History, Social Studies, BA

Why Should I Consider This Major?

If you want to teach history or social studies in a middle or high school, you should consider the History/Social Studies major. However, this major also prepares students for a wider range of careers. The knowledge students acquire and the skills they develop in their history courses and in courses in social sciences prepare them for law school, graduate programs in public policy and international affairs, and careers as journalists, government officials, and attorneys.

Secondary Education students who wish to be endorsed in Social Studies may choose this major. However, the History/Social Studies degree does not require that a student pursue a teaching certificate. History/Social Studies majors interested in Secondary certification must apply separately to the certification programs, such as those in Woodring College of Education. Students usually apply to Woodring in their senior year or after they graduate.

Requirements

  • ENVS 204- Human Geography
  • One Course from:
    • PLSC 101- Government and Politics in the Modern World
    • PLSC 261- Introduction to Political Theory
    • PLSC 271- Introduction to International Relations
    • PLSC 297- Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • PLSC 250- The American Political System
  • One Course from:
    • ECON 206- Introduction to Microeconomics
    • ECON 446- Economics for the teacher (preferred)
  • One Course from:
    • ECON 207- Introduction to Macroeconomics
    • ECON 447- Methods for Teaching about the National Economy in the Public School (preferred)

Additional credits in any of the above disciplines or anthropology, sociology, or psychology to a total of at least 30 credits. These additional credits do not require advisor preapproval and any course (including GURs) in the following departments can count towards this requirement: ANTH, ECON, ENVS, PLSC, PSY, or SOC.

History Credits should be distributed under advisement of a history advisor as follows:

  • Two courses in the history of the United States
    • One course must be pre-1865
    • One course must be post-1865
  • Two courses with an emphasis on the time period of 600-1450 CE.
    • One must focus on Europe
    • One must focus on East Asia, South Asia, Africa, and/or the Middle East
  • Two courses with an emphasis on the period since 1450 CE.
    • One must focus on Europe
    • One must focus on East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Canada, and/or Latin America
  • Two courses in the history of the ancient world (prior to 600 CE) covering two different continents
  • One course from:
    • HIST 391- History of the Pacific Northwest 
    • HIST 392- Tribal Sovereignty and Washington History
  • HIST 499- Historical Research
  • One 400-level course in addition to 499
  • Electives under advisement

At least 30 of the 60 history credits must be upper division courses

Fields of Study

The History Department separates our courses into the following fields of study:

  • United States, Pre-1865 (US1)
  • United States, 1865-Present (US2)
  • Europe, 600-1450 CE (EUR1)
  • Europe, 1450-Present (EUR2)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East from 600-1450 CE (CMB1)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Canada, and Latin America from 1450 CE-Present (CMB2)
  • Ancient History (ANCT)

*Courses may not be used to fulfill more than one Field of Study requirement.

Advising Sheet

History-SocialStudies BA Advising Sheet and Degree Planning AY 22-23.docx (53.3 KB)

