History majors may earn either a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor of Science degree prepares you for careers in business, law or government. The Bachelor of Arts degree prepares you for similar careers and is recommended for students planning graduate work in history or related fields of study. Careful planning of the undergraduate program, with supplementary courses in other fields, can equip you for future positions in libraries, museums, archives or similar institutions and for research-oriented occupations.
If you would like a career as a professional educator teaching social studies in a middle school or a high school, the Social Sciences program is the program for you. Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary major, the primary purpose of which is to provide licensure to teach social studies at the secondary level (high school and middle school). In addition, there is a Non-Teaching Option for students who are unable to complete the Teaching Option. Students who complete the Non-Teaching Option will take a broader interdisciplinary program of courses in the Social Sciences.
View the academic offerings and catalogs for Department of History.
Courses marked (US) are designated for credit in the United States area, those with (EU) for credit in the European area, and those with (GL) for credit in the Global area. Courses marked with more than one designator may be counted in either group as marked. Students may not count any one course for more than one group.
Courses marked WI are designated Writing Intensive courses.
Note that 300-level History Courses are offered on a rotating basis, typically once every 4-5 semesters.
Before entering student teaching, students must complete the PRAXIS II (TEST 5581 for Social Studies). The PRAXIS II is a national competency exam required by the Commonwealth of Virginia for students who are pursuing teacher licensure in secondary social studies. The PRAXIS II assesses student knowledge in United States History, World History, Civics, Geography, and Economics. Students should try to complete PRAXIS II by the fall semester of their third year of study. To learn more about this exam visit ETS PRAXIS.
Crash Course Modules contain basic information that may be helpful for students who want to brush up quickly on subject matter as they prepare for the PRAXIS II.
Business
Carly Fiorina, former CEO Hewlett Packard
James Kitts, CEO Gillette Corp.
Martha Stewart, Businesswoman.
Chris Hughes, Co-founder of Facebook.
Sam Palmisasno, CEO of IBM Corporation
Media
Wolf Blitzer, CNN Reporter
David Brancaccio, Market Place Morning Report
Charles Kuralt, former CBS Reporter / Author
Entertainment
Steve Carell, Actor
Will Forte, Actor / Comedian
Sacha Baron Cohen, Actor / Writer
Edward Norton, Actor
Conan O'Brien, TV host
Jimmy Buffett Singer / Songwriter
Lauryn Hill Singer / Actress
Presidents
Joseph R. Biden, 46th President
George W. Bush, 43rd President
John F. Kennedy, 35th President
Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President
Legal Field
Elena Kagan, Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayer, Supreme Court Justice
Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia, former Supreme Court Justice
Eric Holder, former Attorney General of the United States
Sports
Jackie Joyner Kersee, Olympic Medalist in Track & Field
Grant Hill (former Pro Basketball Player / Atlanta Hawks Vice Chair)
Karem Abdul-Jabbar (Former Pro Basketball Player