Oct 13, 2024  
College Catalog 2024 - 2025 
  
College Catalog 2024 - 2025

History Concentration, A.A.


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study

Historians investigate the past to envision a better future. Majoring in history offers specialized techniques for analysis, research, and imagination that are distinctive to the study of history and transferable to many career fields. As historians, students interpret artifacts and documents; collect and preserve vital knowledge of community members; and reveal previously-obscured realities of people in the past. Students of history develop traditional and innovative communication skills to tell the stories of previous generations, in classrooms, in neighborhoods, and in contemporary media. Critiquing errors, silences, and lies embedded in public memory, students participate in repairing historical wrongs.

* Milestone Courses should be taken in the order shown. This will help you stay on track and graduate on time.

Semester 1


Total Credits: 15


Semester 1 Advising Note

  • Students enrolling in this degree program can earn World Studies Emphasis certification simultaneously.
  • New degree-seeking students enrolled in 9 credits or more must take a Learning Community Seminar or a Learning Community Cluster within their first year.
  • Students who are bilingual are encouraged to work with the Office of Prior Learning Assessment to have their language skills recognized for college credit to fulfill the required language courses.

Semester 2


Total Credits: 16


Semester 2 Advising Note

  • Students who are progressing toward their degree with fewer than 15 credits per semester are encouraged to prioritize HIS-121 , HIS-151  or HIS-152 , and ENG-112 .
  • Begin exploring transfer options: attend a transfer workshop and the Transfer Fair.
  • Meet with an advisor to begin transfer and career planning activities.

Semester 3


Total Credits: 16


Semester 3 Advising Note

  • Electives should be based on the career goals and interests of the student. Consider courses in Economics, Environmental Science, Literature, Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, and/or Sociology.
  • Students are encouraged to consider the Honors Seminar and/or internship experiences aligned with their goals to fulfill their electives.
  • Continue preparations for transfer: write essays for transfer institution, collect letters of recommendation, apply for transfer.
  • Complete a pre-graduation check with an advisor in LifeMap
  • See an advisor about World Studies emphasis certification

Semester 4


  • Elective- 200-level History course Credits: 3
  • Elective Elective Credits: 3
  • Elective Elective Credits: 3
  • Elective Elective Credits: 3
  • Elective Elective Credits: 3

Total Credits: 15


Semester 4 Advising Note

  • Students who changed their major to History after one or more semesters in another degree program will typically apply those courses to fulfill the electives identified here.
  • The many free electives in the program are intended to provide flexibility for students who previously were working toward a different degree program (e.g. Business, Biology, Criminal Justice, IT, Nursing, Sociology), so that they could change their major to History without delaying graduation. Students who reach the 4 semester with free electives available are strongly encouraged to select 200-level courses in history, languages, or in other fields relevant to their goals and interests; consult with department advisors to learn about special topics courses, internships, and other possibilities.
  • See an advisor about World Studies emphasis certification.
  • Apply for graduation.

Upon Completion of This Concentration Graduates Will Be Able To:


  • Interpret historical artifacts and documents (primary sources) using various specialized techniques
  • Develop historical explanations at multiple levels, from long-range global structures to microcosmic personal experiences
  • Demonstrate distinctive ways of thinking in the study of history, including narrative, causal explanation, and historical imagination
  • Analyze historians’ works in various media, including essays, books,documentary films, and podcasts
  • Contribute to preserving living history (e.g. archiving oral histories of community members)
  • Critically analyze how social power,cultural context, and historical position influence the construction of historical narratives
  • Reflect on their ethical responsibilities &community accountability as a historian
  • Communicate with a range of audiences in traditional and innovative ways
  • Produce signature research contributing to historical knowledge

Career Outlook


  • Graduates of this concentration may qualify to transfer to four-year colleges or universities as juniors. The concentration is excellent preparation for careers in law, teaching, government, museums, or similar public service fields.
  • A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for entry into many of these fields.
  • Graduate work may be necessary, as well.

Explore Career Options 

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study