History Major
Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.
NOTE: This Catalog describes Weinberg College BA requirements that pertain to students who matriculated at Northwestern after spring quarter 2023. Refer to the Archives if you are following BA requirements described in the 2018-2019 through 2022-2023 editions.
The history major enables students to broaden their intellectual horizons as they study the experiences of people in times and places other than their own. Courses are designed to develop the ability to read insightfully, think critically, and write with precision and polish. Students enroll in a range of historical courses as well as develop an area of concentration. Majors are each assigned a faculty adviser with whom they are encouraged to consult frequently.
Students majoring in history select one of five concentrations and may arrange to emphasize special fields within their concentration:
- History of the Americas
- English/European history
- African/Middle Eastern history
- Asian/Middle Eastern history
- Global history
The program for majors consists of 12 graded courses in history, none of which may be substituted by advanced placement credits. These courses, chosen by the student with the adviser, are distributed as follows.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Major Requirements (12 units) | |
| 2 undergraduate seminars: | |
| HISTORY 393-0 | Approaches to History (taken as soon as possible after declaring the history major) |
| HISTORY 395-0 | Research Seminar |
| 10 additional 200- or 300-level courses: | |
| For nonglobal history concentrations: | |
6 courses in a geographic concentration; see department website for eligible courses. 1 only allowed from: | |
| HISTORY 101-7 | College Seminar - European History |
| or HISTORY 101-8 | First-Year Writing Seminar - European History |
| or HISTORY 102-7 | College Seminar - American History |
| or HISTORY 102-8 | First-Year Writing Seminar - American History |
| or HISTORY 103-7 | College Seminar - Non-Western History |
| or HISTORY 103-8 | First-Year Writing Seminar - Non-Western History |
4 courses outside the geographic concentration | |
| For global history concentration: | |
| Global History: Early Modern to Modern Transition and Global History: The Modern World | |
2 additional global history courses (see department website for eligible courses) | |
6 courses outside global history, either 2 each in three geographic areas or 3 each in 2 geographic areas | |
| At least 2 of the 12 courses must be in fields other than modern European or US history (e.g., courses in European history before 1800 or in African, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Latin American history in any period). | |
Honors in History
Junior majors with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing honors attend informational sessions during winter quarter. They submit a thesis proposal and a letter of recommendation from a Northwestern history professor by an early spring deadline. Those chosen enroll as seniors in a 3-quarter thesis seminar (HISTORY 398-1, HISTORY 398-2, HISTORY 398-3) and submit a completed thesis in May. All 3 thesis seminar quarters (HISTORY 398-1, HISTORY 398-2, HISTORY 398-3) may count toward the major; see the department for details.
Students whose theses and grades meet department criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For more information consult the director of undergraduate studies and see Honors in the Major.
History Courses
Introductory Seminars
The following 3 courses are first-year seminars, each limited to 15 undergraduates, which introduce students to modes of historical analysis through the study of various topics in history. Specific subjects will be listed in the Class Schedule. Open to first-year students only.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 101-7 | College Seminar - European History |
| HISTORY 102-7 | College Seminar - American History |
| HISTORY 103-7 | College Seminar - Non-Western History |
Introductory Lecture Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 200-0 | New Introductory Courses in History |
