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History | History

Pre-Law


Certifying into History Pre-Law

A history pre-law option emphasizes the historical evolution of the law and the role of legal change in the formation of the social, political, and economic structure of the modern world. The student enrolled in this program will gain knowledge of legal institutions as they currently exist and of the ways in which they developed.

Students who indicate an interest in History and have a 2.5 GPA or above may be admitted to the major. Students majoring in history with an option in pre-law should have a strong and broad high school background in humanities, social science, and languages.

Bachelor of Arts in History with Option in Pre-Law (66 credits)

History Courses—36 credits which must include the following:

  • Hist 300: Writing about History
  • Hist 469: Seminar in History
  • U.S. history: 6 credits
  • European history: 6 credits
  • Global/non-Western history: 6 credits

At least 21 of the 36 credits in history courses must be at the 300 and 400 level.

 

Pre-Law Option: 30 credits – may double as UCORE

  • Business/Accounting – 6 credits: EconS 101, 102, 198 Acctg 220, or B Law 210
  • Communications—3 credits: (Com 102)​
  • English – 3 credits: English 201, 301, or 402
  • Philosophy – 3 credits: Phil 201, 360, 370, or 470
  • Political Science – 9 credits: (must include Pol S 300), Pol S 101, 102, or 206
  • Social Sciences/Humanities –6 credits: Psych 105 and Soc 101

History courses used to complete the degree must be passed with a grade of C or better.

History Education


Teaching history and social studies in today’s secondary education classrooms requires a broad basis of historical knowledge as well as a flexible and adaptive approach regarding teaching, given the changing nature of our world.

Graduates from our program develop content knowledge by taking classes in World, United States, European and Asian history and begin their development as professional teachers by taking our Social Studies Methods course which is required for entry into the Teacher Education program. Our graduates are well-prepared to teach in today’s ever-changing classrooms.

Certifying into History Education

Students who indicate an interest in History and have a 2.0 GPA or above may be admitted to the major. Those interested in a teaching option should consult with the College of Education concerning certification requirements for teaching. Students majoring in history should have a strong and broad high school background in humanities, social science, and languages, and are encouraged to get a second endorsement.

Bachelor of Arts in History with a Major in History Education (57 hours)

Required History Courses
Hist 101:  Ancient, Medieval, and Early Europe
Hist 102: Modern Europe
Hist 110: American History to 1877
Hist 111: American History Since 1877
Hist 120: World History I
Hist 121: World History II
Hist 300: Writing about History
Hist 308: North American Indian History
Hist 279: Introduction to Social Studies Methods
Hist 324: History of the Pacific Northwest
Hist 469: Seminar in History
Hist 380: Methods of Teaching Social Studies
One (1) from Hist 230, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275
U.S. Early: one (1) from Hist 311, 313, 314, 316, 415
U.S. Modern: one (1) from Hist 312, 318, 319, 417, 420
Global/non-Western upper-division: one (1) course
European upper-division: one (1) course
Pol S 101: American National Government
EconS 102: Fundamentals of Macroeconomics

Courses used to complete the history degree and the College of Education requirements must be passed with a grade of C or better.

NOTE: Additional courses are necessary to complete the education requirements for the history education option. For a complete listing of requirements, see the College of Education’s Web site. The College of Education requires applicants for admission to the Teacher Education Preparation program to apply on-line.

History (General)


Certifying into History (General)

Students who indicate an interest in History and have a 2.0 GPA or above may be admitted to the major. Those interested in a teaching option should consult with the College of Education concerning certification requirements for teaching. Students majoring in history should have a strong and broad high school background in humanities, social science, and languages.

Bachelor of Arts in History (36 hours)

Required History Courses

Hist 300: Writing about History
Hist 469: Seminar in History
6 hours of U.S. history
6 hours of European history
9 hours of Global/non-Western history

Plus an additional 12-hour concentration in history (at least 6 hours at the 300 and 400 level), or in a related discipline outside of history. All 12 hours must be taken in the same subject area.

