Bachelor of Arts - History

A rich and varied program, the Bachelor of Arts with a Major in History, will take students on a voyage of discovery which spans the origins of human civilization to the present day. After completing a core course on the History of Western Thought and foundation courses in Canadian and World History, students complete senior courses in the fields of North American, European, World, Intellectual and Social and Cultural History as well as Research Methods. In the final year, students complete a capstone course on the Historian’s Craft and a major research project. The Major in History provides students with a broad understanding of the historical foundations and cultural dimensions of the world they live in and with the skills needed to uncover and analyze the events, processes and ideas which shape the past and to appreciate how an understanding of the past helps inform the present and the future. Through the in-depth study of change and continuity over time and place, students acquire an ability to look at the past from different angles and perspectives and to employ a variety of analytical tools and methods in interpreting human affairs and institutions. Students in the program will have the opportunity to meet the following objectives through the History concentration requirements: • establish a strong foundation in Canadian and World History; • know and assess historical methods and theory; • understand and apply different research methodologies and theoretical models used by historians; • gain historical knowledge across regions and nations, time periods and approaches to the study of history through completion of North American History, European History, World History, Intellectual History and Social and Cultural History; • critically evaluate secondary sources and engage in major historiographical debates; • identify, analyze and interpret primary sources; • analyze complex historical problems and synthesize insights from a variety of source materials; • organize and report research and communicate findings through effective and persuasive arguments.

A History Major offers excellent training in processing information, research, the technique of critical investigation and the analysis of data and provides a platform of knowledge and skills which are highly desirable in many fields of employment, including management, law, journalism, public service, archives and museums, librarianship and teaching.