| HISTORY 300-0 | New Lectures in History |
| HISTORY 301-SA-1 & HISTORY 301-SA-2 | New Lectures in History: City and Civilization in the Eastern Mediterranean World and New Lectures in History: Milestones of Czech History & Civilization |
African History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 255-1 & HISTORY 255-2 & HISTORY 255-3 | African Civilizations and Africa in the Age of Early Modern Empires and Modern Africa |
| HISTORY 356-1 & HISTORY 356-2 | History of South Africa, Early Times to 1879 and History of South Africa, 1879-on |
| HISTORY 357-0 | East Africa |
| HISTORY 358-0 | Topics in West African History |
Asian History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 281-0 | Chinese Civilization |
| HISTORY 284-1 & HISTORY 284-2 | Ancient and Medieval Japan: From the Realm of the Gods to the Age of the Samurai and Early Modern Japan |
| HISTORY 286-0 | World War II in Asia |
| HISTORY 381-1 & HISTORY 381-2 | Qing China and Modern China: The Twentieth Century |
| HISTORY 382-0 | The Modern Japanese City |
| HISTORY 383-0 | Japan's Modern Revolution |
| HISTORY 384-1 & HISTORY 384-2 | History of Modern Japan: The Modern State, 1860-1943 and History of Modern Japan: War and postwar Japan, 1943-present |
| HISTORY 385-1 & HISTORY 385-2 | History of Modern South Asia, 1500-1800 and History of Modern South Asia, ca. 1750-present |
England and the British Isles History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 261-0 | Sex after Shakespeare |
| HISTORY 360-0 | Tudor and Stuart Britain |
| HISTORY 362-1 & HISTORY 362-2 & HISTORY 362-3 | Modern British History, 1688 - 1815 and The Victorians: liberalism, empire, and morality, 1780-1900 and Britain since 1900: The Decline and Fall of Empire |
| HISTORY 364-0 | Gender and Sexuality in Victorian Britain |
European History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 201-1 & HISTORY 201-2 | Europe in the Medieval and Early Modern World and Europe in the Modern World |
| HISTORY 203-1 & HISTORY 203-2 & HISTORY 203-3 | Jewish History I: 750-1492 and Jewish History II: Early Modern, 1492-1789 and Jewish History III: 1789-1948 |
| HISTORY 330-0 | Medieval Sex |
| HISTORY 331-0 | Women in Medieval Society |
| HISTORY 332-1 & HISTORY 332-2 | Medieval Europe I: Early Middle Ages, 300-1000 and Medieval Europe II: High & Late Middle Ages, 1000-1450 |
| HISTORY 333-0 | The European Renaissance |
| HISTORY 334-0 | The Reformation of Religion |
| HISTORY 336-0 | Spain 1500 - 1700: Rise and Fall of a European Empire |
| HISTORY 337-0 | History of Modern Europe |
| HISTORY 338-1 & HISTORY 338-2 | Europe in the 20th Century, 1900-1945 and Europe in the 20th Century, 1945-Present |
| HISTORY 340-0 | Gender, War, and Revolution in the 20th Century |
| HISTORY 341-0 | Paris: World City, 1700 to the Present |
| HISTORY 342-1 & HISTORY 342-2 | The French Revolution and Napoleon and History of Modern France: 19th c. to present |
| HISTORY 343-0 | Modern Italy |
| HISTORY 344-1 | German History: Weimar and Nazi Germany |
| HISTORY 344-2 | German History: Germany Since 1945 |
| HISTORY 345-1 & HISTORY 345-2 & HISTORY 345-3 | History of Russia, 800-1917: From Kievan Rus to the Bolshevik Revolution and History of Russia, 1917-1991: The Soviet Union and History of Russia, 1991-Present: After Communism |
| HISTORY 346-0 | East Central Europe under Communist Rule and Beyond, 1945 to the Present |
| HISTORY 347-0 | Christians and Jews |
| HISTORY 348-1 & HISTORY 348-2 | Jews in Poland, Ukraine, and Russia and Jews in Poland, Ukraine, and Russia |
| HISTORY 349-0 | The History of the Holocaust |
Global History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 250-1 & HISTORY 250-2 | Global History: Early Modern to Modern Transition and Global History: The Modern World |
| HISTORY 251-0 | The Politics of Disaster: A Global Environmental History |
| HISTORY 352-0 | A Global History of Death and Dying |
Latin American History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 260-1 & HISTORY 260-2 | Becoming Latin America, 1492-1830 and History of Modern Latin America |
| HISTORY 366-0 | Latin America in the Independence Era: American Indians and Nations |
