History, B.A.
Informed, engaged, creative: Students of history at Saint 浪花直播 University learn the values and skills foundational to a wide range of careers. Open the door to your future by studying the past. History majors become leaders in law, public policy, education, business, medicine and technology. They work in higher education and government, for nonprofits and NGOs, and as entrepreneurs and marketing associates.
听SLU's Department of History offers small classes, one-on-one mentoring, and opportunities to engage in internships and individualized research.听Our 18 full-time faculty members serve more than 90 undergraduate majors and minors and nearly 1,000 undergraduates in our courses every semester,
The department鈥檚 award-winning teachers are deeply committed to helping students grow as thinkers and as human beings in the best of the Jesuit educational model.
A major or minor in history will sharpen your mind and open your eyes, giving you听the confidence to say, 鈥淚 know who I am because I know my history.鈥
Additional program highlights include:
- Students in our courses are guided by professors who are outstanding writers, engaging speakers and leading experts in their fields. Our faculty members have written for The New York Times and the Washington Post, and been interviewed on PBS, NPR and St. 浪花直播 Public Radio.听
- The history undergraduate program hosts vibrant extracurricular events that help students network, hone their skills, and share their passions for history.
- The department鈥檚 stellar internship program allows students to pursue their particular interests while deepening skills and professional connections. Through internships, SLU's history majors and minors have diversified elementary school curricula, shaped museum exhibitions, created podcasts, and researched historic foodways for an award-winning St. 浪花直播 restaurant.听听听
Curriculum Overview
History majors at SLU are educated in basic intellectual and communication skills valued in business, journalism, public service and law, among other fields. In recent years, undergraduates have augmented studies in history with education, political science, foreign language or business administration 鈥 combinations that have proven attractive in medicine, business and government service.
Saint 浪花直播 University history students learn to interpret a variety of sources, develop the skills to find relevant information and evidence, and articulate an argument. They practice clear and forceful writing.
Fieldwork and 浪花直播 Opportunities
SLU's Department of History offers a variety of internships with museums and other historical organizations, most of which are eligible for course credit. Internship opportunities in the St. 浪花直播 area include:
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
- Campbell House Museum
- Discovery Expedition of St. Charles
- Eugene Field House and Toy Museum
- Holocaust Museum
- Jefferson Barracks
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Achieves
- Landmarks Association of St. 浪花直播
- Lincoln Home and National Historic Site
- Midwest Jesuit Archives
- Missouri History Museum
- National Archives Records Center
- Saint 浪花直播 University Art Museum
- Scott Joplin House
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Careers
- History majors have gone on to fulfilling careers in law, public policy, education, business, medicine, and technology. They work in secondary education and government, for nonprofits and NGOs and as entrepreneurs.
- History majors and minors learn to excel in writing, oral presentation, and research. These skills can be applied in a broad range of fields, including law, education, medicine and business.
- Students interested in the sciences often discover that having a major or minor in history diversifies their academic training and makes their applications to graduate and medical schools even more competitive.听
- History majors learn to communicate effectively, reason creatively, and understand the human impact and issues connected to a career. People with these skills become leaders in their fields.
As one recent graduate said, "There are so many potential jobs to do when you are talented at writing, speaking and researching. History majors build all those skills on a daily basis!"
Admission Requirements
Saint 浪花直播 University also accepts the Common Application.
Freshman
All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant鈥檚 file.
To be considered for admission to any Saint 浪花直播 University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test.听
Transfer
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.
Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must听submit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).
In reviewing a transfer applicant鈥檚 file, the Office of Admission holistically examines the student鈥檚 academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student鈥檚 ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint 浪花直播 University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.
International Applicants
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
- Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
- Proof of financial support must include:
- A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint 浪花直播 University
- A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
- Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
Tuition
Tuition | Cost Per Year |
---|---|
Undergraduate Tuition | $54,760 |
Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:
Information on Tuition and Fees
Scholarships and Financial Aid
There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint 浪花直播 University education:
- Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
- Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.
Saint 浪花直播 University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.
For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.
