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Bachelor of Arts in History
By engaging students in dialogue about the nature of human activity, past and present, history programs develop competent, self-confident, and articulate individuals ready for productive careers. The programs of the History department at Albertus Magnus College provide excellent preparation both for further study and for work in a variety of fields, including teaching, business, civil service, law, journalism, library science, and archival work.
What Makes History at Albertus Different?
Engaged
Students
- Hands-on, experiential learning
- Interdisciplinary perspectives
- Emphasis on collaborative work
Great
Teaching
- Personally invested professors
- Small class sizes
- Innovative, well-rounded programs
- Resources and opportunities for research
Vibrant
Communities
- Lively extracurricular activities
- Campus-wide events
- Service and community engagement
Successful
Outcomes
- Active career counseling
- Opportunity-building networks
- Access to internships and professional experiences
The Albertus History Degree Program
Students pursuing a BS in History at Albertus have amazing internship opportunities at institutions like the FBI, National Parks Services, State of Connecticut General Assembly, House of Representatives, U.S. Department of Defense, and even the White House!
History Student Perspective
Albertus Magnus College has a long and proud history serving diverse student populations. The Hamid family moved to the United States in 1989 and resided in New Haven for a number of years before moving to Hamden. Salman is the first member of his immediate family to earn a college degree.
"High on the list of the reasons why our parents brought us to America was to get a quality education."
Salman is a community activist/volunteer in the city of Hamden, and has been involved
in the Connecticut school system for over 12 years. Salman talks about being a first
generation student, breaking the mold, and being different.
Learn About the Hamid Family
The Albertus History Faculty
Where Will Your History Degree take You?
The National Center for Education Statistics reports the median annual salary of history majors with a bachelor’s degree age 25 to 29 is $40,860, which is in the same range as graphic designers and physical science majors, and higher than psychology majors and elementary educators.
Possible career paths with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History include:
History Courses
History programs at Albertus Magnus College aim to provide students the necessary perspective and critical thinking capacities so that they can contribute their skills to their communities and help enrich the lives of others.
| Required Courses - 21 Credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| HI 111 | Western Civilization I | A survey of European cultures since the Renaissance designed to give an understanding of the major forces and events which have shaped the modern world. The first semester covers the period from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, including the Reformation, the age of religious wars, the rise of absolutism, and the Enlightenment. The second semester covers from the era of the French Revolution to the present, including romanticism, nationalism, industrialization, imperialism, fascism, and the two world wars. (3 credits) |
| HI 112 | Western Civilization II | A survey of European cultures since the Renaissance designed to give an understanding of the major forces and events which have shaped the modern world. The first semester covers the period from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, including the Reformation, the age of religious wars, the rise of absolutism, and the Enlightenment. The second semester covers from the era of the French Revolution to the present, including romanticism, nationalism, industrialization, imperialism, fascism, and the two world wars. (3 credits) |
| HI 121 | United States History I | A survey of United States history from the colonial period to the present. The first semester covers U.S. History through Reconstruction, including the colonial era, the age of the American Revolution, the early republic, and the sectional conflict. The second semester studies from Reconstruction to the present, including social and economic development in the late nineteenth century, populism, progressivism, the two world wars and the interwar period, as well as developments in American life since 1945. (3 credits) |
| HI 122 | United States History II | A survey of United States history from the colonial period to the present. The first semester covers U.S. History through Reconstruction, including the colonial era, the age of the American Revolution, the early republic, and the sectional conflict. The second semester studies from Reconstruction to the present, including social and economic development in the late nineteenth century, populism, progressivism, the two world wars and the interwar period, as well as developments in American life since 1945. (3 credits) |
| HI 380 | History Internship | Junior/Senior standing and l2 credits in history. (3 to 6 credits) |
