Gain a comprehensive understanding of history and develop critical thinking, research and communication skills to succeed in a wide range of careers. With experienced faculty, personalized attention and engaging courses, Kent State's History B.A. program provides you with the foundation needed to pursue graduate studies, law school, or careers in education, government, non-profit and many other fields.
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History - B.A.
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- Shane Strate | sstrate@kent.edu |
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Bachelor’s Degree in History
Graduates of Kent State’s Bachelor’s Degree in History are equipped for a wide array of careers in sectors such as education, research, public policy, and cultural preservation. With a strong emphasis on critical thinking, analytical skills, and effective communication, alumni can pursue roles as educators, museum curators, archivists, and historical consultants. The program's focus on historical research and methodology prepares graduates to address contemporary issues through the lens of history, making them valuable assets in areas like heritage management, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Program Information for History - B.A.
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Program Description
Program Description
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in History provides a well-rounded educational experience in which students have the independence and flexibility to explore and develop their individual interests while getting a solid grounding in different approaches to historical research, writing and analysis.
The study of history offers insight into the complexity of the human experience by exploring the political, cultural, social, economic and environmental factors that have shaped the past and the present. The study of history also offers training in a range of skills, including how to find, evaluate, manage and synthesize multiple sources of information; how to think critically and analyze complex evidence; how to undertake independent research and manage time effectively; how to develop and present reasoned arguments supported by evidence; how to present information and arguments effectively in writing; and how to develop and deliver effective oral presentations. The skills and experiences gained through the study of history provide preparation for a variety of career tracks.
The History major is comprised of several elements:
- Lower-Division History Electives provide history majors with an overview of the major themes and developments in world history from human origins to the present and in the history of the United States from pre-colonization to the present.
- The required Historical Research Methods course introduces students to the main tools and techniques of doing history, while providing them with the opportunity to develop and refine the skills of historical research, writing and analysis to do well in their upper-division coursework.
- Area Studies Electives are a group of upper-division history courses in which the history of a place (state, nation or region) is the primary focus of the courses.
- Thematic Studies Electives are a group of upper-division history courses in which a specific topic or theme is the primary focus of the courses while the place and time period are secondary.
- The required Senior Seminar in History course is a capstone experience in which students develop, design and execute their own original historical research project that utilizes primary sources and engages with current historical scholarship.
Students in the History major are encouraged to undertake an internship for course credit to gain job experience and further strengthen their profile for their career after graduation.
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Admissions
for History - B.A.
Admissions
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.
Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.
Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab
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Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Understand and apply a variety of basic historical methods.
- Find, use and analyze historical evidence and communicate their findings in an effective manner.
- Obtain historical content knowledge and understand the connectedness of historical events and the wide varieties of human experiences.
- Understand history as a discipline based on interpretation with historical questions constantly being reframed and investigated.
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Coursework
On This Page
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) HIST 32050 HISTORICAL RESEARCH METHODS 3 HIST 49091 SENIOR SEMINAR IN HISTORY (ELR) (WIC) 1 3 History (HIST) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 2 9 History (HIST) Lower-Division Electives (10000 or 20000 level), choose from the following: 9 HIST 11050WORLD HISTORY: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL (DIVG) (KHUM) HIST 11051WORLD HISTORY: MODERN (DIVG) (KHUM) HIST 12070EARLY AMERICA: FROM PRE-COLONIZATION TO CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION (DIVD) (KHUM) HIST 12071MODERN AMERICA: FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION TO GLOBALIZATION (DIVD) (KHUM) Area Studies Electives, choose from the following: 6 HIST 30010NEW DEAL AMERICA AND BEYOND HIST 30020THE SIXTIES IN AMERICA HIST 30040NINETEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE HIST 30049MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1914-1945 HIST 30050MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY: 1945-PRESENT HIST 30060HISTORY OF GERMANY, 1871-PRESENT HIST 30111JEFFERSON-JACKSON ERA, 1789-1848 HIST 31022THE GREAT POWERS IN WAR AND PEACE, 1792-1914 HIST 31023THE GREAT POWERS IN WAR AND PEACE, 1914-1945 HIST 31025ITALY FROM ROME TO THE RENAISSANCE HIST 31026ITALIAN HISTORY FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT HIST 31032THE GLOBAL CRISIS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY HIST 