History B.A. Curriculum
WHAT YOU'LL STUDY
The History B.A. allows you to pursue your historical interests with the guidance of expert faculty. As a Clemson history major, you will receive thorough grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. You will choose humanities classes in fields such as literature, theater, music and foreign language. You will also study the social and natural sciences.
Classes for majors include a wide range of offerings in U.S., European and non-Western history, as well as geography. As a history major you will develop skills in historical analysis, critical thinking, and argumentative communication. You will also have the opportunity to explore specialized areas of the discipline such as digital history, public history and museum studies. Writing is central to this degree, and senior year, you'll take a capstone course in which you produce a major research paper.
You will work closely with your adviser throughout your years at Clemson to map out the courses that will best prepare you for your plans after graduation. For students interested in pursuing a law degree, specialized advising is offered.
Note: This curriculum applies to students beginning the History B.A. during the 2022-23 academic year and is provided for your general information only. Always check specific curriculum requirements in your DegreeWorks. Requirements for previous academic years may differ slightly. Consult DegreeWorks and the Undergraduate Announcements for your curriculum year.
Contact Information
Department of History and Geography
126 Hardin Hall
864.656.3153 - Office
864.656.1015 - Fax
history-l@clemson.edu
Administration
Department Chair: Amit Bein
Undergraduate Coordinator: Michael Silvestri
M.A. Coordinator: Michael Meng
Digital History Ph.D. Coordinator: Doug Seefeldt
Administrative Coordinator: Sheri Ellen Marcus
Fiscal Tech. II: Jeannette Carter
General Inquiries: history-l@clemson.edu
Requirements for the Major
33 hours in History (no more than 6 credit hours at the 1000 or 2000 level, excluding HIST 2140, HIST 2150 and HIST 2990):
- HIST 2990 (The Historian’s Craft.)
- At least one course each in these three fields:
- U.S. History: HIST 1010, 1020, 3000, 3010, 3020, 3030, 3040, 3050, 3060, 3080, 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140, 3160, 3180, 3200, 3230, 3240,3250, 3260, 3270, 3280, 3290, 3900, 3920, 3950, 3980, 3990, 4000, 4090, 4100.
- European History: HIST 3210, 3220, 3530, 3540, 3550, 3610, 3630, 3650, 3670, 3700, 3720, 3730, 3740, 3750, 3770, 3780, 3800, 3810, 3820, 3840, 3850, 3860, 3870, 4500, 4510, 4600, 4700, 4710, 4720, 4870.
- Non-Western History: HIST 3170, 3300, 3330, 3340, 3350, 3360, 3370, 3380, 3390, 3400, 3410, 3420, 3510, 3520, 3910, 3940, 3960, 3970, 4360, 4370, 4380, 4400, 4880.
- Two courses at the 4000 level, one of which must be HIST 4900 (Senior Seminar) or HIST 4980 (Senior Honors Thesis.)
- One course in Geography: GEOG 1010, GEOG 1030 or GEOG 1060.
Emphasis Areas
The department offers two different optional emphasis areas for History majors. Students enrolled in these emphasis areas have different requirements.
Other Requirements for Graduation
- English 1030.
- History 1720 and History 1730 (these cannot count for other major requirements).
- Two Literature courses: Any 2000-level ENGL literature course (ENGL 2020, 2120, 2130, 2140, 2150, 2160), CHIN 4010, 4020, FR 3000, 3040, GER 2600, 3060, 3600, 3610, HON 1900, 2210, ITAL 3010, 3020, JAPN 4010, 4060, RUSS 3600, 3610, SPAN 30430, 3110, 3130.
- A Non-literature Humanities course: There are many options. Consult the General Education section of the Undergraduate Announcements.
- Three 3000 or 4000 level courses in Humanities (but MUSC 2100, THEA 2100, and ART 2100 also count). The following fields are considered humanities areas: Art and architectural history (AAH), English (ENGL) (except 3040, 3120, 3140, 3330, 4850, 4900, 4950), languages, music (MUSC), philosophy (PHIL), religious studies (REL), communication (COMM) (except COMM 3640, 3680), theater (THEA) (except THEA 3770, 4870, 4970), women’s studies (WS), as well as courses entitled “humanities.” (HUM).
- Completion of the 2020-level course in a foreign language.
- Natural Science with lab (4 hours): The following courses are recommended for non-science majors: ASTR 1010/1030, 1020/1040, BIOL 1220/1200, 1230/1200; CH 1050,1060; GEOL 1010/1030, 1120/1140; PHYS 2070/2090, 2080/2100. For a complete list, consult the General Education section of the Undergraduate Announcements.
- Mathematics requirement: consult the General Education section of the Undergraduate Announcements.
- Global Challenges: Six hours from two different fields, one of which must be 3000-level or above. Consult the General Education section of the Undergraduate Announcements.
- A Minor, typically 15-18 hours (may involve more for prerequisites in minor courses).
- Minimum of 18 elective hours.
- SC Reach Act Requirement: HIST 1010, POSC 1010 or 1030.
- 120 Total Semester Hours for graduation.
