HSTRY-BA - History (BA)
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Program Overview
Train with world-renowned faculty for a historically-grounded understanding of today’s complex world. Your degree will open doors to successful careers in research, teaching, law, administration, diplomacy, business, the arts, and public service.
We live in a world shaped by the past. To make sense of the past, we must empathize with people who once thought very differently than we do today. We must learn how to see bygone lives and events on their own terms, to render the strange legible and the unfamiliar comprehensible. As a discipline, history teaches the analytical, interpretive, and expressive skills necessary to study the past and to understand social change over time.
It might seem counterintuitive that one of the best ways to understand the present is by studying the past, but that is precisely why history is so important. When we appreciate that history is not, first and foremost, a body of knowledge – that is, a collection of names, dates, and events – but rather a way of seeing and thinking, it becomes a powerful tool for assessing contemporary challenges and promoting social change. Once we know how to penetrate different modes of thought and human behavior and can understand their inner logic, it becomes easier to make sense of the contemporary world, its diverse peoples, and ideas. Studying history cultivates a crucial set of skills that help navigate not only the past but the present as well.
Preparing for the Major
Before declaring a history major, students must take at least one class within the Stanford Department of History taught by a Stanford History instructor.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
Sources and Methods seminars constitute the department’s ‘skills’ course and are oriented around two primary objectives: first, to introduce students to a wide range of historical sources and methodologies; second, to teach students how to research and write a “history paper.” This latter writing component is typically broken down into the three classic “history paper” types: analysis of a primary source, analysis of historians in conflict, and argument-based research paper. The Sources and Methods seminar should be taken as early as possible in a student’s course of study, ideally before taking a Doing History course (below) and certainly before enrolling in HISTORY209S Research Seminar for Majors (below). |
The “Doing History” series consists of rigorous undergraduate colloquia that introduce the practice of history within a particular field or thematic area.
Ideally taken after a Sources & Methods seminar and certainly before course Research Seminar for Majors.
Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy this requirement early in their undergraduate career and ideally before the end of their sophomore year.
If a student would like to take more than one “Doing History” colloquium, the additional colloquium can count toward the 200-level undergraduate colloquium requirement (see below).
Complete two 200-level undergraduate colloquia (HISTORY 201-298)
Must be taken for a minimum of three units.
Students must complete two courses at any level in pre-1700 history. Contact Kai Dowding (kdowding@stanford.edu) with any questions about courses that fulfill this requirement.
For more information, see “Depth in Discipline” below.
In completing this course, students must write a ca. 20-page essay based on original research, including at least two drafts. course Research Seminar for Majors may be taken in the junior or senior year. Students planning to pursue an honors thesis should plan to complete History 209S in the junior year. See “Writing in the Major” below for more information.
Prerequisites: Students must complete the Sources and Methods seminar and the Doing History colloquium before enrolling in the Research Seminar.
This rule applies to undergraduates matriculating as first-year students in AY 2021-22 or later and graduating in AY 2024-25 or later and to transfer students who enter in AY 2022-23 or AY 2023-24 and plan to graduate in AY 2024-2025 or later. Undergraduates who enrolled as first-year students before AY 2021-22, or who entered as transfer students before AY 2022-23, are not required to complete a capstone but must still fulfill the minimum of 13 courses and 63 units in the major.
A maximum of 10 units of history-related coursework taken outside of the department may be petitioned to count toward the major. Unless otherwise specified, all coursework requires a syllabus and petition form to be submitted to the History Department for review. Please see the History Department website for the relevant petition form. Transfer students should refer to the External Credit Policies for guidance regarding transferring coursework at their previous institution toward the Stanford degree.
Degree Requirements Overview
Completion of the major requires planning. History majors should plan to meet with their faculty advisors twice yearly, once in the Autumn and once in the Winter or Spring quarters. These meetings should occur within the first three weeks of the quarter, before the final study list deadline.
Students must complete at least 13 courses and 63 units in the major.
Courses counting toward the major must be taken for 3-5 units and a letter grade, and the student must maintain a grade point average (GPA) in History courses of 2.0 or higher.
At least 11 courses must be taken from the Stanford Department of History and carry the HISTORY designation or, alternately, be courses that the Stanford History Department has officially cross-listed. Transfer students and those who study abroad may be granted exemptions from this requirement at the discretion of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
At least six quarters of enrollment in the major. Each candidate for the BA in History should declare the major by autumn quarter of the third year of study or earlier, if possible.
One course Undergraduate Directed Research and Writing taken for 3-5 units and for a letter grade may be applied toward the 13 courses required for the BA in History.
Advanced Placement credits do not fulfill any major requirements.
The department encourages students to acquire proficiency in foreign languages and study at one of Stanford’s overseas programs. Such studies are valuable and can provide an opportunity for independent research and a foundation for honors essays and graduate study.
These degree requirements apply to students who declare on or after September 1, 2022.
Students who declared before September 1, 2022, and would like to switch to these revised major requirements should reach out to Kai Dowding (kdowding@stanford.edu), History’s undergraduate student services officer.
Students who declared before September 1, 2022, and wish to complete the major in the track system should consult the archived AY 2021-22 Bulletin for degree information and reach out to Kai Dowding (kdowding@stanford.edu) with any questions.
History majors must complete four courses in a geographical, chronological, or thematic concentration. Students should select a concentration in consultation with their advisor. See the History Department website for suggested course coherence.
These degree requirements apply to students who declare on or after September 1, 2022.
Students who declared before September 1, 2022, and would like to switch to these revised major requirements should reach out to Kai Dowding (kdowding@stanford.edu), History’s undergraduate student services officer.
Students who declared before September 1, 2022, and wish to complete the major in the track system should consult the archived AY 2021-22 Bulletin for degree information and reach out to Kai Dowding (kdowding@stanford.edu) with any questions.
