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History, B.A.

Informed, engaged, creative: Students of history at Saint Louis University learn the values and skills foundational to a wide range of careers. Open the door to your future by studying the past. History majors become leaders in law, public policy, education, business, medicine and technology. They work in higher education and government, for nonprofits and NGOs, and as entrepreneurs and marketing associates.

SLU's Department of History offers small classes, one-on-one mentoring, and opportunities to engage in internships and individualized research.Our 18 full-time faculty members serve more than 90 undergraduate majors and minors and nearly 1,000 undergraduates in our courses every semester,

The department’s award-winning teachers are deeply committed to helping students grow as thinkers and as human beings in the best of the Jesuit educational model.

A major or minor in history will sharpen your mind and open your eyes, giving youthe confidence to say, “I know who I am because I know my history.”

Additional program highlights include:

  • Students in our courses are guided by professors who are outstanding writers, engaging speakers and leading experts in their fields. Our faculty members have written for The New York Times and the Washington Post, and been interviewed on PBS, NPR and St. Louis Public Radio.
  • The history undergraduate program hosts vibrant extracurricular events that help students network, hone their skills, and share their passions for history.
  • The department’s stellar internship program allows students to pursue their particular interests while deepening skills and professional connections. Through internships, SLU's history majors and minors have diversified elementary school curricula, shaped museum exhibitions, created podcasts, and researched historic foodways for an award-winning St. Louis restaurant.

Curriculum Overview

History majors at SLU are educated in basic intellectual and communication skills valued in business, journalism, public service and law, among other fields. In recent years, undergraduates have augmented studies in history with education, political science, foreign language or business administration — combinations that have proven attractive in medicine, business and government service.

Saint Louis University history students learn to interpret a variety of sources, develop the skills to find relevant information and evidence, and articulate an argument. They practice clear and forceful writing.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

SLU's Department of History offers a variety of internships with museums and other historical organizations, most of which are eligible for course credit. Internship opportunities in the St. Louis area include:

  • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  • Campbell House Museum
  • Discovery Expedition of St. Charles
  • Eugene Field House and Toy Museum
  • Holocaust Museum
  • Jefferson Barracks
  • Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Achieves
  • Landmarks Association of St. Louis
  • Lincoln Home and National Historic Site
  • Midwest Jesuit Archives
  • Missouri History Museum
  • National Archives Records Center
  • Saint Louis University Art Museum
  • Scott Joplin House
  • Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Careers

  • History majors have gone on to fulfilling careers in law, public policy, education, business, medicine, and technology. They work in secondary education and government, for nonprofits and NGOs and as entrepreneurs.
  • History majors and minors learn to excel in writing, oral presentation, and research. These skills can be applied in a broad range of fields, including law, education, medicine and business.
  • Students interested in the sciences often discover that having a major or minor in history diversifies their academic training and makes their applications to graduate and medical schools even more competitive.
  • History majors learn to communicate effectively, reason creatively, and understand the human impact and issues connected to a career. People with these skills become leaders in their fields.

As one recent graduate said, "There are so many potential jobs to do when you are talented at writing, speaking and researching. History majors build all those skills on a daily basis!"

91Ƭ Requirements

Begin Your Application

Saint Louis University also accepts the Common Application.

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test.

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.

Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit mustsubmit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).

In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the Office of 91Ƭ holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

  • Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
  • Proof of financial support must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition

Tuition Cost Per Year
Undergraduate Tuition $54,760

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

  • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
  • Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

  1. Graduates will be able to call to mind and explain significant historical facts in appropriate contexts.
  2. Graduates will be able tocritically evaluate and analyze primary sources to produce reasoned historical interpretations.
  3. Graduates will be able tocritically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical narratives and interpretations.
  4. Graduates will be able toproduce correct, cogent and effectively structured statements on historical topics.
  5. Graduates will be able toproduce research in which they interpret primary sources in order to propose informed, original solutions to historical problems.
  6. Graduates will be able toarticulate meaningful relationships between contemporary issues and historical facts, interpretations and skills.

History students must complete a minimum of 36 creditsfor the major.

University Undergraduate Core32-35
Major Requirements
1110Origins of the Modern World to 15003
1120Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present)3
2800Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar3
European History
Select one course with the European History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: 3
3020
The Roman Empire
3030
The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire
3040
From Barbarians to Crusaders: Europe in the Early Middle Ages
3046
Medieval Castles in History and Archaeology
3050
From Cathedrals to Printing Presses: Europe in the Late Middle Ages
3090
The Age of Renaissance
3100
The Reformation Era
3120
French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815
3140
Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars, 1914-1945
3280
Russia to 1905
3290
Russia Since 1905
3760
Medieval Spain
Pre-1865 U.S. History
Select one course with the Pre-1865 U.S. History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: 3
1600
History of the United States of America to 1865
3480
U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
3580
American Slavery
3640
History of the American West
3660
History of Nature in America
3700
U.S. Constitutional History
Post-1865 U.S. History
Select once course with the Post-1865 U.S. History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: 3
1610
History of the United States Since 1865
3250
World in Conflict Since 1945
3480
U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
3500
Progressive Era to the Jazz Age, 1890-1920
3600
U.S. History in Film
3640
History of the American West
3660
History of Nature in America
3700
U.S. Constitutional History
World History (Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Latin American)
Select one course with the World History attribute. Examples of such courses, which are commonly taught, are: 3
1710
China and Japan Since 1600: Samurai, Revolutionaries, Entrepreneurs
1740
Peoples and Pandemics in History
2730
Crossroads of the World: The Middle East and North Africa Through History
3030
The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire
3170
Colonial Latin America
3220
Jesuits and Their Worlds
3250
World in Conflict Since 1945
3720
Cultural Encounters 1500-1700
History Electives
Choose 12 credits for courses above 1120 with the HIST subject code.12
Senior Seminar
4900Seminar in European History3
ǰ4901 Sem: American History
ǰ4902 Seminar in World History
General Electives49-52
Total Credits120