31034MURDER MYSTERY AND MAYHEM: THE MEDICI DYNASTY IN FLORENCE HIST 31036THE TWENTIETH CENTURY WORLD HIST 31040AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH POPULAR MUSIC HIST 31053MODERN EUROPE, 1815 TO PRESENT HIST 31055POLITICS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY OF 20TH-CENTURY EUROPE HIST 31056EUROPE IN THE RENAISSANCE HIST 31057THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON HIST 31061HISTORY OF OHIO HIST 31082HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND BLACK POWER MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31084THE INVENTION OF AMERICA: 1492-1714 (DIVD) HIST 31085ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S WORLD: 18TH-CENTURY AMERICA (DIVD) HIST 31087SECTIONAL CONFLICT AND CIVIL WAR HIST 31100RECONSTRUCTION AND THE LATER SOUTH HIST 31106PROGRESSIVE AMERICA - REFORMERS, CRUSADERS AND RADICALS: AMERICA, 1893-1929 HIST 31107NEW ERA THROUGH WORLD WAR: THE UNITED STATES, 1920-1945 HIST 31112CHINESE CIVILIZATION HIST 31113HISTORY OF JAPAN HIST 31126HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST HIST 31130HISTORY OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA TO 1880 HIST 31131HISTORY OF COLONIAL AFRICA, 1880-1994 HIST 31132HISTORY OF POST-COLONIAL AFRICA HIST 31140MODERN LATIN AMERICA (DIVG) HIST 31141EARLY MODERN LATIN AMERICA (C. 1450-1820) (DIVG) HIST 37001FLORENCE THE MYTH OF A CITY HIST 38495SPECIAL TOPICS IN AREA STUDIES HIST 41003HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE HIST 41006ROMAN HISTORY Thematic Studies Electives, choose from the following: 6 HIST 30030IDEAS IN ACTION: U.S. INTELLECTUAL HISTORY (DIVD) HIST 30070THE HOLOCAUST: THE DESTRUCTION OF EUROPEAN JEWRY, 1938-1945 HIST 30112THE UNITED STATES: THE WESTWARD MOVEMENT HIST 31000INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HISTORY HIST 31020POLIS TO METROPOLIS: HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN CITY HIST 31024WORLD WAR II HIST 31031REFORMATIONS IN EARLY MODERN CHRISTIANITY HIST 31033WITCHES AND EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1500-1800 HIST 31035THE GLOBAL COLD WAR HIST 31041SPORT HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31045A HISTORY OF CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31071AMERICA AND THE WORLD THROUGH 1898 HIST 31072AMERICA AND THE WORLD: 1898-1945 HIST 31073AMERICA AND THE WORLD SINCE 1945 HIST 31074HISTORY OF ESPIONAGE: FROM JOSHUA TO EDWARD SNOWDEN HIST 31075HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31077HISTORY OF SEXUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31080AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: SLAVERY TO FREEDOM HIST 31083THE HISTORY OF WHITENESS IN THE UNITED STATES HIST 31101WAR AND SOCIETY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1607 THROUGH 1865 HIST 31102WAR AND SOCIETY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1865 TO THE PRESENT HIST 31104MIGRATIONS TO AMERICA, 1607 TO PRESENT (DIVD) HIST 31114TRADITION AND REVOLUTION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) HIST 31118VIETNAM WAR HIST 31124HIGHLIFE HISTORIES: MODERN AFRICAN URBAN EXPERIENCE HIST 31543THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION HIST 31550MEDICINE IN THE MODERN WORLD SINCE 1500 HIST 38595SPECIAL TOPICS IN THEMATIC STUDIES HIST 41060COMPARATIVE FASCISM Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 10-16 Kent Core Composition 6 Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning 3 Kent Core Fine Arts 3 Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) 6 Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) 6-7 Kent Core Additional 3 General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 46 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 - 1
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
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Maximum 3 credit hours of HIST 40092 may be applied toward the degree.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA 2.000 2.000 Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the following:
- Elementary I and II of any language (or equivalent) and
- One of the following options:
- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
- Intermediate I of the same language
- One to two college-level course(s) completed outside the United States
- Courses: ARAB 21401, ASL 19401, CHIN 25421, MCLS 10001, MCLS 20001, MCLS 20091, MCLS 21417, MCLS 21420, MCLS 22217, MCLS 28403, MCLS 28404
All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer courses. This may be accomplished in one of three ways:
- Passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level
- Receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University
- Demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language
Certain programs may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need a particular language proficiency.
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Roadmap
Roadmap
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 History (HIST) Lower-Division Electives (10000 or 20000 level) 6 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 13 Semester Two ! History (HIST) Lower-Division Elective (10000 or 20000 level) 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Three ! Area Studies Elective 3 ! Thematic Studies Elective 3 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Four ! Area Studies Elective 3 ! Thematic Studies Elective 3 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Five ! History (HIST) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 Foreign Language and/or General Elective 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six HIST 32050 HISTORICAL RESEARCH METHODS 3 Foreign Language and/or General Elective 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven ! HIST 49091 SENIOR SEMINAR IN HISTORY (ELR) (WIC) 3 History (HIST) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Eight History (HIST) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 General Electives 12 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 -
Program Delivery
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
- Stark Campus
- Delivery: