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Bachelor of Arts Requirements

The Department offers courses for the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history and for a major in social science with history as a leading subject. Students majoring in other fields may minor in history or take courses for general interest, elective credit, or as part of the Arts and Sciences Core.

The Bachelor of Arts degree requires a minimum of 120 hours, 42 of which must be advanced, and fulfillment of the general requirements of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the University Core Curriculum.

Major in History

A major in history requires completion of HIST 1050, HIST 1060, HIST 2610, and HIST 2620, plus 24 semester hours of advanced work (3000-4000 level), with four courses in a single geographic area, at least one course in each of the remaining geographic areas, and two courses in a single theme.

Each student will choose a geographic focus area for his or her advanced course work by taking at least four courses in one of three groups: United States; Europe; or Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Students must take at least one course from each of the other two geographic areas outside of their focus. Each student will also select one of the following themes by taking two courses within that theme: culture and everyday life; empires and borderlands; food and the body; gender and sexuality; mass violence and atrocities; politics, policy and economics; premodern Europe and the Mediterranean; race and ethnicity; Texas, the South and the West; and war, military and society. Students must finish a history course with a grade of C or better for it to count toward the history major.

BA in History Major Requirements

Here is a sample semester-by-semester breakdown of a full-time student taking 15 credit hours each semester to complete the major: BA in History Roadmap

Minor in History

Students may minor in history by completing 18 semester hours. Required courses include HIST 2610 US History to 1865 and 2620 US History Since 1865. 12 hours of additional history courses, six of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level ARE ALSO REQUIRED.

Interdisciplinary Minors

Teaching Certification Requirements

A major in history, with a teaching certificate, requires completion of HIST 1050, HIST 1060, HIST 2610, HIST 2620, HIST 4700 Texas History, and HIST 4750 Social Studies Teaching Methods.

Additionally required are 21 semester hours of advanced work (3000-4000 level), with three courses in a single geographic area, at least one course in each of the remaining geographic areas, and two courses in a single theme.

Students who expect to teach history in secondary schools must complete the requirements of the state of Texas for teacher certification as listed by the Department of Teacher Education and Administration in the College of Education at http://www.coe.unt.edu/sao

History Degree with Teaching Certificate Requirements

Here is a sample semester-by-semester breakdown of a full-time student taking 15 credit hours each semester to complete the major with a Teching Certificate: BA in History with Teaching Certification Roadmap

Questions about your degree plan? Talk to an Advisor!

The undergraduate catalog sometimes does not list certain classes, or does not list a geographic or theme designation. New classes are also added between editions. In addition, HIST 4260, 4261, 4262, 4263 and 4900 carry variable geographic/theme credit- the Topic titles for these classes for the current semesters will be listed in the Department Schedule. Geographic and Theme designations can be found in the UNT Catalog.

If you are uncertain as to geographic or theme credit, or have any questions regarding your degree, please consult the Department Advisors.

History Degree Audit Forms

History Degree Audit Forms with Teaching Certification

THECB Marketable Skills: B.A. in History

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state's 60 x 30 TX plan. 60 x 30 TX was launched in 2015 with a clear and bold vision: to be among the highest-achieving states in the country. 60 x 30 TX is a roadmap to help Texas reach that future through higher education.

Marketable skills for this degree include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas, that are valued by employers, and are primary or complementary to the major. The marketable skills goal was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. UNT's marketable skills were faculty-developed and approved by employers or discipline-specific agencies, e.g., internship providers, chambers of commerce, workforce development boards, and other workforce-related entities. For information on these marketable skills - https://vpaa.unt.edu/thecb/class.

  1. Knowledge of historical context of current events
  2. Knowledge of history/historical research methods
  3. Oral and written communication
  4. Critical reading of texts
  5. Multi-cultural/diversity competencies