:		6
Tier 1 Foundational Historical Knowledge
HIST 101	Evolution of Western Ideas Institutions to 17th Century
HIST 102	Evolution Western Ideas Institutions Since 17th Century
HIST 103	American Pluralism
HIST 104	Global History Since 1500
HONR 101	Western Traditions - Antiquity to the Middle Ages
HONR 102	Western Traditions-Renaissance to Modernity
Tier 2 Historical Knowledge
HIST 208	East Asia Since 1500
HIST 208X	Pre-Modern Chinese History
HIST 208Z	Modern Chinese History
HIST 209	Survey of Islamic History
HIST 210	Introduction to Latin American History
HIST 211	United States to 1865
HIST 212	United States Since 1865
HIST 213	Introduction to African History
HONR 203A	The United States Experience
or HONR 203B	The United States Experience
or HONR 203C	The United States Experience
HONR 208A	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
or HONR 208B	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
or HONR 208C	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
HONR 209A	Encountering Asia
or HONR 209B	Encountering Asia
or HONR 209C	Encountering Asia
HONR 210A	Encountering Africa
or HONR 210B	Encountering Africa
or HONR 210C	Encountering Africa
HONR 212A	Encountering the Middle East
or HONR 212B	Encountering the Middle East
or HONR 212C	Encountering the Middle East
Methods Courses
Select one of the following:		3
HIST 299	Historical Methods 1
INDS 380	Newberry Seminar 2
Required Areas
Select one Upper-Level Course: Pre-1700 History:		3
HIST 253A	Barbarians and the Fall of the Roman Empire
HIST 254A	The Vikings
HIST 257A	Witchcraft and Science in Pre-Modern Europe
HIST 258A	Blood, Heresy, and Treason: The Tudors and Stuarts
HIST 300B	Topics in Premodern History
HIST 301-319	Course descriptions below 4
HIST 342A	African History to 1600
HIST 345A	Traditional China from Antiquity to 1550
CLST 362	Roman Law
THEO 317	Christian Thought: Ancient-Medieval
Select one Upper-Level Course: Post-1700 European History:		3
HIST 265A	The First World War
HIST 267A	Modern German Culture and Ideas I
HIST 267B	Modern German Culture and Ideas II
HIST 300C	Topics in European History (Post-1700)
HIST 320-339	Course Descriptions Below 5
THEO 318	Christian Thought: Reformation to Modern
Select one Upper-Level Course: U.S. History:		3
HIST 280-298	Course Descriptions Below 6
HIST 300D	Topics in U.S. History
HIST 360-389	Course Descriptions Below 7
ECON 327	American Economic & Business History
Select one Upper-Level Course: World History:		3
HIST 275A	The Silk Roads: Global Trade, Culture, & Politics
HIST 278A	Violence Drug Trafficking & Crime in Latin America
HIST 279C	History of Computing
HIST 279E	Climate and History
HIST 300E	Topics in World History
HIST 340-359	Course Descriptions Below 8
Elective Courses
Select any history courses at any level: 3		15
HIST 101-399 9
CLST 362	Roman Law
ECON 327	American Economic & Business History
THEO 317	Christian Thought: Ancient-Medieval
THEO 318	Christian Thought: Reformation to Modern
HONR 101	Western Traditions - Antiquity to the Middle Ages
HONR 102	Western Traditions-Renaissance to Modernity
HONR 203A	The United States Experience
or HONR 203B	The United States Experience
or HONR 203C	The United States Experience
HONR 208A	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
or HONR 208B	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
or HONR 208C	Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean
HONR 209A	Encountering Asia
or HONR 209B	Encountering Asia
or HONR 209C	Encountering Asia
HONR 210A	Encountering Africa
or HONR 210B	Encountering Africa
or HONR 210C	Encountering Africa
HONR 212A	Encountering the Middle East
or HONR 212B	Encountering the Middle East
or HONR 212C	Encountering the Middle East
Total Hours		36

¹

To register for HIST 299 Historical Methods Historical Methods, please contact the History Department Administrative Assistant.

²

For information on the Newberry Seminar, please contact the History Department Chair at eshermer@luc.edu.

³

One of which can be HIST 398 History Internship.

⁴

Course options include:  HIST 301, HIST 302, HIST 303, HIST 307, HIST 308A, HIST 308B, HIST 308C, HIST 308D, HIST 309, HIST 310, HIST 310A, HIST 310B, HIST 310C, HIST 310D, HIST 310F, HIST 310L, HIST 311B, HIST 312, HIST 314, HIST 314A, HIST 315, HIST 316, HIST 317, HIST 318A, HIST 318B, and HIST 318C.

