History
World History
History tabs block
World History
This is the most comprehensive of the history majors, with requirements that diversify the degree to cover as much of the world as can be done in a 40-credit undergraduate degree. Like all majors, this one requires the completion of two courses unique to history students (HIS-200 and HIS-490), and then three courses from the 200-level surveys of regional history.
Along with that foundation, the history major requires the completion of other courses from a list which covers the history of women, gender and sexuality; two courses on U.S. history; other courses on different regions of the world; and one global-transregional course.
This major can be completed as either a B.A. or a B.S.
A Degree in History: BA or BS?
Along with choosing a major program in history, you will need to choose the degree -- that is, whether that major is a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. We can broadly describe the differences between the two; specific and up-to-date requirements are in the undergraduate course catalog in the tab above.
With the B.A., you spend up to two years learning a global language; with the B.S., you conduct additional coursework in the sciences. Think about the following:
- Will you have the language skills to succeed in the workplace?
- Do you see yourself living in a major metropolitan area where business and public affairs are regularly conducted in languages other than English?
- Are you thinking about graduate studies in history? Most Ph.D. programs require the ability to read in at least one language other than English.
- Are you considering international journalism or business?
- Do you already have, or plan to take, additional courses in the sciences that might not count towards a B.A.?
- Are your interests in history linked to scientific, medical, or technological issues?
- Will you work in the public sector, in education or health?
UWL offers training in Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Russian and other global languages. See the Department of Global Cultures & Languages for additional information.
All of our faculty teach courses engaging in global themes.
The following faculty offer courses that satisfy the History of Women, Gender, and Sexuality requirement: Professor Mark Chavalas (Ancient World), Professor Victor Macias-Gonzalez (Latin America), Professor Gita V. Pai (South Asia), Professor Heidi Morrison (Middle East), and WGS Professor Jodi Vandenberg-Daves (US).
Information on faculty who teach particular regions can be found in the various tabs under the “Regional Emphasis” history major.
Global-Transregional History: Professor Tiffany Trimmer’s research and teaching focuses on global flows of trade and migrant labor. Professor Penelope K. Hardy teaches the history of science, technology, and medicine, and their place in and interactions between societies around the world, as well as the roles of science and technology in the history of the human relationship with the global ocean. Professor Gita V. Pai teaches a course on the British Empire—a global power that once controlled one-fifth of the world’s population and a quarter of the earth’s land—and conducts research on the impact of British imperialism in South Asia. Professor Kenneth Shonk’s research has centered on global aspects of Irish history; his courses on aspects of global history are often taught from a thematic perspective, including those on fascism and African decolonization and post-colonialism.