History Program Requirements

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Faculty

  • Jeff Nichols

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Program Goals

Westminster University History students will:

  • Learn and practice traditional, digital, and community-based methods of primary historical research.
  • Learn and practice constructing valid historical arguments based on original research in primary sources.
  • Learn and practice communicating historical knowledge creatively and effectively via written, oral, digital and other means.
  • Learn and practice skills of critical analysis of evidence, arguments, and conflicting historical interpretations.
  • Begin to build a broad and deep content knowledge of global human history.

Objectives

The History Program is committed to helping students learn to make sense of the past. The Program emphasizes research and communication skills applicable to further History study and teaching, as well as to many other disciplines and careers. Students learn to ask significant questions about the past, often on-site or in the field; find and critically analyze the best primary and secondary sources, and communicate their findings to a variety of audiences through many means. Students may elect an academic major or minor.

Program Requirements

Enrollment in most history courses, except those designed exclusively for majors and minors, is open to all students who are enrolled in, or have completed, the history area WCore requirement, regardless of major field or class standing.

History majors and minors are encouraged to take HIST 241 (The Craft of History) in their second year of course work. HIST 241 is a prerequisite for HIST 390/490.

Students need to check with their History advisor regarding offerings for upcoming semesters. Upper division (300-level) history courses listed in the catalog may not be offered on a regular schedule. No student may register for HIST 390/490 more than three times unless there are legitimate circumstances outside of a student’s control preventing successful completion of the first or second course.

Students may substitute up to four hours of elective credit with an approved internship.

Note for Honors College students: HON 201 Foundational Conversations I may be substituted for HIST 102 or 124 required for the program while HON 202 may substitute for HIST 111, 204 or 206.

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the History major:

  • 124 total hours
  • 30 upper division hours
  • WCore or Honors College requirements

History Major

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. World Language Requirement 8  
History majors must complete two semesters of a single world language or its equivalent.    
II. Lower Division History Courses 16  
HIST 120  The Story of America 4  
HIST 241 The Craft of History 4  
Choose one course:    
HIST 102 Alien Encounters in History 4  
HIST 111 Patterns of Global Immigration 4  
HIST 124 FIlm and Memory 4  
Choose one course:      
HIST 202 America's Best Idea 4  
HIST 204 Truth and Reconciliation 4  
HIST 206 Homelands and Contested Spaces 4  
HIST 230 Global Coffee Cultures 4  
III. Interdisciplinary Elective 4  
One 300-level course in English or Philosophy    
IV. Upper Division History Courses 6  
HIST 390 Research Seminar in History 3 HIST 241
HIST 490 Research Seminar in History 3 HIST 390
V. Upper Division Distribution 24  
Twelve upper division hours from Americas category 12 One lower division HIST course
Twelve upper division hours from World category 12 One lower division HIST course
Total Hours for the History Major 58  

Recommended Plan of Study for History

Fall Semester Spring Semester
Year 1 HIST 102, 111 or 124
Language I		 HIST 120
Language II
Year 2 HIST 202
HIST 204, or 206		 HIST 241*
(World)
(Americas)
Year 3  (World)
(Americas)		 (World)
(Americas)
Year 4 Interdisciplinary Elective
HIST 390**		 HIST 490**

*HIST 241 is offered only in Spring semester.
**HIST 390 is offered only in Fall semester and must be taken sequentially with 490, which is only offered in Spring semester.

Academic Minor

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 8  
History 241 The Craft of History 4  
Choose one course from the following:    
HIST 102 Alien Encounters in History 4  
HIST 124 FIlm and Memory 4  
HIST 111 Patterns of Global Immigration 4  
HIST 120 The Story of America 4  
II. Elective Courses 12  
Four upper division hours from Americas category  4 One lower division HIST course
Four upper division hours from World category 4 One lower division HIST course
Four upper division hours from any category 4 One lower division HIST course
Total Hours for the History Minor 20  

History Categories

  • Americas

    • HIST 313 Our Troubled Times: US History since 1945
    • HIST 316 The Civil War Through 1890
    • HIST 317 Empire & Power: US History, 1890-1945
    • HIST 319 American Women’s History
    • HIST 320 Environmental History of the United States
    • HIST 325 The Indigenous West
    • HIST 340 Conquest & Resistance: Colonial Latin America
    • HIST 341 Democracy, Revolution, Repression: Modern Latin America
    • HIST 365 Utah and the West

  • World

    • HIST 307 Comparative Revolutions
    • HIST 308 Supernatural Europe
    • HIST 324 Global Cold War
    • HIST 327 History of the Holocaust
    • HIST 328 Death on Display
    • HIST 329 Culture and Society of East Asia
    • HIST 330 History of the Middle East