For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.
- Graduates will be able to call to mind and explain significant historical facts in appropriate contexts.
- Graduates will be able to听critically evaluate and analyze primary sources to produce reasoned historical interpretations.
- Graduates will be able to听critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical narratives and interpretations.
- Graduates will be able to听produce correct, cogent and effectively structured statements on historical topics.
- Graduates will be able to听produce research in which they interpret primary sources in order to propose informed, original solutions to historical problems.
- Graduates will be able to听articulate meaningful relationships between contemporary issues and historical facts, interpretations and skills.
听History students must complete a minimum of 36 credits听for the major.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
University Undergraduate Core | 32-35 | |
Major Requirements | ||
贬滨厂罢听1110 | Origins of the Modern World to 1500 | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听1120 | Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present) | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听2800 | Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar | 3 |
European History | ||
Select one course with the European History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: | 3 | |
贬滨厂罢听3020 | The Roman Empire | |
贬滨厂罢听3030 | The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire | |
贬滨厂罢听3040 | From Barbarians to Crusaders: Europe in the Early Middle Ages | |
贬滨厂罢听3046 | Medieval Castles in History and Archaeology | |
贬滨厂罢听3050 | From Cathedrals to Printing Presses: Europe in the Late Middle Ages | |
贬滨厂罢听3090 | The Age of Renaissance | |
贬滨厂罢听3100 | The Reformation Era | |
贬滨厂罢听3120 | French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815 | |
贬滨厂罢听3140 | Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars, 1914-1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3280 | Russia to 1905 | |
贬滨厂罢听3290 | Russia Since 1905 | |
贬滨厂罢听3760 | Medieval Spain | |
Pre-1865 U.S. History | ||
Select one course with the Pre-1865 U.S. History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: | 3 | |
贬滨厂罢听1600 | History of the United States of America to 1865 | |
贬滨厂罢听3480 | U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 | |
贬滨厂罢听3580 | American Slavery | |
贬滨厂罢听3640 | History of the American West | |
贬滨厂罢听3660 | History of Nature in America | |
贬滨厂罢听3700 | U.S. Constitutional History | |
Post-1865 U.S. History | ||
Select once course with the Post-1865 U.S. History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: | 3 | |
贬滨厂罢听1610 | History of the United States Since 1865 | |
贬滨厂罢听3250 | World in Conflict Since 1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3480 | U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 | |
贬滨厂罢听3500 | Progressive Era to the Jazz Age, 1890-1920 | |
贬滨厂罢听3600 | U.S. History in Film | |
贬滨厂罢听3640 | History of the American West | |
贬滨厂罢听3660 | History of Nature in America | |
贬滨厂罢听3700 | U.S. Constitutional History | |
World History (Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Latin American) | ||
Select one course with the World History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: | 3 | |
贬滨厂罢听1710 | China and Japan Since 1600: Samurai, Revolutionaries, Entrepreneurs | |
贬滨厂罢听1740 | Peoples and Pandemics in History | |
贬滨厂罢听2730 | Crossroads of the World: The Middle East and North Africa Through History | |
贬滨厂罢听3030 | The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire | |
贬滨厂罢听3170 | Colonial Latin America | |
贬滨厂罢听3220 | Jesuits and Their Worlds | |
贬滨厂罢听3250 | World in Conflict Since 1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3720 | Cultural Encounters 1500-1700 | |
History Electives | ||
Choose 12 credits for courses above 1120 with the HIST subject code. | 12 | |
Senior Seminar | ||
贬滨厂罢听4900 | Seminar in European History | 3 |
辞谤听贬滨厂罢听4901 | Sem: American History | |
辞谤听贬滨厂罢听4902 | Seminar in World History | |
General Electives | 49-52 | |
Total Credits | 120 |
Senior Thesis
贬滨厂罢听4991 History Senior Thesis (3 cr) will be conducted as an independent study/research course for writing an honors thesis. It is an opportunity for superior students who want to expand and revise a paper for a previous 3000 or 4000 level history course into an honors thesis. This option will give the student a chance to develop and demonstrate advanced research and writing skills. It will be excellent preparation for graduate or professional schools, some of which require applicants to submit a writing sample.听This course runs for one semester. Students wishing to spend a year on their thesis may sign up one semester earlier for 贬滨厂罢听4990 History Senior Thesis Prep (3 cr).
