2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog Department of History
Admission/Retention Requirements
For information about admission to this program visit the University’s Academics website.
Course Finder
Honors in History
Honors work in the Department of History has been designed to offer to qualified undergraduates the opportunity to develop an independent, individualized program of study while working closely with departmental faculty in the field of their special interest. Students who complete the requirements will graduate with Departmental Honors, which will be noted on their transcript and diploma.
Honors Admissions Requirements
To be admitted to the Honors Program, students must: (1) be members of the University Honors Program, and (2) have completed 45 hours, at least nine hours in history with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in History. Recommendation of at least one member of the departmental faculty is required as is the approval of the Departmental Honors Advisor. Students may also be invited to apply by a faculty member. In specific cases these requirements may be waived but only with the express approval of the Departmental Honors Advisor and the History Department Chairperson.
Honors Study Requirements
In order to graduate with distinction as a Departmental Honors Scholar in the Department of History, the student must complete (1) at least 6 hours of Honors work in the major - HON/HIS 299, HIS 301 (which require pre-approval from the Departmental Honors Advisor), (2) all university graduation requirements, (3) all regular requirements for the major, and (4) all University Honors requirements as outlined in the catalog. The Departmental Honors Advisor and the History Department Chairperson will regularly evaluate students in the program. Any student whose work does not meet the minimal standards of the program will not be allowed to continue.
For more information on Honors in History, including admission and retention standards, please visit the Honors website.
History
Degree Offered: B.A., B.S.
Interdisciplinary Minors
The Department of History participates in a number of interdisciplinary minors and one interdisciplinary major at the University. Coursework offered by the Department contributes to the Major in European Studies and the following minors: African-American Studies; African Studies; Classical Studies; European Studies; Latin American and Latino/a Studies; Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies; Native American Studies; Urban Studies; and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. For further information on these minors and their advisors, please consult the Interdisciplinary Studies Program section.
Major in History
Admission to the History major, including the History-Social Sciences Teacher Education Sequence, may be restricted by the lack of available Department resources.
The Department of History encourages students seeking a bachelor’s degree to develop both global and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of history and to apply these methods to their studies in other disciplines. To develop their skills in historical analysis and to learn to think critically about historical accounts, students complete HIS 100, HIS 200, and HIS 300. To acquire both a well-rounded and a global understanding of historical processes, students are required to take 6 hours each in European/non-Western and United States History.
The Department of History recognizes the value of language to the study of history from a global perspective. For this reason, the department recommends that all students majoring in history complete a Bachelor of Arts program. Those students majoring in history but choosing to pursue a Bachelor of Sciences program must complete a minor program.
Students in the History major must complete one of the following sequences.
General History Sequence
B.A. students are encouraged to improve their career opportunities by minoring in another discipline. B.A. students not opting for a minor must choose an area of concentration by taking a minimum of 9 hours in any field other than history or foreign language; at least 3 of these hours must be in 200- or 300-level courses.
B.A. and B.S. students in either the History (non-teaching) or History-Social Sciences Teacher Education Sequence must complete HIS 100 during their freshman year as History majors or their first semester at ISU for Transfer Students and should complete HIS 200 before enrolling in any 300-level History course. HIS 300 is a capstone course to be taken in the student’s last full semester on campus. For students in the History-Social Sciences Teacher Education Sequence, this would be the semester just prior to student teaching.
- 6 hours of non-Western History listed in group 3 and 6 hours of U.S. History listed in Group2 of “History Courses by Group for the Major.” At least one of the non-Western electives and one of the US electives must be at the senior level.
- B.A. students are encouraged to complete a minor; but, if a minor is not selected, they must complete a 9-hour concentration in any field other than history or foreign language, with at least 3 hours at the 200-or 300-level.
- B.S. students must also complete a minor.
View General History Sequence Course Requirements
General History Accelerated Sequence
High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major may apply to the accelerated sequence one year before completion of their undergraduate degree. This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate programs in History. Students can then apply to the History graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the History graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/Majors and the History Department advisor.
- 6 hours of non-Western History listed in group 3 and 6 hours of U.S. History listed in Group 2 of “History Courses by Group for the Major.” At least one of the non-Western electives and one of the US electives must be at the senior level.
- B.A. students are encouraged to complete a minor; but, if a minor is not selected, they must complete a 9-hour concentration in any field other than history or foreign language, with at least 3 hours at the 200-or 300-level.
- B.S. students must also complete a minor.
View General History Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements
History - Social Sciences Teacher Education Sequence
- The Teacher Education Sequence is part of the entitlement program leading to secondary History-Social Sciences licensure.
- A minimum 3.00 GPA is required for Admission to Student Teaching. Deadlines for admission to Professional Studies and Student Teaching are available from the Cecelia J. Lauby Center for Teacher Education.
- Clinical Experiences in Teacher Education
- University-Wide Teacher Education Requirements
View History-Social Sciences Teacher Education Sequence Course Requirements
History - Social Sciences Teacher Education Accelerated Sequence
High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major may apply to the accelerated sequence one year before completion of their undergraduate degree. This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in History. Students can then apply to the History graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into History graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/Majors and the History Department advisor.
- The Teacher Education Sequence is part of the entitlement program leading to secondary History-Social Sciences licensure.
- A minimum 3.00 GPA is required for Admission to Student Teaching. Deadlines for admission to Professional Studies and Student Teaching are available from the Cecelia J. Lauby Center for Teacher Education.
- After completing student teaching and undergraduate degree in their eighth semester, students would graduate with a Master's degree with an additional year of enrollment.
Clinical Experiences in Teacher Education
University-Wide Teacher Education Requirements
View History-Social Sciences Teacher Education Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements
History Courses by Group
Group 1: Methods and Topics
Group 2: United States History
- HIS 111
- HIS 112
- HIS 131
- HIS 215
- HIS 217
- HIS 239
- HIS 241
- HIS 242
- HIS 243
- HIS 244
- HIS 246
- HIS 247
- HIS 248
- HIS 249
- HIS 253
- HIS 254
- HIS 257
- HIS 258
- HIS 259
- HIS 261
- HIS 262
- HIS 278
- HIS 279
- HIS 309
- HIS 310
- HIS 311
- HIS 315
- HIS 320
- HIS 322
- HIS 323
- HIS 324
- HIS 328
Group 3: Non-Western History
- HIS 104A01
- HIS 104A02
- HIS 104A03
- HIS 104A04
- HIS 104A05
- HIS 104A06
- HIS 263
- HIS 265
- HIS 266
- HIS 267
- HIS 271
- HIS 272
- HIS 275
- HIS 276
- HIS 282
- HIS 283
- HIS 284
- HIS 307
- HIS 367
- HIS 370
- HIS 373
- HIS 375
Group 4: European History
- HIS 220
- HIS 221
- HIS 222
- HIS 223
- HIS 224
- HIS 228
- HIS 229
- HIS 231
- HIS 232
- HIS 233
- HIS 234
- HIS 237
- HIS 308
- HIS 335
- HIS 337
- HIS 345
- HIS 350
- HIS 366
- HIS 368
Minor in History
18 total credit hours required
Must include at least 9 senior hours