Bachelor of Arts in History

The Bachelor of Arts in History is designed to provide the intellectual breadth and the analytical skills that allow students to make meaningful connections between the past and the present. To that end, history majors are encouraged to interpret and question the cultural, social, economic and political factors that shape the ways in which individuals, societies, and cultures change over time. History faculty help students develop the skills of historical analysis, critical reading and writing, and research through a combination of lecture courses and limited enrollment seminars.

Building on the University’s identity and mission as an international American liberal arts college in Italy, the core program focuses on the national and regional histories of the United States, Italy, Europe, and the Mediterranean, while a course on the history of globalization introduces students to the tools needed to understand cross-cultural and interregional interactions. Through their choice of major electives, history majors can then focus their studies on the areas, eras, or types of history that interest them most.

Learning Outcomes for the History Major

Requirements for the Degree (Pre-Fall 2016)

A. The Proficiency Requirements of the University in English, Mathematics, and Foreign Language.

B. The General Distribution Requirements of the University in English, Mathematics and Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts. (The General Distribution Humanities Requirements will also be satisfied by taking the core courses listed below.)

C. Core Curriculum (12 courses)

• HS 120 Introduction to Western Civilization I
• HS 121 Introduction to Western Civilization II
• HS 201 The Long-Term History of Globalization
• CL/HS 221 History of Ancient Greece or CL/HS 231 History of Ancient Rome and Italy
• HS 235 The Birth of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to the First Crusade or HS 236 Europe Before Nations: From the First Crusade to 1453
• HS/PH 223 Historical and Philosophical Aspects of the Italian Renaissance
• Two Courses Selected From the Following: *HS 210 Nineteenth Century Europe and the World; HS 211 Twentieth Century Europe and the World; HS 260 Early Modern Europe: Absolutism and Revolutions
• HS 280 The American Experience I: From the First Colonies to the Closing of the Frontier or HS 283 The American Experience II: From the Closing of the Frontier to the Present
• HS 365 Italy from the Risorgimento to the First World War (1815-1918) or HS 366 Italy from Mussolini to the Crisis of the First Republic (1918 to present)
• HM 460 Research and Writing in the Humanities
• HS 480 Senior Thesis
  
  * Students who have taken one class from the HS 261, HS 262, HS 263 sequence, may take any one of the following to complete this requirement:  HS 260, HS 210, or HS 211.

The University requires an overall minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all courses taken at the University with no more than two grades lower than C- in core courses required for the major.

D. Major Electives 
Five HS courses, at least three of which are at 300 level. Relevant courses from other disciplines may be considered, but require approval by the student’s advisor and the Humanities Department Chair.

E. General Electives sufficient to give a total of 120 credits.