History Concentrations

Africa & the Middle East: 272, 273, 274, 306, 371, 372, 396

*American West: 280, 285, 308, 324, 328, 398

Asia: 201, 270, 271, 272, 273, 275, 370, 373, 374, 377, 378, 379, 387, 474, 475, 476

*Atlantic: 230, 235, 308, 313, 331, 333, 334, 335, 435

Environmental History: 294, 309, 393, 409, 495

*Europe: 101, 102, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 347, 349, 350, 353, 354, 355, 356, 359, 365, 366, 367, 368, 381, 382, 385, 386, 435, 436, 444, 448, 462, 463, 465

History of Imperialism/Colonialism: 341, 343, 354, 359, 385, 386, 387, 435, 436, 462

Holocaust and Genocide: 364, 365, 368, 386, 465

*Gender and Sexuality: 298, 335, 336, 337, 350, 369, 398; 399

Latin America: 202, 230, 232, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335

Popular Culture, Science & the Arts: 216, 224, 232, 301, 320, 321, 322, 355, 381, 382, 384, 444, 448, 483, 492

Public History: 309, 410, 427, 438, 465, 498 (required)

Race & Ethnicity: 224, 230, 235, 280, 308, 315, 361

Social Movements: 202, 224, 319, 334, 360

*United States: 110, 111, 201, 216, 224, 235, 250, 280, 281, 285, 298, 301, 307, 308, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 324, 326, 328, 361, 388, 390, 393, 398, 409, 410, 415, 417, 420, 423, 426, 486

*War and Peace: 285, 316, 318, 319, 345, 349, 364, 366, 368, 386, 387, 388, 390, 391

*Offered via Global

At least 21 of the 36 hours in history courses must be at the 300 and 400 level.

History courses used to complete the degree must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Degree Options


Why History?

A formalized program of historical study—required of our majors—dramatically refines skills which you already possess, allowing their use in much more eloquent, challenging, and productive ways. You will learn to think broadly and historically, thereby gaining meaningful insights into human development over time.

Certifying into a Program of Study

Students who indicate an interest in History and have a 2.0 GPA or above may be admitted to the major.

Those interested in a teaching option should consult with the College of Education concerning certification requirements for teaching.

Applying for Your Degree

The Degree Application should be submitted after completing 90 semester hours. To apply, go to your myWSU homepage. For more information, go to http://graduations.wsu.edu/applying-for-graduation/.

 

If you have questions about any of our majors, please feel free to contact us. You are welcome to come by the History Office at Wilson-Short Hall 301 or visit our advising page here!

Degree Options

A major in history can be used in government service, the new specialty of public history teaching, several areas of business and industry, and many other fields. It can also be used in preparation for study of the law, the ministry, archival work, and librarianship. Double majors or complementary minors combining history with other fields are easily arranged.

The department offers courses leading to the degrees of History (General), History Online (General), History Education, Pre-Law, and Social Studies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAS News History headlines


CAS News History headlines

Read more history-related items from CAS News

Convocation Address

Associate Professor Brigit Farley will, by popular demand, be giving the College of Arts and Sciences Convocation address at WSU-Tri Cities for the second year in a row.

Vancouver Library Research Excellence Award

Professor Sue Peabody writes:   I am pleased to announce that History major junior Samantha Rintoulis the winner of the campus-wide WSU Vancouver Library Research Excellence Award for her paper, “Railroaded: Race Relations in Twentieth-Century Oregon.” Her paper examines two legal cases in which black railroad employees were accused and convicted of murder during the Great Depression and World War II and their divergent fates due to stereotyping and labor activism.  Samantha wrote her paper in Prof. Peabody’s History 469 seminar.

Berry Family Excellence Grant – Jeff Sanders

Jeffrey Sanders
Jeffrey Sanders

Associate Professor Jeff Sanders has received a $12,500 Berry Family Excellence Fellows Grant from the College of Arts and Sciences.  The coversheet for  his proposal – “Tributaries:  A Regional Digital Environmental Research and Teaching Collaboration” follows.

Jeff also reports that on April 22 he gave an invited lecture to the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach (CEREO). He discussed his ongoing work as an environmental historian at WSU and his current project titled Childhood and Environment in the Postwar American West that examines the entwined history of children and environment in the United States after World War II. His work explores how Americans, concerned with the well-being of their children, framed environmental concerns and produced new environmental knowledge through the lens of childhood between 1940 and 1990.