Undergraduate Program

Brett Whalen
Director of Undergraduate Studies

With over 700 majors and minors, the undergraduate program in History forms the heart and soul of our department. Our faculty consistently win some of the university’s top teaching awards for their creativity in the classroom, ranging from large lectures to small, intensive seminars. A cornerstone of the liberal arts education, the study of History explores the diversity of human experiences in the past. By doing so, it promotes an understanding of the historical circumstances that shape the opportunities and challenges of the present. Students in History develop invaluable skills: how to analyze different kinds of evidence, evaluate conflicting arguments, and communicate what they have learned to their peers and the wider public. Last but not least, studying History prepares students for diverse careers after graduation and a life of informed citizenship, locally and globally.

 

 

Among other requirements, majors must take ten classes (30 credits) in History classes. Between 4-6 of those classes must be taken in the student’s chosen area of concentration:
  • Ancient/Medieval History
  • African, Asian, and Middle Eastern History
  • Gender and Women’s History
  • Global History
  • Latin American History
  • Modern European History
  • Russian, Eurasian, and East European History
  • United States History
For more information you can go to the Major & Minor page

Undergraduate students in History do not just learn about the past from our faculty: they carry out their own research, producing original historical knowledge. Every major writes a 398 seminar essay, a substantial piece of historical scholarship. For students who want to pursue further research, there are plenty of exciting opportunities in History, including the Senior Honors Thesis program.

For more information you can go to the Undergraduate Research  page

Have a question about the requirements for the major or minor? About transferring credits from another institution? About independent studies or internships? Or something else related to your academic life or plans after graduation? Our Undergraduate Adviser Dr. Matthew Andrews has you covered.

For more information, email andrewsm@email.unc.edu or you can go to the advising page.

The History department isn’t just a place to study the past: it’s a community in the present, formed by our undergraduate and graduate students, the faculty, and the staff. In addition to taking classes and carrying out research, students have other chances to get involved with departmental life.
For more information you can go to the Undergraduate Life in History.

Our majors and prize-winning students do not just learn about the past: they produce and publish historical knowledge of their own, based on their research in our 398 seminars, Senior Honors Thesis program, and other classes. After graduation, their knowledge and skills can open doors to many different career paths.

Beginning Careers after Carolina

Each year, a select group of undergraduate students enrolls in the History Senior Honors Thesis program that culminates in the writing of a substantial, original, and polished piece of historical research. If you plan to go to graduate school in history, to attend law school, to work in public history or if you simply cannot get enough of historical research and writing, this might be the program for you.

For more information you can go to the Senior Honors Thesis Program page

 

Undergraduate Program News 

  • History Major Perspective Article Published In Washington Post

    History major Denton Ong, writing his 2018-2019 Senior Honors Thesis with Professor Ben Waterhouse as adviser, published a ‘Made by History’ perspective piece on national emergencies in the Washington Post. The article can be found here. 

  • Interview with Former UNC History Major Kevin Kruse

    Princeton historian Kevin Kruse, described as “History’s Attack Dog” in a recent interview with the Chronicle of Education, is a former undergraduate History major in our department. Read the interview here. You can find Kevin’s prolific Twitter feed @KevinMKruse.

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    Fall 2018 History Major Phi Beta Kappa Initiates Announced

    Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and the most distinguished of all collegiate honorary societies, honoring excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. The UNC College of Arts & Sciences and History Department is very proud to announce the following … Continued

Click here to visit the Undergraduate News archive.