Program options
We offer undergraduate course work at two levels. Introductory courses at the 100 and 200 level, are intended especially for students new to the general discipline of History, or to its specific areas. Advanced courses at the 300and 400 level are intended for students with some background in History.
You are strongly advised to complete introductory courses in a given area before undertaking advanced courses in the same area. All History courses require substantial written and reading assignments. Information about textbooks in all courses is available from the bookstore.
History courses are organized by area: American history, British history, Canadian history, European history, Asian history, world and comparative history, and specialized courses.
In any 3-unit course that is offered over the first term and the second term of winter session, you must register in and complete successfully both terms in order to receive credit.
General and Minor
History may be taken as one field of concentration in a General Program, or as a Minor.
Normally, you should complete 6 units of introductory History courses at the 100 or 200 level and 9 units of History courses at the 300 or 400 level. A maximum of 1.5 units taken from GRS 331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 345, 346, 347, 480A and 480C, and MEST 308 may be accepted in lieu of a course in history. Other than these, courses in the various studies programs (CS, ES, EUS, GERS, GRS, IS, MEDI, MEST, PACI, RS, RUSS, WS) cannot be counted towards the General and Minor, the Major or the Honours degrees (exception: Special Topics courses may be considered on an ad hoc basis).
Major
If you are interested in pursuing a Major in History you should consult the Majors Advisor in your first year if possible.
To be admitted to the Major Program, you must have a C average in 6 units of introductory History courses.
In the third and fourth years, you must take 15 units of History courses numbered 300 and above. Of these 15 units, a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 units should be selected from one area of interest. You are strongly advised to select 9 units of non-History courses in consultation with the Majors' Adviser.
A maximum of 3 units taken from GRS 331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 345, 346, 347, 480A and 480C, and MEST 308 may be accepted in lieu of a course in European history. Other than these, courses in the various studies programs (CS, ES, EUS, GERS, GRS, IS, MEDI, MEST, ßPACI, RS, RUSS, WS) cannot be counted towards the General and Minor, the Major or the Honours degrees (exception: Special Topics courses may be considered on an ad hoc basis).
Honours
In the Honours Program, students have the opportunity to study history more independently and intensively than is normally possible in the Major and General Programs. Through the Honours Seminar that explores historical methodology (HIST 480) and the Honours Thesis, a research project normally based on primary sources (HIST 497), the Honours Program encourages students to think critically and to deepen their understanding of both the content and craft of history. A Third-Year Honours Essay (HIST 398) is optional. While the primary intent of the Honours Program is to help any interested and talented student of history achieve an excellent education in the liberal arts, the program should be especially useful for students contemplating graduate work in history or careers in senior secondary teaching, journalism, law, library science or government service.
Admission to the Honours Program normally requires a minimum overall GPA of 6.0 as well as a minimum of 6.0 in 6 units of History courses, of which at least 3 units should be at the 100 or 200 level. These 6 units are not counted towards the 18 units of upper-level History required within the Honours Program. Application for admission to the Honours Program should normally be made in the spring, during the student’s second year, although a small number of third-year applications may also be accepted. In certain cases, applications may be accepted any time up to the beginning of a student’s fourth year.
Honours candidates are required to have their program of courses approved by the Honours Adviser. To avoid overspecialization, Honours students must study more than one area of History and are strongly encouraged to take at least one course in pre-1800 history. An Honours degree requires a graduating GPA of at least 5.0 and a GPA of at least 5.0 in Honours courses (HIST 398 if taken, 480, 497). Candidates whose performance is unsatisfactory may be required to transfer from the Honours Program to the Major Program. Admission to the fourth-year Honours Program is conditional upon satisfactory performance in the third year.
Third- and Fourth-year Requirements:
Students in the Honours Program must take 18 units of history courses numbered 300 or above:
HIST 480. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0 units
HIST 497. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0 units
History courses numbered 300 and above*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.0 units
*May include HIST 398. Of these 12.0 units, a maximum of 9.0 units may be selected from one area of interest.
- A maximum of 3.0 units taken from GRS 331, 332, 333, 334, 341, 342, 346, 347, 348, 349, 441, 461, 480A, 480C, MEDI 451 and MEST 308 may be accepted in lieu of a course in European history.
- Students are also required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English by passing, with a grade of C or higher in each course, 3.0 units of 200-level language courses (FRAN 180 is also acceptable), or by passing a special translation examination administered by the Department of History.
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