The History Major at Ohio State

Below is the outline of the history major. For additional details, please see the Undergraduate Handbook and contact Dr. Raymond Irwin (Irwin.8@osu.edu).

Skills Acquisition

·         History 2800: Introduction to the Discipline of History (3 credit hours)
·         Two 4000-level Seminars (6 credit hours)

Breadth

Students are required to develop a program that includes chronological and geographic breadth.  This includes:

·         2 courses (6 credit hours) focusing chronologically on the period before 1750
·         2 courses (6 credit hours) focusing chronologically on the period after 1750
·         2 courses (6 credit hours) focusing primarily on East Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East,
          Central Asia, and South Asia
·         2 courses (6 credit hours) focusing primarily on North America and/or Europe
·         1 course (3 credit hours) focusing on comparative, transnational, transregional, or global history
 

"After taking courses in the department, and learning about potential career opportunities, I decided that it would become my major," - Angela Volcensek, History Major


Concentration

Students must take 12 credit hours in either a Geographical or a Thematic concentration.

Possible Geographical Concentrations:   

·         North America
·         Latin America
·         Europe (including Russia)
·         Near East, Middle East, Central Asia, and/or South Asia
·         East Asia
·         Africa

Possible Thematic Concentrations: 

·         History of environment, science and technology
·         History of race, ethnicity, and nation
·         Religious history
·         History of colonialism and comparative empires
·         Military history and/or diplomatic history
·         History of the state (power, culture, society)
·         Global, early modern
·         Women's, gender, and sexuality studies

Progression

Of the 33 credit hours required for the Major, at least 21 credit hours must be at the 3000-level or above.  This includes:

The two required 4000-level seminars (6 cr. hrs.) plus at least 15 credit hours at the 3000-level and above.

One 2000-level History course must be taken prior to enrolling in a 3000-level History course (or instructor permission). 

One 3000-level History course must be taken prior to enrolling in a 4000-level or a 5000-level History course.

 

"I feel that my history courses are the only classes I have taken at OSU that really gave me the context necessary to understand why and how contemporary crises or conflicts have developed," - Emily Needham, B.A. in History, 2022