History Minor

Description. The Department of History offers students the opportunity to earn a minor in History by completing 18 credits (six courses) in the department. One course is required, HIS 210 Doing History. Students must then take one 200-level HIS course and one 300-level HIS course from the approved lists of courses below. Students are invited to select any three additional HIS courses to complete the minor, at least two of which must be at the 200-level or higher.

Learning Outcomes. Students will:

• Formulate a historical question.
• Explain the significance of different kinds of historical change.
• Construct a historical argument grounded in evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.
• Locate an event and sources in historical context.
• Trace historical trajectories.
• Determine the interrelationship among themes, regions, and periodization.

Rationale. The study of history supports the analytical skills desired by many graduate programs, including law schools, by teaching students to evaluate evidence, and present and defend arguments about historical change based on evidence. It also provides students with important information about the world in which they live, the process of social change and the factors affecting it, and the creation and evolution of cultural institutions. Students with a strong historical background will be well equipped to work in public institutions because they will have a coherent understanding of the purpose and limitations of public systems. They also will be excellent employees in private institutions because they will understand and be able to support the social and economic purposes of private industry. Finally, students who have studied history make more conscious and active citizens, because they are aware of the role of race and class in America. They are cognizant of the rich history of America's political institutions and their civic responsibilities to use, protect, and maintain their political and legal rights.

Credits. 18

Minor coordinator. Professors Allison Kavey ([e-mail]) and Stephen Russell ([e-mail]), Department of History. 

Advisor. Professor Dustin Meier, Department of History (212.237.8828, [e-mail])

Requirements. Students wishing to minor in History must complete HIS 210 and five additional elective classes.  One elective must be at the 200-level and one must be at the 300-level from the approved lists of courses below. Students then select any other three HIS courses to complete the minor, at least two of which must be at the 200-level or higher. A maximum of two courses can overlap with a student’s major, other minors or programs.

Additional Information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College in September 2025 or thereafter must complete the minor in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the minor. A copy of the earlier version may be obtained in the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Part One. Required Course

Required

HIS 210

Doing History

3

Note: HIS 210 Doing History formerly HIS 150 Doing History

Total Credit Hours: 3

Part Two. Electives

Students select five electives from below, at least two must be at the 300-level or above.

200-Level Electives

Choose One

HIS 219	Violence and Social Change in America	3
HIS 224	A History of Crime in New York City	3
HIS 228	Critical Perspectives on the Middle East	3
HIS 252	Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt	3
HIS 254	History of Ancient Greece and Rome	3
HIS 264	Premodern Asia: Empires, Exchanges, and the Silk Road	3
HIS 269	History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE)	3
HIS 270	History of Marriage	3
HIS 274	Modern Asia: Empires, Encounters, and Globalization	3
HIS 277	American Legal History	3
HIS 281	Imperialism in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East	3
HIS 282	Selected Topics in History	3
HIS 289	Independent Study 200-level	3

300-Level Electives

Choose One

HIS 323	History of Lynching and Collective Violence	3
HIS 327	History of Genocide: 500 C.E. to the Present	3
HIS 344	Topics in Legal History	3
HIS 354	Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome	3
HIS 362	Topics in the History of Science and Medicine	3
HIS 364/GEN 364	History of Gender and Sexuality	3
HIS 366	Religions of the Ancient World	3
HIS 368	Law and Society in the Ancient Middle East	3
HIS 381	Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World	3
HIS 385	Faculty Mentored Research Experience in History	3
HIS 389	Independent Study 300-level	3

Additional Electives

Select any three additional HIS courses, at least two of which must be at the 200-level or above. Any HIS course counts towards this requirement.

HIS ###

Any HIS Course (1XX, 2XX, 3XX, 4XX)

3

Total Credit Hours: 15

Total Credit Hours: 18