History Major

Faculty | Major | Minor | History Course Descriptions | Specialty Course Descriptions
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The Department of History endeavors to give students an acquaintance with, and an appreciation for, our historical heritage and seeks to enable them to see the relationship between causes and effects in the historical development of their own and other countries and of civilization at large. Furthermore, the study of history is intended to assist the student's development of critical thinking, including the analysis and evaluation of historical evidence and the ability to integrate and interpret such data. History has proven to be a useful preparation for careers in the business, legal, ministerial, military, and other public service professions, as well as a preparation for continuing study in graduate history programs. The Department offers the student majoring in history ample freedom in the selection of upper level courses within the department and, with 24 hours of general electives, among courses offered by other departments.

From within the department, students majoring in history are required to take the following courses: HIST 103-104 (History of Western Civilization); HIST 201-202 (Survey of American History); HIST 203 (Introduction to the Discipline History); two courses from Group I (European), two courses from Group II (American), one course from Group III (Latin American and Non-Western World), and one course from Group IV (Diplomatic/Military). In addition, students are required to take three additional courses as history electives.

Group I. European. HIST 321 (The Middle Ages), HIST 322 (Renaissance and Reformation), HIST 324 (The French Revolution and Napoleon), HIST 325 (Europe, 1815-1914), HIST 326 (Europe since 1914), HIST 327 (England to 1660), HIST 328 (England Since 1660), HIST 421 (The Ancient Greeks), HIST 422 (The Romans), HIST 423 (The Byzantine Empire), HIST 424 (History of Modern Russia), HIST 435 (Scotland since 1707), HIST 481 (Hitler and National Socialism), and HIST 491 (Special Topics in European History).

Group II. American. HIST 301 (Revolutionary America), HIST 303 (Jefferson and Nationalist Period), HIST 305 (America Comes of Age, 1865-1919), HIST 306 (The U.S. since 1919), HIST 402 (South Carolina History), HIST 403 (The American West), HIST 406 (The Old South), HIST 407 (The New South), HIST 473 (The Great Crusade: Americans during World War II), and HIST 492 (Special Topics in American History).

Group III. Latin America and Non-Western World. HIST 417 (The Non-Western World), HIST 425 (Islam and the Middle East), HIST 450 (Colonial Background to Latin America), and HIST 451 (Latin America), HIST 452 (National Mexico), HIST 462 (The History of Premodern China), HIST 463 (The History of Modern China), HIST 466 (The History of Japan), and HIST 493 (Special Topics in Latin American and Non-Western History).

Group IV. Diplomatic/Military. HIST 304 (Disunion and the War for Southern Independence), HIST 410 (U.S. Foreign Policy since World War II), HIST 483 (Great Captains), HIST 479 (Naval Warfare), HIST 487 (The Patterns of War to the Late Eighteenth Century), HIST 488 (The U.S. and the Patterns of War since the Late Eighteenth Century), HIST 489 (The Vietnam War), and HIST 494 (Special Topics in Diplomatic/Military History).

From outside the department, students majoring in history are required to take 12 semester hours of a modern language; PSCI 201 (American Politics and Government), which meets the social science core requirement as designated by the College; and nine hours of political science (PSCI prefix) in courses numbered at the 300-400 level. All history majors are required to take at least 12 semester hours of English, 16 semester hours of science (8 hours each from the same science), and 6 semester hours of mathematics. For further guidance, see the curriculum for history majors in the Courses of Study section of this catalog.