Internships
The Department of History offers a variety of internships 贬滨厂罢听4910 Internship/History in Practice (1-6 cr); for example, in an archive, a museum, a historical site, or on specific projects.
Continuation Standards
A 2.00 minimum GPA for all history courses.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
- Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
- Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
- Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
- Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate or related elective credits.
- Complete department- and program-specific academic and performance requirements.
- Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint 浪花直播 University or an approved study-abroad program.
- Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint 浪花直播 University or an approved study-abroad program.
- Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment听unless otherwise noted. 听
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
Year One | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
贬滨厂罢听1110 | Origins of the Modern World to 1500 1 | 3 |
颁翱搁贰听1000 | Ignite First Year Seminar (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes. History Options: 颁翱搁贰听1000 A Medieval Murder Mystery: The World of AD 1327; 颁翱搁贰听1000 The Gods of the Others: The Sacred, Identities, and Communities) | 2-3 |
颁翱搁贰听1500 | Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes / Must be taken at SLU) | 1 |
颁翱搁贰听1900 | Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes. Or 贬滨厂罢听1200 Communicating About History) | 3 |
General Electives | 6 | |
听 | Credits | 15-16 |
Spring | ||
贬滨厂罢听1120 | Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present) (satisfies CORE听3400) 1 | 3 |
CORE听3200 | Ways of Thinking: Quantitative Reasoning (Should be taken in first 45 credit hours at SLU) | 3 |
CORE听1600 | Ultimate Questions: Theology | 3 |
General Electives | 6 | |
听 | Credits | 15 |
Year Two | ||
Fall | ||
贬滨厂罢听2800 | Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听1600 | History of the United States of America to 1865 (satisfies CORE听3400) | 3 |
CORE听1200 | Eloquentia Perfecta 2: Oral and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 60 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes) | 3 |
CORE听1700 | Ultimate Questions: Philosophy | 3 |
General Electives | 3 | |
听 | Credits | 15 |
Spring | ||
贬滨厂罢听1610 | History of the United States Since 1865 (satisfies CORE听3400) | 3 |
HIST Elective above 1120: European History 4 | 3 | |
CORE听3800 | Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences | 3 |
CORE听2500 | Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation | 0 |
General Electives | 6 | |
听 | Credits | 15 |
Year Three | ||
Fall | ||
HIST Elective above 1120: World History 2 | 3 | |
HIST Elective Upper Level | taken any time | 3 |
CORE听2800 | Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression | 2-3 |
CORE听3400 or 贬滨厂罢听1120 or 贬滨厂罢听3120 or 贬滨厂罢听3640 |
Ways of Thinking: Aesthetics, History, and Culture or Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present) or French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815 or History of the American West |
3 |
General Electives | 4 | |
听 | Credits | 15-16 |
Spring | ||
HIST Elective above 1120: U.S. History | taken any time 5 | 3 |
HIST Elective Upper Level | taken any time | 3 |
CORE听3600 | Ways of Thinking: Social and Behavioral Sciences (taken any time) | 3 |
CORE听4000 | Collaborative Inquiry | 2-3 |
General Electives | 4 | |
听 | Credits | 15-16 |
Year Four | ||
Fall | ||
贬滨厂罢听4900 or 贬滨厂罢听4901 or 贬滨厂罢听4902 |
Seminar in European History or Sem: American History or Seminar in World History |
3 |
HIST Elective Upper Level | taken any time | 3 |
CORE听3500 | Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World | 1 |
General Electives | 8 | |
听 | Credits | 15 |
Spring | ||
贬滨厂罢听4900 or 贬滨厂罢听4901 or 贬滨厂罢听4902 |
Seminar in European History or Sem: American History or Seminar in World History |
3 |
HIST Elective Upper Level | taken any time | 3 |
General Electives | 9 | |
听 | Credits | 15 |
听 | Total Credits | 120-123 |
- 1
One, but not both, of these courses may be fulfilled by AP credit.
