Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 University Catalog 
    
2019-2020 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

History, BA


About the Program

Purdue’s approach to the study of history is equally varied among politics, society, culture, gender, race, war, diplomacy, science, and technology. The Department of History is deeply involved in educating students to think critically, with courses that teach not only what happened in the past but also how the past informs the present. History majors acquire skills in critical thinking and communication.

The department is dedicated to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as historical research. The department’s faculty members take pride in fostering close working relationships with students. The faculty members have national and international reputations for research, and the department has earned campus-wide recognition for excellent teaching. Departmental faculty consistently win major research awards and grants, hold offices in professional organizations, and serve on editorial boards at home and abroad as well as publish articles in major journals and critically acclaimed books.

Each year, the department coordinates study abroad trips around the world, most recently to Germany, Egypt, England, Greece, China, and Turkey.

3 Year Degrees

A variety of majors in Liberal Arts offer students the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in three years, allowing students to enter the work force or graduate school a year earlier than traditional plans of study.

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum


Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here .

Departmental/Program Major Course Requirements (33 credits)


  • Area A: U.S. History (see supplemental information) - Credit Hours: 6.00
  • Area B: European History (see supplemental informationt) - Credit Hours: 6.00
  • Area C: Latin American, Asian, Middle Eastern, or African History (see supplemental information) - Credit Hours: 6.00
  • Area D: Period prior to A.D. 1500 (see supplemental information) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Area E: HIST 49500 Research Seminar In Historical Topics  - Credit Hours: 3.00 AND 9 credit hours of History 40000 or 50000 level (HIST 59000  may be taken only one time to satisfy requirement E) - Credit Hours: 12.00 (excluding HIST 49900 )

[Students must take at least 3 credits of HIST 39500  to fulfill either Area A, B, C or D]

History Supplemental Information  

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (57 credits)


  • Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.
  • Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.
  • For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here. 

Electives (30 credits)


University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


15 Credits


Spring 1st Year


15-16 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


  • REQ A - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Foreign Language 20100 - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Science Lab - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Foreign Language 20200 - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • REQ C - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ D - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • STAT - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • REQ E - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ E - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspectives - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Notes


  • Students must earn a “C-” or better in each History course.  The P/NP option is not available.
  • 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
  • 32 credit hours of Purdue coursework at the 30000 level or higher required for graduation.
  • Liberal Arts offers a streamlined plan of study for students pursuing a second degree outside CLA. Contact the CLA Advising Office for more information.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program. 

For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.