The Undergraduate Program
Click here for information on the International Affairs Major
The History Department offers a wide variety of chronological,
geographical, and thematic courses that enhance individuals'
understanding of themselves and the contemporary world by expanding
their experience to include the experiences of other peoples, both past
and present. These courses range from ancient times to the present,
cover most geographical regions of the world, and allow topical
specialties ranging from women's or environmental history to the history
of technology or sports. History graduates find employment in a wide
range of occupations. Traditionally they have gone into education
careers in primary and secondary schools and, with appropriate
graduate-level training, in colleges and universities. More recently,
increasing numbers of history graduates find their way into private,
nonprofit as well as public organizations and agencies, such as museums,
archives and libraries, research and service institutions, legislative
bodies, and planning agencies. Others find career opportunities in the
private sector, including publishing, journalism, broadcasting, and law
firms; in fact, history is an ideal pre-law major.
The Department of History offers lower-level baccalaureate courses (HTY
103-HTY 280), upper-level baccalaureate courses (HTY 301-HTY 499), and
graduate-level courses (HTY 501-HTY 699). Senior history majors may take
500-level graduate courses. Other students may take graduate level
courses by permission. In addition to the BA in History and
International Affairs in History, the Department offers the MA degree in
History, with specialties in most areas of history. In cooperation with
the Department of Anthropology, the Department of History also offers an
MA in Historical Archaeology. The Ph.D. degree is offered in United
States History and Canadian-American History. Further information on
these degrees may be found in the
Graduate School Catalog.
Majors must complete at least twelve three-hour courses in history,
including:
A. At least two courses (at least one must be upper level) from
each of the following groups:
1. United States history;
2. European history;
3. The history of areas outside
the United States and Europe or
worldwide in focus (including at least one
course outside Canada).
B. At least eight upper-level history courses, distributed as follows:
1. A primary concentration of four courses from a single
geographical, chronological, or topical area.
2. One senior seminar (HTY 498), normally taken during the student's
final undergraduate year.
3. Three upper-level elective history courses from any area.
In addition, History majors must complete an outside field requirement
that may be satisfied by one of the following:
1. Demonstrated proficiency ("C" or better) in a foreign language at the
intermediate level, by either examination or through course work.
2. Completion of a
minor in another discipline requiring at least
four courses above the survey level. These courses may not have been
presented to satisfy the General Education Requirements.
3. Completion of an approved Interdisciplinary Curriculum requiring
at least four courses beyond the survey level. These courses may not
have been presented to satisfy the General Education Requirements.
The History Department reserves the right to devise and approve
additional, but comparable, "interdisciplinary curricula" other than
those listed in this catalog.
4. Completion of a second major.
Students who transfer from other institutions must take a minimum of
six courses within the department. All students must earn at least a "C"
in all courses applied to the major. University requirements place
a limit of forty-eight (48) hours of degree credit within the
major to count toward the Bachelor's degree, thus a
maximum of sixteen (16) history courses may be applied toward
the 120 total credits required for graduation. History majors
should be careful to limit the number of courses taken below the
300-level as the minimum of eight upper-level (300-400) courses required
for the major leaves a maximum of eight (8) 100-200 level courses to
count toward graduation.
For additional information about the undergraduate program in history,
contact the Department of History, 5774 Stevens Hall, University of
Maine, Orono, Maine 04469-5774. Telephone: 207-581-1907/1908.
UMHist@maine.edu.
For information concerning undergraduate admission to the University of
Maine in general, contact the
Admissions Office.
