History is the systematic study of peoples, states, and societies from antiquity to our current times. Using both written records and material artifacts, historians attempt to reconstruct and interpret change over time in every facet of human experience, from political and economic systems to family life and gender roles, to name a few. The study of history is not only intrinsically interesting, but also contributes useful insights into the contemporary world and its problems.
History majors develop an in-depth knowledge of a specific region of the world, including its history, geography, and culture. In the process, they also learn how to conduct historical research, and to develop convincing arguments based on the evidence they uncover. Effective oral and written communication skills are strongly emphasized in all history courses.
Many History majors choose careers in law, teaching, archival or library science, or museum work. Because it emphasizes research and writing, history is also excellent preparation for many fields, including journalism, diplomacy, and international business. Combined with a concentration in science, the History major is also a good background for medicine or other health science professions.
The Department's offerings range over many eras, regions, and topics, concentrating on the United States, Europe, Latin America, East Asia, the history of science, and women's history. Surveys of these fields are offered at the 100 level for the United States and Europe and the 200 level for other areas. Students interested in the study of history should take these survey courses first, as prerequisites for more advanced coursework. American and European courses at the 200 level customarily examine a specific period, while 300-level courses typically examine specific topics (such as social or political history) or countries (such as Germany, Brazil, or China). History colloquia at the 400 level are small classes offering intensive reading and discussion on closely focused themes. The study of history emphasizes the mastery of large amounts of information and the ability to demonstrate that mastery through skillful writing.
Each semester the Department issues a booklet with detailed descriptions of its offerings. Students interested in history, whether as a major, a minor, a social science course related to their major, or for general liberal arts purposes, are invited to read this booklet and to seek advice from the Department's director of undergraduate studies and other faculty members.
Requirements for the Major
The major in History leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses taken to meet Requirements A and B must be taken for a letter grade. No grade lower than C may be applied toward the major. At least 12 credits in Requirement A must be taken within the Department of History at Stony Brook.
Completion of the major requires 39 credits.
A. Study within the Area of the Major
A minimum of 12 courses (33 credits) distributed as follows:
B. Courses in a Related Discipline
Two upper-division courses in one discipline, the discipline to be selected with departmental approval. Courses that are crosslisted with a history course do not satisfy this requirement.
C. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
A student can fulfill the upper-division writing requirement for History by submission of one ten-page paper or two five-page papers produced in HIS 301. (With approval of the course instructor, a paper(s) produced in another upper-division History course may be considered for the writing requirement.) A paper grade(s) of B- or higher is usually sufficient to fulfill the requirement.
The student will register for HIS 459 and inform the instructor of the course in advance that the paper(s) for the course is to be evaluated to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement. The student will submit an approved paper(s) with an approval form signed by the instructor to the Undergraduate Program Director (UPD) in History. The UPD may require further revisions to the paper(s) before approval of the requirement.
Successful completion of HIS 459 will satisfy the SBC WRTD requirement as well as the History major upper-division writing requirement.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Notes:
1. No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be applied toward Requirement A.
The Honors Program in History
Departmental majors with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.50 in history courses and related disciplines as specified in the major requirements are eligible to enroll in the History honors program at the beginning of their senior year.
The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a proposal to the Department indicating the merit of the planned research. The supervising faculty member must also submit a statement supporting the student's proposal. This must be done in the semester prior to the beginning of the project.
The honors paper resulting from a student's research is read by two historians and a member of another department, as arranged by the director of undergraduate studies. If the paper is judged to be of unusual merit and the student's record warrants such a determination, the Department recommends honors.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor is organized around one particular area of history (of the student’s choice), defined either by geography (e.g., United States, Latin America) or topic (e.g., imperialism, social change). Courses offered for the minor must be taken for a letter grade. All courses offered for the minor must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
Completion of the minor requires 21 credits. At least nine of the 21 credits must be taken at Stony Brook, with three of the courses at the upper-division level. The specific distribution of the credits should be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. An example of an acceptable distribution would be the following:
Note: HIS 447, HIS 487, HIS 488, HIS 495, HIS 496 may not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| HIS 101 or HIS 103 | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| HIS 102 or HIS 104 | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Primary Field Course #1 (200 level) | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| HIS 200-level outside primary field | 3 |
| Primary Field Course #2 (200 level) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Primary Field Course #3 (300 level) | 3 |
| HIS 300-level outside primary field | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| HIS 301 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| Primary Field course #4 (300 level) | 3 |
| HIS 301 writing seminar | 3 |
| Related discipline 300-level course | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Primary Field course #5 (400-level special topics seminar) | 3 |
| HIS 300-level outside primary field | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| Related discipline course (300 or 400-level) | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Major and Minor in History
Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: Paul Gootenberg
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Donna Rilling
Assistant to the Chair: Susan Grumet
Office: S-301 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Phone: (631) 632-7500
Email: Susan.Grumet@stonybrook.edu
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/history
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in History: Africana Studies (AFS), International Studies (INT), Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LAC), Political Science (POL), Women's and Gender Studies (WST), Foreign Languages