| HISTORY 369-0 | Development and Inequality in Modern Latin America |
Middle Eastern History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 270-0 | Middle Eastern/Islamic Civilization |
| HISTORY 271-1 | History of the Islamic Middle East: 600-1200 |
| HISTORY 271-2 | History of the Islamic Middle East: 1200-1789 |
| HISTORY 271-3 | History of the Modern Middle East, 1789 - Present |
| HISTORY 272-0 | History of Ancient Egypt, 3100-c. 1000 B.C.E. |
| HISTORY 373-1 & HISTORY 373-2 | The Last Empire of Islam: The Ottomans in Europe and Asia in the Early Modern Era and The Ottoman Empire in the Age of Nationalism: From “Grand Signor” to the “Sick Man of Europe" |
United States History Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 210-1 & HISTORY 210-2 | North America and the United States to 1865 and History of the United States, Reconstruction to the Present |
| HISTORY 212-1 & HISTORY 212-2 | Introduction to African-American History: Key concepts from 1700-1861 and Introduction to African American History: Emancipation to Civil Rights Movement |
| HISTORY 214-0 | Asian American History |
| HISTORY 216-0 | Global Asians |
| HISTORY 218-0 | The History of Latinas and Latinos in the United States |
| HISTORY 303-1 & HISTORY 303-2 | American Women's History, to 1865 and American Women's History, since 1865 |
| HISTORY 304-0 | Asian American Women's History |
| HISTORY 305-0 | American Immigration |
| HISTORY 308-0 | The American West |
| HISTORY 309-0 | American Environmental History |
| HISTORY 310-1 & HISTORY 310-2 | Early American History: Contact and Colonization and American Revolution: From British Colonies to Republican Empire |
| HISTORY 311-0 | Democracy and its Discontents: The US from the Constitution to the Mexican War |
| HISTORY 314-0 | The Civil War and Reconstruction |
| HISTORY 315-1 & HISTORY 315-2 & HISTORY 315-3 | The United States Since 1900: Early 20th C. and The United States Since 1900: Mid-20th C. and The United States Since 1900: Late 20th C. to Present |
| HISTORY 316-0 | The Sixties |
| HISTORY 317-1 & HISTORY 317-2 | American Cultural History: 19th C. and American Cultural History: 20th C. to Present |
| HISTORY 318-1 & HISTORY 318-2 | Legal and Constitutional History of the United States: Colonial Period to 1850 and Legal and Constitutional History of the United States: 1850 to Present |
| HISTORY 319-0 | US Foreign Relations |
| HISTORY 321-0 | The Vietnam Wars |
| HISTORY 322-1 & HISTORY 322-2 | Development of the Modern American City: to 1880 and Development of the Modern American City: 1880-Present |
| HISTORY 324-0 | US Gay and Lesbian History |
| HISTORY 326-0 | U.S. Intellectual History |
History of Science and Technology Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 275-1 & HISTORY 275-2 | History of Early Modern Science and Medicine and History of Modern Science and Medicine |
| HISTORY 325-0 | History of American Technology |
| HISTORY 376-0 | Global Environments and World History |
| HISTORY 378-0 | History of Law and Science |
| HISTORY 379-0 | Biomedicine and World History |
Intermediate and Advanced Seminars
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HISTORY 393-0 | Approaches to History |
| HISTORY 395-0 | Research Seminar |
| HISTORY 398-1 & HISTORY 398-2 & HISTORY 398-3 | Thesis Seminar and Thesis Seminar and Thesis Seminar |
| HISTORY 399-0 | Independent Study |
History Courses in Other Departments
A history major may take no more than 2 courses listed below to satisfy the 12-course history requirement.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| CLASSICS 211-0 | Greek History and Culture: From Homer to Alexander the Great |
| CLASSICS 212-0 | Rome: Culture and Empire |
| ECON 315-0 | Topics in Economic History |
| ECON 318-0 | History of Economic Thought |
| ECON 323-1 | Economic History of the United States Before 1865 |
| ECON 323-2 | Economic History of the United States 1865 to Present |
| ECON 324-0 | Western Economic History |
| LATINO 218-0 | Latino History |
| RELIGION 264-0 | American Religious History from 1865 to the Great Depression |
| RELIGION 265-0 | American Religious History from World War II to the Present |