- 2
Fulfills World Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).听
- 3
Fulfills U.S. pre-1865 Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).听
- 4
Fulfills Europe Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).听
- 5
Fulfills U.S. post-1865 Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see list below).听
Program Notes
The history major requires successful completion of courses above 1120 in the following areas: pre-1865 U.S. history, post-1865 U.S. history, European history and World history. At least one course must be a 4000-level seminar. Please refer to the list of seminars for majors.
Senior thesis (three or six credits, counting toward electives) and internship options available.
European History (3 Credits)
Courses with the European history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of commonly taught courses are:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
HIST听3000 | Ancient Greece | |
贬滨厂罢听3020 | The Roman Empire | |
贬滨厂罢听3030 | The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire | |
贬滨厂罢听3040 | From Barbarians to Crusaders: Europe in the Early Middle Ages | |
贬滨厂罢听3050 | From Cathedrals to Printing Presses: Europe in the Late Middle Ages | |
贬滨厂罢听3090 | The Age of Renaissance | |
贬滨厂罢听3100 | The Reformation Era | |
贬滨厂罢听3120 | French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815 | |
贬滨厂罢听3140 | Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars, 1914-1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3250 | World in Conflict Since 1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3280 | Russia to 1905 | |
贬滨厂罢听3290 | Russia Since 1905 | |
HIST听3320 | Early Modern History of Spain:1469-1818 | |
贬滨厂罢听3720 | Cultural Encounters 1500-1700 | |
贬滨厂罢听3760 | Medieval Spain |
Pre-1865 U.S. History (3 credits)
Courses with the Pre-1865 U.S. history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of听commonly taught听courses are:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
贬滨厂罢听1600 | History of the United States of America to 1865 | |
贬滨厂罢听3480 | U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 | |
贬滨厂罢听3580 | American Slavery | |
贬滨厂罢听3640 | History of the American West | |
贬滨厂罢听3660 | History of Nature in America | |
贬滨厂罢听3700 | U.S. Constitutional History |
Post-1865 U.S. History (3 Credits)
Courses with the Post-1865 U.S. history attribute. Examples of听commonly taught听courses are:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
贬滨厂罢听1610 | History of the United States Since 1865 | |
贬滨厂罢听3250 | World in Conflict Since 1945 | |
贬滨厂罢听3480 | U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 | |
贬滨厂罢听3500 | Progressive Era to the Jazz Age, 1890-1920 | |
贬滨厂罢听3600 | U.S. History in Film | |
贬滨厂罢听3640 | History of the American West | |
贬滨厂罢听3660 | History of Nature in America | |
贬滨厂罢听3700 | U.S. Constitutional History |
World History (3 Credits)
Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Latin American
Courses with the World history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of听commonly taught听courses are:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
HIST听1700 | China and Japan To 1600: Histories, Cultures, Identities | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听1710 | China and Japan Since 1600: Samurai, Revolutionaries, Entrepreneurs | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听2730 | Crossroads of the World: The Middle East and North Africa Through History | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听3030 | The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听3170 | Colonial Latin America | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听3220 | Jesuits and Their Worlds | 3 |
HIST听3240 | History of Africa since 1884 | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听3250 | World in Conflict Since 1945 | 3 |
Senior 浪花直播 Seminars (3 Credits)
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
贬滨厂罢听4900 | Seminar in European History | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听4901 | Sem: American History | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听4902 | Seminar in World History | 3 |
Internship (3 credits听- may be taken twice)
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
贬滨厂罢听4910 | Internship/History in Practice | 3-6 |
Senior Thesis (3-6 credits)
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
贬滨厂罢听4990 | History Senior Thesis Prep (optional) | 3 |
贬滨厂罢听4991 | History Senior Thesis | 3 |
Students can complete all or part of the history major at SLU鈥檚 campus in Madrid.听
2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution.听