This course may be taken in the junior or senior year, but not before completing the Sources and Methods seminar and Doing History colloquium. Students write a ca. 20-page research essay. Original research and revision are essential parts of the research essay. Students must conduct substantial original research in the libraries. They must submit at least two drafts (a rough draft and a final draft) of the essay, with considerable revision in response to instructor feedback. Students who wish to write an honors thesis should take course Research Seminar for Majors in their junior year. Where appropriate, a student can use the research seminar to begin working on the honors thesis.
course Research Seminar for Majors fulfills the WIM requirement only. It does not fulfill geographical requirements or small group course requirements.
Students select their research topics based on the general topics of each quarter’s offerings. More information about each quarter’s offerings is available on ExploreCourses.
This rule applies to undergraduates matriculating as first-year students in AY 2021-22 or later and graduating in AY 2024-25 or later and to transfer students who enter in AY 2022-23 or AY 2023-24 and plan to graduate in AY 2024-2025 or later. Undergraduates who enrolled as first-year students before AY 2021-22, or who entered as transfer students before AY 2022-23, are not required to complete a capstone but must still fulfill the minimum of 13 courses and 63 units in the major.
The History Department offers a range of options for students to complete the capstone requirement:
Please note that the honors thesis does not contribute units toward the major, so students who choose to complete an honors thesis for the capstone requirement must take an additional course to reach the 13 course and 63 unit minimum.
Students complete a capstone course in Autumn or Winter and then refine their projects in the 1-unit Creative Capstone Workshop in Spring Quarter.
To be taken in Autumn or Winter Quarter.
Other capstone course options will be added to this list as they become available.
To be taken in Spring Quarter.
Students must also present their project at the spring Creative Capstone Showcase.
A student who cannot take either course or course, and whose petition is approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, may fulfill the capstone requirement by revising or expanding work previously done for a history course, either in consultation with the faculty member for whom the paper was originally written, or with a faculty advisor who will work as a team with the original faculty reader. Revision or expansion must constitute at least 20-25 pages of written work, or a re-conceptualized, non-paper equivalent as determined by the relevant faculty member(s).
Petitions to revise or expand work previously done for a history course must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for review by the first day of the quarter in which the student intends to revise or expand previous work. Students whose petitions are approved must enroll in course to track completion as well as course. Students must also present their project at the spring Creative Capstone Showcase.
Please note that a paper revision or expansion does not contribute units toward the major, so students who choose to revise or expand a paper for the capstone requirement must take an additional course to reach the 13 course and 63 unit minimum.
For a limited number of majors, the department offers a special program leading to Departmental Honors in History. In addition to fulfilling the general requirements stated above, students accepted for this program begin work as early as winter quarter of their junior year and complete the essay by mid-May of their senior year. In addition to course Junior Honors Colloquium, students must enroll in 11-15 units of Senior Research in the senior year to be distributed as best fits their specific project. For students in the Honors program, Senior Research units (course Senior Research I, course Senior Research II, course Senior Research III) are taken in addition to the thirteen required courses and 63 required units in History.
To enter this program, the student must be accepted by a member of the department who agrees to advise the research and writing of the essay, and must complete the Junior Honors Colloquium (299H) offered in winter quarter. An exception to the latter requirement may be made for those studying overseas during winter quarter of the junior year, but such students should consult with the director of the honors program, if possible, before going overseas. Students who study abroad for the entire junior year and want to write an honors thesis should plan to take the Research Seminar for Majors in the first quarter after completing the study abroad program.
In considering an applicant for such a project, the advisor and director of the honors program take into account general preparation in the field of the project and expect a GPA of at least 3.5 in the student’s previous work in History and a 3.3 in overall university work. Students completing the thesis with a grade of B+ or higher are eligible for Departmental Honors in History. To enter the Honors program, apply at the Department of History office.
Outstanding honors essays may be considered for the university’s Robert M. Golden Medal and the departmental James Birdsall Weter prize.
Honors Program Requirements
To graduate with departmental honors in History, students must:
Complete course Junior Honors Colloquium in the junior year.
Maintain a GPA of at least 3.3 in overall university work and a 3.5 in the History major during the final five quarters of enrollment/thesis preparation or obtain the consent of the director of the Honors Program.
No later than autumn quarter of the senior year, select both an Advisor and a Second Reader.
Thesis advisors must be Stanford History Department faculty who are actively appointed at the rank of Core Lecturer through Full Professor. Core Lecturers through Full Professors are listed here: https://history.stanford.edu/people/faculty. Short-term and temporary lecturers, postdoctoral fellows, and Emeritus Professors are not eligible to serve as thesis advisors.
Second readers must be a Stanford History Department faculty member with an active faculty appointment or a Stanford University Academic Council faculty member with an active faculty appointment in a degree-granting academic unit for the duration of the academic year. For Second Readers outside the Stanford History Department, students should first consult the Director of Honors to confirm eligibility. Students are also encouraged to review the list of History Department Courtesy Faculty Members listed at https://history.stanford.edu/people/courtesy-faculty
Submit a completed honors thesis by the spring quarter deadline that meets submission requirements and receives a grade of B+ or better.
Enroll in the 11-15 units of Senior Research as specified below.
Participate in mandatory Honors Program activities throughout the senior year (including, but not limited to, writing workshops and the annual honors thesis presentations) as specified in the Honors Program Handbook.
course Senior Research I, course Senior Research II, course Senior Research III do not fulfill any history major requirements other than honors, but the units count toward the 180 required for BA degree conferral.
An exception for course Junior Honors Colloquium may be made for those studying overseas during winter quarter of the junior year, but such students should consult with the director of the Honors Program before going overseas.