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University of Pittsburgh    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
 
  May 19, 2024
 
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

History, BA


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We are all products of history. Imagine waking up one morning without any memory. How would you function in society? Even more importantly, how would society function if everyone’s memory vanished? Students of history recover and analyze the past, preserving memory and learning from it. In doing so, they gain an appreciation of how crucial historical perspective is to being a well-informed, engaged citizen of both the United States and the world — because historical literacy also entails the ability to understand people different from ourselves, an essential skill as all corners of the globe become increasingly connected.

Customary professional opportunities for History majors include teaching and law, and many History majors have gone on to graduate school in History and other fields. But the future for those who have studied the past can be almost anything. History majors succeed in many fields because they learn analytical and critical thinking skills and become adept in both oral and written communication. Careers of recent graduates bear this out. Our majors have gone on to jobs in business management, finance, tourism, government, medicine, and non-profits as well as taking advantage of opportunities in public history, archival work, historical societies, and museums.

Major Requirements


The History major requires completion of 36 credits, 18 of which must be at the 1000-level, distributed as follows.

Global Understanding


Complete one course each in four of the following six categories.

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • World/Comparative

Concentration


Three additional courses are to be selected by the student with the help of a faculty member or the undergraduate advisor to form a chronological, geographic, or thematic concentration, which should normally be decided upon by the junior year.

Skills


Each student must take the following sequence of two courses.

HIST 1001 - INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR  

HIST 1000 - CAPSTONE SEMINAR  

 HIST 1001  must be taken before enrolling in HIST 1000 .

Elective History course


Complete any course offered by the Department of History.

Notes


The following rules and requirements apply for history majors.

  • Students must earn at least a 2.00 overall GPA in history courses.
  • Majors may take a total of nine credits for the major on an S/NC basis. HIST 1000 - CAPSTONE SEMINAR  or HIST 1001 - INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR  may not be taken S/NC.
  • History majors are strongly encouraged to add an international dimension to their undergraduate education by studying abroad.
  • Students interested in graduate study in history should be aware that all graduate departments of history require proficiency in at least one second language and that many require competence in two languages for a PhD.
  • The honors program consists of the regular major plus six extra credits. Honors students must take the following courses.

Students may apply for the honors program in thier sophomore year and upon completion of at least 12 credits in history. To apply, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA in hsitory courses, an overall GPA of at least 3.35, and submit a writing sample for approval by the Undergraduate Committee. The minimum letter grade requirement for honors students is B.

Internships for History Credit

History majors may do an internship for 3 credits (HIST 1900 ) in a local museum in either the fall or spring semesters. Contact the history academic advisor for information.

Study Abroad

Each year the department offers a scholarship for study abroad. Applications for the A. J. Schneider Award are due by February each year. Contact the history undergraduate advisor for more information.

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