Courses

  • HIST 103 American History to 1865 (5)
  • *HIST 131 Going to College in America (5)
  • *HIST 141 History of American West (5)
  • HIST 262 African American History to 1865 (5)
  • *HIST 290 Early Modern Atlantic World (5)
  • *HIST 314 American & European Enlightenment (5)
  • HIST 348 American Slavery (5)
  • HIST 349 History of the US South (5)
  • HIST 350 American Colonial History (5)
  • *HIST 355 Health & Disease in American History (5)
  • *HIST 356 Gender and History (5)
  • HIST 360 Religion in Early America (5)
  • HIST 363 The American Revolution (5)
  • *HIST 365 Sexuality in the U.S. (5)
  • HIST 366 The Early American Republic (5)
  • HIST 367 US Women to 1865 (5)
  • *HIST 380 Food & Environment in America (5)
  • *HIST 392 Tribal Sovereignty and WA History (5)
  • *HIST 450 Climate & Culture in America (5)
  • HIST 452 U.S. Intellectual History 1776-1900 (5)
  • *HIST 460 Am. Environmental History (5)
  • HIST 468 Borderlands & Frontiers of N. America (5)
  • *HIST 469 African Slavery in Atlantic World (5)
  • HIST 104 American History Since 1865 (5)
  • *HIST 131 Going to College in America (5)
  • *HIST 141 History of American West (5)
  • HIST 158 Race/Identity in Modern America (5)
  • HIST 263 African American History Since 1865 (5)
  • HIST 265 LGBT Exp. in U.S. History (5)
  • HIST 268 Introduction to Asian American History (5)
  • HIST 275 The Indian in American History (5)
  • HIST 351 The Long Crisis: US Hist 1865-1920 (5)
  • HIST 352 U.S. Civil War & Reconstruction (5)
  • HIST 354 Energy in American History (5)
  • *HIST 355 Health & Disease in American History (5)
  • *HIST 356 Gender and History (5)
  • HIST 357 The U.S. in the Cold War (5)
  • HIST 358 Women of Color in the US (5)
  • HIST 359 America and Vietnam (5)
  • HIST 361 Religion in Modern America (5)
  • *HIST 362 Civil Rights Black Power Era (5)
  • *HIST 365 Sexuality in the U.S. (5)
  • HIST 368 US Women from 1865 (5)
  • *HIST 379 Canadian American Relations (5)
  • *HIST 380 Food & Environment in America (5)
  • *HIST 382 The US Neo-conservatism and the Mid-East (5)
  • *HIST 392 Tribal Sovereignty and WA History (5)
  • *HIST 408 World War II: The European War (5)
  • *HIST 409 World War II: The Pacific War (5)
  • *HIST 447 History of the Sciences of Nature (5)
  • *HIST 450 Climate & Culture in America (5)
  • HIST 453 U.S. Intellectual History 1900-Present (5)
  • *HIST 460 Am. Environmental History (5)
  • HIST 461 U.S. Urban History (5)
  • HIST 464 SNL and the US in the 1970s (5)
  • HIST 467 Self/Society in Am. 1790-1910 (5)
  • *HIST 474 U.S. Latin American Relations (5)
  • HIST 475 Topics in American Indian History (5)
  • HIST 112 Western Civilization 476-1713 (5)
  • *HIST 232 History of the Jews (5)
  • HIST 315 Europe: Early Middle Ages 300-1050 (5)
  • HIST 316 Europe: High Middle Ages 1050-1450 (5)
  • HIST 318 Medieval England (5)
  • HIST 320 War in the Middle Ages (5)
  • HIST 414 The Carolingian Era (5)
  • HIST 113 Western Civilization 1713-Present (5)
  • *HIST 232 History of the Jews (5)
  • *HIST 233 History of the Jews in the Modern Era (5)
  • HIST 289 Islam in France (5)
  • *HIST 290 Early Modern Atlantic World (5)
  • *HIST 314 American & European Enlightenment (5)
  • HIST 321 Reformation Europe-Age of Religious Wars (5)
  • HIST 330 Germany in the 20th Century (5)
  • HIST 331 History of the Holocaust (5)
  • HIST 333 Imperial Russia 1689-1917 (5)
  • HIST 334 20th Century Russia (5)
  • HIST 341 France 1500-1815 (5)
  • HIST 342 France 1815-1945 (5)
  • HIST 373 Yōkai: Monsters & Monstrous in Japanese Hist (5)
  • HIST 381 Jewish Nationalisms (5)
  • *HIST 408 World War II: The European War (5)
  • HIST 421 Gender in Early Modern Europe (5)
