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The History Major emphasizes breadth and flexibility, while encouraging students to pursue their individual passions and interests within one of five thematic categories. Questions about the major should be directed to  Eric Zolov  (Director of Undergraduate Studies; eric.zolov@stonybrook.edu).

 

New Major in History

For students entering major after April 5, 2021 or matriculating Fall 2021 or later. Major Checklist

Coursework in History (39 credits)

Three Courses at the 100 level

Four Coursesin one of the following Thematic clusters (minimum of two courses at the 300-level)  

FourAdditional Courses above the 100-level, with at least two at the 300-level. These four courses should be used to deepen a student's knowledge in a particular geographic and/or temporal area of study related to their Thematic cluster.

HIS 301 (Reading & Writing in History). This is the required Methods course in which students hone their critical reading, writing, and research skills to prepare them for the 401 seminar. Subject matter will vary depending on the professor. Satisfies ESI. Note:301 must be taken prior to 401 (may not be taken concurrently).

HIS 401 (Senior Colloquium). This is the capstone research seminar. Subject matter will vary depending on the professor. Satisfies EXP+, SPK, WRTD.

For a listing of which courses align with each Thematic cluster see here.  For a complete listing of History courses see the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Important Notes

  • All courses taken to meet Major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
  • No grade lower than C may be applied toward Major requirements.
  • No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be applied toward Major requirements.
  • With approval of the undergraduate director, one 200-level course may be substituted for one of the three courses at the 100-level.
  • At least 12 credits must be taken within the Department of History at Stony Brook, including the 301 writing seminar and the 401 research colloquium. 
  • Students in the BA/MA program may apply up to 9 graduate course credits taken in History toward fulfilling their BA requirements for the major, with the exception of 301 and 401.
  • Registration in 401 requires prior permission from the Department.

Graduation with Honors
Departmental majors with a 3.5 GPA in history courses and related disciplines are eligible to enroll in the history honors program (HIS 495/496) at the beginning of their senior year. The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a research proposal to the department. 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 to the project. Once the honors proposal is approved, the student will register for HIS 495 for the first semester under the Honors Program, and HIS 496 for the second semester. The senior thesis resulting from the student’s research will read by two faculty members and a member of another department, as arranged by the supervising faculty member. Upon the recommendation of the supervising faculty member and with the consent of the additional readers, the student will graduate with an Honors Diploma from the History Department.

Go to our FAQ to learn more about why majoring in History is a pathway to success after graduation!!!


Old Major in History

For students entering the major or matriculating prior to April 5, 2021.

The Major in history leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Completion of the Major entails 39 approved credits (33 credits in history, including WRTD; 6 credits in a related discipline). You can use this worksheet to help guide you to completion of the major. Further questions about the major should be directed to Eric Zolov (Director of Undergraduate Studies; eric.zolov@stonybrook.edu). Transfer students should communicate first with  Diane DeSimone (Academic and Transfer Advising Services; diane.desimone@stonybrook.edu).

I. Coursework in History (33 credits)

Two courses at the 100 level (6 credits)

Four courses in a primary field (12 credits) selected from one of the following: African, Asian, European, Latin American, United States, Ancient & Medieval, or Global history. Primary fields developed along topical or thematic lines may be selected with approval of the Department's undergraduate director.These primary-field courses must be distributed as follows:

200 level (2 courses)
300 level (2 courses)

Three courses (9 credits) outside the primary field above the 100 level; at least one must be at the 300 or 400 level.

HIS 301 (Reading & Writing in History). This is the required Methods course in which students hone their critical reading, writing, and research skills to prepare them for the 401 seminar. Subject matter will vary depending on the professor. Satisfies ESI. Note:301 must be taken prior to 401 (may not be taken concurrently).

HIS 401 (Senior Colloquium). This is the capstone research seminar. Subject matter will vary depending on the professor. Satisfies EXP+, SPK, WRTD.

II. Courses in a Related Discipline (6 credits)

Two upper-division courses in a related discipline.
Examples of related disciplines include: Africana Studies (AFS), Anthropology (ANT), Art History and Criticism (ARH), Asian and Asian American Studies (AAS), English (EGL), Globalization Studies & International Relations (GLI), Hispanic Languages & Literature (HLL), Political Science (POL), Sociology (SOC), Women's and Gender Studies (WST).

III. Writing Requirement (WRTD) (HIS 459)

Note: Beginning Fall 2021, students will automatically satisfy WRTD through 401 (Senior seminar).  A grade of C or better on the final paper is required to pass WRTD.