⁵

Course options include:  HIST 320, HIST 321, HIST 322, HIST 324, HIST 325, HIST 325A, HIST 326, HIST 327A, HIST 328, HIST 328A, HIST 329, HIST 329C, HIST 329N, HIST 330, HIST 330F, HIST 331A, HIST 334A, HIST 334B, HIST 335, HIST 336, HIST 337, HIST 337A, HIST 338A, HIST 338B, HIST 339C, and HIST 339F.

⁶

Course options include:  HIST 280A, HIST 290A, HIST 291A, HIST 297E, HIST 298A, and HIST 299.

⁷

Course options include:  HIST 360, HIST 360A, HIST 361, HIST 362, HIST 363, HIST 366A, HIST 367, HIST 369, HIST 370, HIST 372, HIST 373, HIST 373A, HIST 374, HIST 375, HIST 376, HIST 376A, HIST 377, HIST 378, HIST 379A, HIST 379B, HIST 380, HIST 380A, HIST 381, HIST 382, HIST 384, HIST 385, HIST 386, HIST 388, HIST 388A, HIST 389B, HIST 389C, and HIST 389N.

⁸

Course options include:  HIST 340B, HIST 341, HIST 341B, HIST 341C, HIST 342A, HIST 342B, HIST 342C, HIST 342D, HIST 342M, HIST 343, HIST 345A, HIST 346A, HIST 346B, HIST 346C, HIST 347A, HIST 347C, HIST 347D, HIST 349, HIST 349A, HIST 350, HIST 351, HIST 352, HIST 353, HIST 355, HIST 356, HIST 357, HIST 358, HIST 359, HIST 359C, HIST 359D, HIST 359E, HIST 359F, and HIST 359H.

⁹

Any 100-Level, 200-Level, or 300-Level course can count toward the electives if not used for another requirement in the major.

Residency Requirements

• At least 6 courses for this major must be successfully completed in residence at Loyola University Chicago.
• At least 4 300-level courses for this major must be successfully completed in residence at Loyola University Chicago.

Optional Concentrations

History Majors have the option to declare a concentration, an area of interest. A concentration consists of at least three courses focused on a particular theme. Concentrations include: War & Peace; Law & Government; Gender, Sexuality, & Race; Teaching History; Globalization, Social Justice, & Human Rights; and Cultural & Intellectual History  Students may also build their own geographic or period-based concentration in consultation with their departmental adviser.

Portfolio

Every history major must build a portfolio over the course of his/her undergraduate studies. The student must upload the two required documents listed below to a History Department website by Friday of the last week of classes prior to graduation.  For more information, please contact the History Department Undergraduate Program Director.  The required documents are:

1. A historiographical essay (typically a paper from HIST 299 Historical Methods). This paper must both summarize and evaluate historians’ principal arguments about a particular topic.
2. A 300-level Research Paper with a bibliography. This paper --- a minimum of 15 pages, usually from a 300-level course --- makes use of both primary and secondary sources to prove a historical thesis. All good historical writing has a thesis that the author seeks to establish through interpretation of the primary source evidence.

Students should submit papers that showcase their best work.

College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements

All Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to take two Writing Intensive courses (6 credit hours) as well as complete a foreign language requirement at 102-level or higher (3 credit hours) or a language competency test.  More information can be found here.

Additional Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

All Undergraduate students are required to complete the University Core, at least one Engaged Learning course, and UNIV 101.  SCPS students are not required to take UNIV 101.  Nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program are not required to take core or UNIV 101.  You can find more information in the University Requirements area.

Learning Outcomes

• Produce analytical arguments by using evidence and facts to interpret past events, behavior and processes in their own historical writing and projects.
• Identify the arguments put forth by historians in order to compare, evaluate and criticize different interpretations of the past. In doing so, our graduates will be able to evaluate the adequacy of evidence (including a variety of sources: documents, films, diaries, images, oral and digital histories, etc.) that historians use to make truth claims about the past.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the processes of historical change and be able to discuss and evaluate causes, complexities and consequences of change over time in relationship to historical events and processes.
• Demonstrate an understanding that human values and beliefs are shaped by historical context and they will gain the capacity to make informed judgements about past and present behavior and ideas with a goal of fashioning a more just world. In this endeavor, students will gain an understanding of the ethical practices and standards for historical research and writing.