  • *HIST 447 History of the Sciences of Nature (5)
  • HIST 471 Piracy in the Early Mod Atlantic World (5)
  • *HIST 220 Intro to South Asian History (5)
  • *HIST 232 History of the Jews (5)
  • *HIST 280 Intro to East Asian Civilizations (5)
  • *HIST 285 African History to 1800 (5)
  • *HIST 287 Intro to Islamic HIST Civilization (5)
  • *HIST 374 Pre-Modern Japanese History (5)
  • HIST 405 The Traditional Middle East (5)
  • HIST 479 Med & Early Mod Chinese History (5)
  • *HIST 486 Religion in Japanese History (5)
  • *HIST 232 History of the Jews (5)
  • *HIST 233 History of the Jews in the Modern Era (5)
  • HIST 273 Latin America: 1492-1824 (5)
  • HIST 274 Latin America: 1824-Present (5)
  • HIST 277 Canada: A Historical Survey (5)
  • HIST 278 Multiculturalism in Canada (5)
  • HIST 281 E.A. History-Early Modern/Modern (5)
  • *HIST 285 African History to 1800 (5) HIST 286 African History, 1800 to present (5)
  • *HIST 287 Intro to Islamic HIST Civilization (5)
  • HIST 288 History of Modern Middle East (5)
  • *HIST 290 Early Modern Atlantic World (5)
  • *HIST 326 Immigration in the Americas (5)
  • *HIST 327 Soccer in Latin America (5)
  • HIST 335 Women and Gender in Judaism (5)
  • HIST 369 Women, Gender & Sexuality in Afr Hist (5)
  • HIST 372 Chinese History1800-Present (5)
  • *HIST 374 Pre-Modern Japanese History (5)
  • HIST 375 Modern Japanese History (5)
  • HIST 376 French Colonial Canada 1534-1763 (5)
  • *HIST 379 Canadian American Relations (5)
  • *HIST 382 The US Neo-conservatism and the Mid East (5)
  • HIST 383 Modern Iraq (5)
  • HIST 384 Palestine, Zionism and Israel (5)
  • HIST 385 West African History (5)
  • HIST 386 Southern Africa (5)
  • HIST 387 Africa since the 1960s
  • HIST 404 Colonialism and the Middle East (5)
  • HIST 406 Middle East, 1800 to the Present (5)
  • HIST 407 History of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict (5)
  • *HIST 409 World War II: The Pacific War (5)
  • HIST 411 Latin America in WWII (5)
  • *HIST 469 African Slavery in Atlantic World (5)
  • *HIST 474 U.S. Latin American Relations (5)
  • HIST 477 World War I & Canadian Society (5)
  • HIST 478 History of Nationalism in French Canada (5)
  • HIST 480 Modern Chinese Social History (5)
  • HIST 481 The Chinese Revolution (5)
  • HIST 483 Early Modern Japan (5)
  • *HIST 486 Religion in Japanese History (5)
  • HIST 488 Modern Egypt/Libya & Nile Valley (5)
  • HIST 111 Prehistory to 476 (5) T
  • HIST 121 World History to 500 (5) T
  • HIST 151 Communities of the Ancient World (5) T
  • *HIST 220 Intro to South Asian History (5)
  • *HIST 232 History of the Jews (5) T
  • *HIST 280 Intro to East Asian Civilizations (5)
  • HIST 310 History of Ancient Mesopotamia (5)
  • HIST 311 History of Ancient Egypt (5)
  • HIST 312 History of Ancient Greece (5) T
  • HIST 313 History of Ancient Rome (5) T
  • HIST 370 Chinese History to 600 AD (5)
  • HIST 410 First Cities: Urbanization (5) T
  • HIST 412 Ancient Rivers and Roads (5) T

(Courses marked with a T fulfill the two-continent requirement)

​​​​​​​Courses in this section can fulfill different requirements. Please talk to a history advisor for more information.

  • HIST 123 World History, 1500 to Present (5)
  • HIST 364 Film as History: Variable Topics (5)
  • HIST 390 Topics in History: Variable Topics (5)
  • HIST 393 Introduction to Public History (5)
  • HIST 401 Methods of Research and Analysis (5)
  • HIST 470 World History of Democracy (5)
  • HIST 476 World Histories of the Middle Class (5)
  • HIST 490 Advanced Topics in History (5)
  • HIST 493 Topics in Public History (5)
  • HIST 494 Public History Internship (3-5)
  • HIST 498 Editing History Writings for the Profession (5)