Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
HISTORY
Historians use methods, techniques, and ideas from a wide range of humanistic and social scientific fields to teach students how materials from many fields are integrated to describe or explain a particular historical time period or topic. History is an open-ended discipline, and the department welcomes students, as well as ideas and techniques, from other subjects. History also gives a student many options for a future career. Many history majors have become lawyers, journalists, civil servants, and business executives. The future of a history major is not limited to college or school teaching, although these are also available career choices. Expanding opportunities are to be found in public and private agencies, in businesses, archives, historical societies, museums, and government offices. History courses may help students to develop a balanced program that will further their career and intellectual goals. Courses in economics and history could lead to an understanding of economic development and aid a business or civil service career; a combination of language, literature, and history would give a student background that could lead to a career in foreign service or teaching; a mixture of communication and writing with history might prepare one for a career in journalism. In short, students in practically any field can investigate questions that are intellectually exciting and personally helpful by taking history courses related to their programs and ambitions. For more information on the major, the minor, or the Department of History, visit http://www.history.pitt.edu/.
Major Requirements
Majors in history must complete a minimum of 30 credits in history courses, including the following:
- Required core courses (15 credits)
- One course in pre-1500 history
- One survey course in U.S. history from the following list:
- HIST 0600 United States to 1877
- HIST 0601 United States 1865–Present
- HIST 0670 Afro-American History 1
- HIST 0671 Afro-American History 2
- One survey course in European history from the following list:
- HIST 0100 Western Civilization 1
- HIST 0101 Western Civilization 2
- HIST 0200 East Europe Civilization
- HIST 1240 Political East Europe
- One course in Latin American, Asian, East European, Russian and Soviet, African, or Middle Eastern history
- One required seminar for majors (HIST 1000 Writing Seminar for Majors or 1001 Required Seminar for Majors).
- Required focused area of study (12 credits)
- One additional history course
- Students must earn at least a 2.00 overall GPA in history courses.
- Fifteen credits must be in courses numbered 1000 or above.
- Majors may take a total of 9 credits for the major on an S/NC basis (formerly the S/N option). HIST 1000 Writing Seminar for Majors or 1001 Required Seminar for Majors may not be taken S/NC (formerly the S/N option).
- Students may earn up to 9 credits in history on a credit-by-examination basis; arrangements can be made by contacting the instructor of the course involved.
- Students must complete an A&S 12-credit related area; economics, sociology, political science, statistics, or computer science are suggested.
- 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 6 extra credits. Students apply for the honors program in their sophomore year and should have completed 12 credits in history, have a 3.35 GPA overall and a 3.50 in history, and submit a piece of writing for approval by the Undergraduate Committee. There are four elements to the honors program:
- The special honors seminar, HIST 1902 Writing: History Honors Seminar; this is separate from and in addition to the required seminar for majors
- One University Honors College history course
- An independent study (HIST 1901)
- The completion and acceptance of a 25–50 page honors thesis
- No grade below B is acceptable to fulfill the honors requirements.
- HIST 0100 Western Civilization 1
- HIST 0101 Western Civilization 2
- HIST 0200 East Europe Civilization
- HIST 1240 Political East Europe
- HIST 0300 Russia to 1860
- HIST 0301 Russia to 1917
- HIST 0400 Traditional East Asia to 1850
- HIST 0401 Modern East Asian Civilization
- HIST 0500 Colonial Latin America
- HIST 0501 Modern Latin America
- HIST 0600 United States to 1877
- HIST 0601 United States 1865–Present
- HIST 0670 Afro-American History 1
- HIST 0671 Afro-American History 2
Majors must take four courses beyond the core courses. These courses will be selected by the student with the help of a faculty member or the undergraduate advisor to form a focused area of study. Such areas may be chronological, geographic, or thematic and normally should be declared during the junior year. Many students choose a geographical focus, e.g., History of the Americas or Europe; however students are encouraged to discuss with their advisors or faculty concentrations based on their own grouping together of four courses.
In addition to those course requirements, the following rules and requirements apply for history majors:
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.
Minor Requirements
The history minor consists of two lower-level courses followed by three upper-level courses, for a total of 15 credits. The two lower-level (survey) courses may be in the same geographical area or in two different areas. For example, courses may be chosen from among the following:
Normally, the three upper-level courses should be chosen from the geographic area of one of the survey courses already taken.