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Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in History program at AU is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in research, methodology, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking. The rigorous curriculum ensures breadth and depth of preparation, geared to prepare students for graduate studies or careers in a variety of fields. Through an array of course choices covering all regions of the world and exciting topics, students can customize the major to suit their interests, while developing the knowledge of history needed to be productive global citizens.

Those who love history constantly ask: “What can I do with a history major?” The answer is “Quite a lot!” Some history majors pursue a course of study that will bring them licensure to teach social studies at the secondary level. Others pursue satisfying career opportunities in such fields as museum and archival work, government, communications, publishing, law, historical administration, and the travel industry. For students who are considering graduate school, the program is very effective in preparing students for the rigors of master’s or doctoral-level programs. AU graduates successfully compete for admission at the national and international level and have been accepted to outstanding graduate schools across the U.S. and abroad. 

In addition to covering the essential bases, the history program is also highly individualized. Close relationships between students and faculty mentors are central to the program, and through coursework and on-campus activities and organizations, students have abundant opportunities to gain practical experience. Many also participate in independent study coursework to explore areas of particular interest. Exciting off-campus experiences are available as well, including internships and study abroad programs. Aurora University history students have interned at such places as the Aurora Historical Society, the Chicago Historical Society, Naper Settlement, and the National Archives in Washington D.C. Archives on campus, including the Doris M. Colby Memorial Archives and the Jenks Memorial Collection of Adventual Materials, as well as the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures, also enable students to do hands-on research and gain practical work experience. 

Students majoring in history are also encouraged to combine the history major with another major or with one or more minors. Bringing this kind of variety into a program greatly enhances the history major and stimulates students’ thoughts about how they could turn their love of history into a rewarding career.

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Survey Courses
Select 12 semester hours of the following:		12
HIS-1200	American History I (to 1877)
HIS-1210	American History II (since 1877)
HIS-1300	World History I (to 1500)
HIS-1400	World History II (since 1500)
Required Courses
HIS-2200	Freshman Seminar: Making History	4
HIS-3400	Junior Seminar: Using History	4
HIS-4990	Senior Seminar: History Capstone	4
Selected Courses
Select 16 semester hours of the following: 1		16
PHL-2250	Origins of Greek Philosophy
HIS-2400	Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome
HIS-2370	Black American History I (to 1877)
HIS-2380	Black American History II (since 1877)
HIS-2620	Russian History to 1917
HIS-2630	Russian and Soviet History Since 1917
HIS-2760	Religion in the Americas
HIS-2810-9	Selected Topics in History
HIS-3050	American Urban History
HIS-3130	Black Chicago
HIS-3150	Women in American History
HIS-3200	United States History Since the 1960s
HIS-3240	Black Americans in Film
ART-3360	Renaissance and Revival
HIS-3410	Global Environmental History 3
HIS-3450	Latin American History 2
HIS-3650	Fascism and Nazism in World History
HIS-3750	History of East Asia 2
HIS-3700	History of the Middle East
HIS-3800	Religion and Politics in World History
HIS-3810-9	Selected Topics in History
HIS-3820	Jesus: Faith, Identity, and Power
HIS-4940	History Internship
Total Credits		40

¹

With at least four semester hours in non-Western history, and at least 8 hours from courses numbered at the 3000-level or higher.

²

Non-Western history courses. (HIS-2810-9 Selected Topics in History and HIS-3810-9 Selected Topics in History) sometimes fulfill this requirement depending on the topic offered.

³

Required selection for secondary education majors

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

A student who graduates from Aurora University with a baccalaureate degree will have met the following requirements:

1. Completion of all requirements for an approved major (with no grades lower than “C”).
2. Overall completion of at least 120 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a course may be utilized only once in application toward a degree requirement, unless otherwise noted in the academic regulations). The 120 semester hours of coursework must include:
   • At least 52 semester hours completed at a senior college.
   • Residency Requirement - At least 30 semester hours completed at Aurora University, including the last 24 semester hours in the degree, and including at least 18 semester hours in the major. (Portfolio assessment credit, life and vocational experience credit, off-campus experience credit, examination credit, participation credit, and block credit, shall not count toward the residency requirement).
   • Upper-Division Requirement - A minimum of 30 semester hours numbered 3000 or above. Of these 30 semester hours, 15 semester hours must lie within the major and 15 semester hours must be completed at Aurora University.
3. Completion of all General Education requirements (with no grades lower than “C”), as follows:
   • Quantitative and Formal Reasoning competency requirement
   • ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing
   • IDS-1200 Discover What Matters or IDS-3040 Global Justice
   • IDS-1150 First Year Experience - Not required for Transfer or AU Online students)
   • Satisfactory participation in the junior-year mentoring and assessment process designed to guide students to successful completion of their degree and to encourage planning for next steps beyond graduation. (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II - Not required for ADC or AU Online students but may be designated electives for AU Online students admitted with fewer than 15 hours of transfer credit.)
   • Distribution Requirements
     Students will complete one approved course¹ from each of the following categories:
     • Artistic Literacy
     • Cultural Literacy
     • Human Inquiry
     • Scientific Inquiry

In addition to the above, ADC and Online students will also complete one approved course¹ from the following category:

• Discovery and Reflection

¹

Only courses that are approved to meet the distribution requirement can be used toward this requirement. See the list of approved courses  for available options. Courses taken to meet distribution requirements are 4 semester hours apiece, with the following exceptions:

• An approved transfer course of at least 2.50 semester hours can be used to satisfy a distribution requirement.
• Courses with co-requisite laboratory components may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, provided that the student successfully complete both the three-credit-hour course and the single-credit-hour lab component.

Learning Outcomes