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History Degree Requirements
For History, you need to complete 60 credits to meet the degree requirements. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, in order to earn a bachelor of arts degree in your chosen major.
For questions about the History major, contact an academic advisor, or History major coordinator Professor Julie Nicoletta.
Core Requirements
Required 30 credits (each course 5 credits unless otherwise noted)
- THIST 150 World History I
- THIST 151 World History II
- THIST 200 American History I, 1607-1877
- THIST 201 American History II, 1877-present
- THIST 380 History Methods Research and Writing Seminar (taken in junior year - recommended prerequisite: THIST 101)
- THIST 498 History Capstone (taken in your last 1-2 quarters - including senior paper and THIST portfolio)
Option Requirements
History Options and Courses
The BA in History requires 60 credits. These will include core courses and courses in one of five selected History options. 45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of School of IAS courses are required for graduation from School of IAS.
Required option courses are 30 credits, of which 25 credits must be upper-division courses.
History Options:
United States History Option (List A)
United States History Option: Through the critical analysis of primary and secondary sources students will gain an understanding of the complex factors significant in the development of the United States, including race, class, gender, colonization, immigration, industrialization, westward expansion and the rise of movements, such as Progressivism and Reaganism.
United States History Option requires 30 credits from List A. 25 credits must be upper-division courses.
- TEGL 419 African-American Culture and Consciousness (formerly THIST 419)
- THIST 212 American Military History I, Colonial to 1939
- THIST 213 American Military History II, 1939 to present
- THIST 220 African American History 1619 – 1865
- THIST 221 African-American History, 1865-1945
- THIST 222 African-American History, 1945-Present
- THIST 315 Industrialization and Reform
- THIST 320 Asian American History
- THIST 322 American Labor Since the Civil War
- THIST 333 Early American Music, Art, Literature, and Theater
- THIST 336 Black, Labor, and Protest Music in Historical Perspective
- THIST 340 History of United States-American Indian Relations
- THIST 341 African American History
- THIST 343 Vietnam and the 1960s
- THIST 349 Minorities and Higher Education in American History
- THIST 377 Art of the Americas
- THIST 378 American Architecture (formerly THIST 226)
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 410 Early American Politics and Law: The American Revolutionary Era, 1763-1815
- THIST 410 Early American Politics and Law: The Civil War Era, 1848-1877
- THIST 411 History of Religion in America
- THIST 413 Civil Rights, Civil Liberties
- THIST 416 Life and Thought: Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Angela Davis
- THIST 417 United States History 1945-Present
- THIST 420 African-American Religious History
- THIST 430 Introduction to Public History
- THIST 437 Doing Community History
- THIST 440 Black Labor in America
- THIST 441 Black Freedom Movements In Perspective
- THIST 442 History of African American Education
- THIST 444 The Pacific Northwest
- THIST 445 History of Tacoma
- THIST 456 North American Regions: The Frontier
- THIST 456 North American Regions: The Mississippi Valley
- THIST 470 The Material World: Art and Artifacts
- TIAS 496 Internship
- TIAS 498 Directed Readings
- TIAS 499 Undergraduate Research
- TPOLS 400 The American Presidency
- TWOMN 347 History of Women in the United States
European History Option (List B)
European History Option: Covering ancient and modern European history with emphases in British, German, and Mediterranean history and themes that problematize traditional readings of “the rise of the West,” students gain a deeper understanding about European history and the interregional interactions that shaped it through critical thinking and source analysis.
European History Option requires 30 credits from List B. 25 credits must be upper-division courses.
- THIST 111 The Ancient World
- THIST 112 The Medieval World
- THIST 203 Modern Europe in Global History
- THIST 231 Ancient Mediterranean World
- THIST 260 Empires and Imperialism in World History
- THIST 280 German Cultural History
- THIST 350 Modern Germany since 1838
- THIST 356 History of Christianity
- THIST 363 Making of Russia
- THIST 364 Modern Russia
- THIST 365 Europe in the Twentieth Century
- THIST 366 Europe in the Twenty-First Century
- THIST 375 British Empire
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 385 Russian Civilization
- THIST 451 Renaissance Europe
- THIST 457 Anti-semitism and the Holocaust
- THIST 467 Siberia and the Russian Far East
- THIST 475 Twentieth-Century Britain
- THIST 477 Reformation and Counter-Reformation Europe
- THIST 478 Europe in the Nineteenth Century
- THIST 479 Modern European Culture
- THIST 480 Eastern Europe in Transition, 1940 - 2000
- THIST 487 Technology in the Modern World
- THIST 488 History of Urbanization and the Environment
- THIST 490 Medieval Technology
- THIST 491 Advanced Topics in the Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean World
- THIST 495 Metropolis: Rome
- TIAS 330 German Culture, History and Philosophy: Frankfurt am Main
- TIAS 496 Internship
- TIAS 498 Directed Readings
- TIAS 499 Undergraduate Research
- TPHIL 451 The Enlightenment
- TPOL S 310 Modern European Political Theory
- TPOL S 312 19th Century Revolutions and Revolutionaries
Asian History Option (List C)
Asian History Option: The Asian history option includes courses from premodern to modern East Asia, with focuses on China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as examination of Pacific and Mediterranean world-systems. This option considers social, cultural, political, economic and intellectual developments within a historical framework.
Asian History Option requires 30 credits from List C. 25 credits must be upper-division courses.
