At the center of the liberal arts, the study of history will broaden your horizons
touching on the entirety of human endeavor—politics, economics, societal concerns,
psychology, thought and religion.
Duquesne’s history department offers a range of courses—at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels—that cover a variety of historical periods and regions, from ancient
world history to modern American history. As a liberal arts student, your opportunities
to diversify your thinking through a challenging curriculum will equip you with essential
skills that you—and future employers—will find invaluable. You will learn to think
critically, to write with authority and to apply your knowledge of history to reimagine
your world.
Our faculty members walk alongside you with a strong foundation in historical research,
analysis and interpretation, encouraging you to participate in internships, study-abroad
programs and research opportunities to enhance your learning experiences.
We are a community of genuine teacher-scholars who will challenge you to go beyond
the surface, ask hard questions, and cultivate in you:
The development of methods of historical scholarship in contemplative and ethical
ways, as you may deepen your understanding of the U.S. and the world.
Understanding of how and why humans and different cultures have developed as they
have across history.
The drive to become scholars as well as educated and conscientious citizens.
Duquesne's Department of History is a valuable resource and intellectual training
ground if you are interested in pursuing a career in history, whether in academia,
government, politics, business or other fields.
When you pursue an undergraduate degree in history at Duquesne, you will be immersed
in a variety of courses in American, European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Asian
and African histories. You will explore an intellectual landscape that will prepare
you for careers in academia, government, law, politics and a host of other professional
arenas.
Your courses are taught by faculty who are all published scholars in their fields,
bringing to the classroom both their enthusiasm for the discipline and the rich insights
of their scholarship. They’ll walk alongside you to provide a strong foundation in
historical research, analysis and interpretation. They’ll challenge you to participate
in internships, study-abroad programs and research opportunities to pursue your bigger
goals, diversify your thinking and reimagine your world.
You can choose to major or minor in history at Duquesne, choose a minor in classical
civilizations or obtain a certificate in public history.
Program Requirements
for the History major
All students are required to take six credits of surveys.
HIST 203 US History to 1877 OR HIST 213 Western Civilization I
HIST 204 US History since 1877 OR HIST 214 Western Civilization II
Students are required to take six credits that add a wider worldview to their
curriculum, including courses that cover Latin American, Asian, African, or Middle
Eastern history.
Common world history courses include, but are not limited to:
HIST 161 Latin American Civilization
HIST 231 Pre-Colonial Africa
HIST 254 History of the Modern Middle East
HIST 291 History of Japan
Students are required to take two courses that are writing intensive so they can
build their writing skills while furthering their studies in historical events, traditions,
and themes.
HIST 311W Writing History
Any 400-level Writing Intensive course - examples include -
HIST 401W Medieval Europe
HIST 411W Early Modern Europe
HIST 433W Gender in US History
HIST 448W World at War
Students are required to take a course in Public History, which provides more
diverse perspectives than learning the details of historical events themselves. You
will have the opportunity to pick from a number of courses in Public History, with
a few of them being:
PHST 206 Introduction to Oral History
PHST 215 Introduction to Archives
PHST 223 Practice of Public History
Lastly, students can fill the remainder of their program with electives of their
choosing. All electives must be at least at the 200-level or above to count as an
elective towards their major.
There are dozens of interesting and exciting courses offered each semester out of
our History department, so we strongly encourage students to get creative with their
selections!
Minoring in History (15 credits)
History is not only fascinating to pursue on its own but is equally valuable to pair
with other programs and schools across Duquesne's diverse academic landscape. One
way to do that is by declaring a minor in history. The history minor is designed to:
Supplement a student’s major while enhancing the academic experience.
Allow a student to pursue interests in historical events and periods.
Provide a basic foundation in historical processes.
If you wish to minor in history, please discuss your options with your student success
coach or the history department’s undergraduate director.
Students who wish to minor in history are required to take 15 credits in the subject
field (either HIST, CLSX, or PHST courses). Of those 15 credits:
6 credits must be in either the U.S. history or western civilization surveys.
3 credits must be in Latin American, Asian or African history.
3 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level.
Only one 100-level course may be counted toward the major. That course cannot also
be counted for the Bridges Core.
No more than 6 transfer credits may be applied toward a minor.
History: A great pairing with other Liberal Arts programs!
As History and English are closely allied disciplines, and as a double major program
may result in a more coherent course of study, the departments created some options
for students wishing to concentrate in both fields.
Students have the option to complete the double major with History as their primary
major or with English as their primary major.
As the constant demand for secondary teachers well trained in both pedagogy and content
areas increases, one way to prepare for a career in education is to get both a B.A.
in History and a B.S. in Secondary Education. The Department has put together a program,
in conjunction with the School of Education, which will allow you to receive both
degrees. The credits for the joint program will total 128 to 136 credit hours, depending
on the number of credits required to complete the College’s language requirement.
Combining History with Business offers excellent career preparation in that the combination
provides a breadth of business skills and a liberal arts education. There are a number
of Business Certificates available through our Palumbo-Donahue School of Business
that students can add to their curriculum.
The School of Law has a 3/3 program that allows qualified students to earn both an
undergraduate degree in History and a law degree in six years. It is a highly competitive
program to which students must apply in their junior year. Students apply for this
program during the fall semester of their junior year. The Department offers a series
of law-related courses and recommends that majors who plan to apply to law school
select from one or more of these classes.