| HI 385 | Historiography | An examination of the nature of the historical enterprise and historical methodology as well as prominent interpreters and interpretations of the past. Much of this seminar style course is devoted to critical analysis of the writings of historians and the preparation of an historiographic essay. (3 credits) |
| HI 391 | Senior Research Seminar | Required of all senior majors, students will research and write a significant essay based upon primary source material to the degree possible, in which they will demonstrate their mastery of the craft of History. (3 credits) |
| Six Additional Courses - 18 Credits | ||
| HI 150 | Rights, Slavery, Revolution | This course will analyze the period in world history where calls for human rights and freedom existed alongside a social and economic system of racial slavery. After situating European slavery in the context of the global economy, the course analyzes the French Revolution as a moment when the issue of human rights emerges in the West. The tension between slavery and human rights culminates with the Haitian Revolution, the first full-scale revolution for independence. The course concludes by asking questions about the place of that revolution in contemporary historical narratives. How does minimizing the Haitian revolution impact our understanding of that period, ideas of freedom and rights, and the idea of revolution itself? (3 credits) |
| HI 252 | Topics in Historical Study | A course in European, American or world history which will focus on a single topic or theme. (3 credits) |
| HI 253 | Topics in Historical Study | A course in European, American or world history which will focus on a single topic or theme. (3 credits) |
| HI 304 | History through Biography | This course will focus on biography as a form of historical inquiry, presenting examples of biography from diverse eras and with various approaches as well as subjects with distinctive problems. Additional readings from historians and writers will also help each student clarify a position on the nature of biography. (3 credits) |
| HI 311 | Renaissance and Reformation | An in-depth study of the European cultural reawakening of the 15th century and of the religious, intellectual, social, and political ferment of the era of the Reformation. (3 credits) |
| HI 315 | Nineteenth-Century Europe | A study of continental European history from the Congress of Vienna to World War I. (3 credits) |
| HI 316 | War and Peace in 20th Century Europe | A study of European history from World War I through the decades of Fascism and depression to the end of World War II. (3 credits) |
| HI 320 | History of Colonial America | A survey of early America from the late fifteenth century to the mid-eighteenth century. The course looks at Native American peoples and their initial contact with explorers and settlers and the continuing interactions of Americans, Europeans, and Africans throughout the era. Particular attention is given to comparative analysis of selected colonies and the types of social, economic, political, and cultural institutions that emerged. (3 credits) |
| HI 321 | The American Revolution | A study of the origins, character, and consequences of the struggle for American independence. Major emphasis is given to matters of interpretation and to social, economic, and cultural developments. (3 credits) |
| HI 324 | American Civil War | A study of the causes, ideas, and personalities involved in the struggle between North and South as well as a consideration of the era of Reconstruction. Major emphasis is given to matters of interpretation and to social, economic, and cultural aspects of the conflict. (3 credits) |
| HI 334 | The Sixties: From Kennedy to Vietnam | A study of the domestic and foreign policies of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations with attention to the social, economic and cultural changes of the decade. Major emphasis is given to the question of economic prosperity and its impact upon society, the rights revolutions, youth culture, and Great Society programs. The course concludes with a study of American withdrawal from Vietnam, Watergate, and stagflation. (3 credits) |
| HI 341 | World Revolution in the Twentieth Century | A study of the major revolutions of the twentieth century with special attention to the theoretical approaches to the nature of revolution. Primary attention will be given to the Mexican Revolution of l9l0, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Chinese Revolutions of 1911 and 1949, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. (3 credits) |
| HI 344 | African Slavery in the Atlantic World | The nature of African society in the years before European contact and the evolution of the African slave trade, the evolution of slave societies in the Atlantic basin from its fifteenth-century beginnings through the nineteenth-century era of abolition with particular emphasis on the development of the evolution of slave cultures, economies, and societies in the New World and the impact of these on both Europe and Africa. The course will also explore the development of anti-slavery movements and demise of slavery. (3 credits) |
The minor in History consists of 18 credits chosen in consultation with the Department Chair and including HI 385.
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