- THIST 231 Ancient Mediterranean World
- THIST 270 Premodern East Asia
- THIST 271 Modern East Asia
- THIST 372 Comparative Perspectives on East Asian and Latin American Development
- THIST 462 History of Vietnam
- THIST 463 Premodern Japan
- THIST 464 Modern China
- THIST 465 Modern Japan
- THIST 466 Modern Korea
- THIST 474 Imperial China
- THIST 484 Pacific War
- THIST 486 Contemporary Chinese Culture and Society
- THIST 491 Advanced Topics in the Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean World
- TIAS 496 Internship
- TIAS 498 Directed Readings
- TIAS 499 Undergraduate Research
Global History Option
Global History Option: Students gain understanding of interconnectedness of human histories and processes of globalization by studying world ancient and modern history, and classes that include U.S., European, and Asian options, as well as electives from other regions and cultures through critical analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Global History option majors are strongly encouraged to study a foreign language and to engage in a study abroad program as part of their Global History education.
Global History option majors are also strongly encouraged to take THIST 202 Global Theories as an option course as it provides an introduction of the historiographical trends and research methods in global studies.
Global History Option requires 30 credits as described below. 25 credits must be upper-division courses.
- 5 credits American Focus course (List D)
- 5 credits European Focus course (List E)
- 5 credits Asian Focus course (List F)
- 10 credits Global History courses (List G)
- Minimum one course (not already in Lists D-G) chosen from the following lists:
List D: American Focus
- TEGL 419 African-American Culture and Consciousness (formerly THIST 419)
- THIST 220 African American History 1619-1865
- THIST 320 Asian American History
- THIST 340 History of the United States-American Indian Relations
- THIST 377 Art of the Americas
- THIST 378 American Architecture (formerly THIST 226)
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 420 African-American Religious History
- THIST 470 The Material World: Art and Artifact
List E: European Focus
- THIST 203 Modern Europe in Global History
- THIST 231 Ancient Mediterranean World
- THIST 350 Modern Germany Since 1848
- THIST 356 History of Christianity
- THIST 363 Making of Russia
- THIST 365 Europe in the Twentieth Century
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 451 Renaissance Europe
- THIST 475 Twentieth-Century Britain
- THIST 479 Modern European Culture
- THIST 487 Technology in the Modern World
- THIST 490 Medieval Technology
- THIST 491 Advanced Topics in the Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean World
List F: Asian Focus
- THIST 231 Ancient Mediterranean World
- THIST 270 Premodern East Asia
- THIST 271 Modern East Asia
- THIST 372 Comparative Perspectives on East Asian and Latin American Development
- THIST 464 Modern China
- THIST 474 Imperial China
- THIST 484 Pacific War
- THIST 491 Advanced Topics in the Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean World
List G: Global Focus
- THIST 102 Introduction to Global Studies
- THIST 111 The Ancient World
- THIST 112 The Medieval World
- THIST 202 Global Theories (highly recommended for Global History option student)
- THIST 203 Modern Europe in Global History
- THIST 231 Ancient Mediterranean World
- THIST 251 Global Twentieth Century
- THIST 260 Empires and Imperialism in World History
- THIST 366 Europe in the Twenty-First Century
- THIST 375 British Empire
- THIST 377 Art of the Americas
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 470 The Material World: Art and Artifacts
- THIST 487 Technology of the Modern World
- THIST 488 History of Urbanization and the Environment
- THIST 490 Medieval Technology
- THIST 491 Advanced Topics in the Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean World
- TSPAN 371 The Hispanic Caribbean (formerly TSPAN 471)
Self-Designed History Option (List H)
Self-Designed History Option: For students who wish to pursue a topical approach to History (e.g. art and architecture, economic, environmental, ethnic, gender, labor, military, public, religious, etc.) and for students who currently choose to study Ancient, Latin American, or African History.
Self-Designed History Option: 30 credits from List H or history courses from UW Bothell or UW Seattle as approved by their History faculty advisor.
Students must have the advance approval and continual counsel of their History faculty advisor for all of their coursework. In addition to the required core courses listed above, students need to take 30 credits from the history related elective courses (List H) or history courses from UW Bothell or UW Seattle (including distance learning courses) as approved by their History faculty advisor.
This option cannot be completed by taking 30 credits from the list of courses below. Extensive discussion with the History faculty advisor must occur for a degree to be earned in this option.
- TARTS 225 Musical History of Tacoma
- TARTS 281 Art and Culture in India
- TARTS 282 Art and Culture in China
- TARTS 283 Art and Culture in Japan
- TARTS 284 Art and Culture in the Pacific
- TARTS 311 History of Rock and Roll
- TARTS 411 History of Jazz
- TCOM 254 Communication History (formerly TCOM 354)
- TGEOS 243 Maritime History and Science of the Pacific Northwest (formerly TESC 243)
- THIST 378 American Architecture (formerly THIST 226)
- THIST 379 Modern Architecture
- THIST 430 Introduction to Public History
- TIAS 496 Internship
- TIAS 498 Directed Readings
- TIAS 499 Undergraduate Research
- TPHIL 355 The Modern Mind
- TPHIL 357 The Greek Mind and Imagination
- TPOL S 224 Modern Latin America
- TPOL S 260 American Political Theory
- TPOL S 310 Modern European Political Theory
- TPOL S 326 Modern Brazil
- TPOL S 314 20th Century Revolutions