Senior Thesis

4991 History Senior Thesis (3 cr) will be conducted as an independent study/research course for writing an honors thesis. It is an opportunity for superior students who want to expand and revise a paper for a previous 3000 or 4000 level history course into an honors thesis. This option will give the student a chance to develop and demonstrate advanced research and writing skills. It will be excellent preparation for graduate or professional schools, some of which require applicants to submit a writing sample.This course runs for one semester. Students wishing to spend a year on their thesis may sign up one semester earlier for 4990 History Senior Thesis Prep (3 cr).

Internships

The Department of History offers a variety of internships 4910 Internship/History in Practice (1-6 cr); for example, in an archive, a museum, a historical site, or on specific projects.

Continuation Standards

A 2.00 minimum GPA for all history courses.

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
  • Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
  • Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
  • Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
  • Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate or related elective credits.
  • Complete department- and program-specific academic and performance requirements.
  • Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
  • Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
  • Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollmentunless otherwise noted.

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
1110 Origins of the Modern World to 1500 1 3
䰿鷡1000 Ignite First Year Seminar (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes. History Options: 䰿鷡1000 A Medieval Murder Mystery: The World of AD 1327; 䰿鷡1000 The Gods of the Others: The Sacred, Identities, and Communities) 2-3
䰿鷡1500 Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes / Must be taken at SLU) 1
䰿鷡1900 Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes. Or 1200 Communicating About History) 3
General Electives 6
Credits15-16
Spring
1120 Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present) (satisfies CORE3400) 1 3
CORE3200 Ways of Thinking: Quantitative Reasoning (Should be taken in first 45 credit hours at SLU) 3
CORE1600 Ultimate Questions: Theology 3
General Electives 6
Credits15
Year Two
Fall
2800 Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar 3
1600 History of the United States of America to 1865 (satisfies CORE3400) 3
CORE1200 Eloquentia Perfecta 2: Oral and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 60 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes) 3
CORE1700 Ultimate Questions: Philosophy 3
General Electives 3
Credits15
Spring
1610 History of the United States Since 1865 (satisfies CORE3400) 3
HIST Elective above 1120: European History 4 3
CORE3800 Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences 3
CORE2500 Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation 0
General Electives 6
Credits15
Year Three
Fall
HIST Elective above 1120: World History 2 3
HIST Elective Upper Leveltaken any time 3
CORE2800 Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression 2-3
CORE3400
or 1120
or 3120
or 3640
Ways of Thinking: Aesthetics, History, and Culture
or Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present)
or French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815
or History of the American West
3
General Electives 4
Credits15-16
Spring
HIST Elective above 1120: U.S. Historytaken any time 5 3
HIST Elective Upper Leveltaken any time 3
CORE3600 Ways of Thinking: Social and Behavioral Sciences (taken any time) 3
CORE4000 Collaborative Inquiry 2-3
General Electives 4
Credits15-16
Year Four
Fall
4900
or 4901
or 4902
Seminar in European History
or Sem: American History
or Seminar in World History
3
HIST Elective Upper Leveltaken any time 3
CORE3500 Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World 1
General Electives 8
Credits15
Spring
4900
or 4901
or 4902
Seminar in European History
or Sem: American History
or Seminar in World History
3
HIST Elective Upper Leveltaken any time 3
General Electives 9
Credits15
Total Credits120-123
1

One, but not both, of these courses may be fulfilled by AP credit.

2

Fulfills World Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).

3

Fulfills U.S. pre-1865 Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).

4

Fulfills Europe Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see the list below).

5

Fulfills U.S. post-1865 Distribution Requirement (for a full list of courses that meet this requirement, see list below).

Program Notes

The history major requires successful completion of courses above 1120 in the following areas: pre-1865 U.S. history, post-1865 U.S. history, European history and World history. At least one course must be a 4000-level seminar. Please refer to the list of seminars for majors.

Senior thesis (three or six credits, counting toward electives) and internship options available.

European History (3 Credits)

Courses with the European history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples of commonly taught courses are:

HIST3000
Ancient Greece
3020
The Roman Empire
3030
The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire
3040
From Barbarians to Crusaders: Europe in the Early Middle Ages
3050
From Cathedrals to Printing Presses: Europe in the Late Middle Ages
3090
The Age of Renaissance
3100
The Reformation Era
3120
French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815
3140
Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars, 1914-1945
3250
World in Conflict Since 1945
3280
Russia to 1905
3290
Russia Since 1905
HIST3320
Early Modern History of Spain:1469-1818
3720
Cultural Encounters 1500-1700
3760
Medieval Spain

Pre-1865 U.S. History (3 credits)

Courses with the Pre-1865 U.S. history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples ofcommonly taughtcourses are:

1600
History of the United States of America to 1865
3480
U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
3580
American Slavery
3640
History of the American West
3660
History of Nature in America
3700
U.S. Constitutional History

Post-1865 U.S. History (3 Credits)

Courses with the Post-1865 U.S. history attribute. Examples ofcommonly taughtcourses are:

1610
History of the United States Since 1865
3250
World in Conflict Since 1945
3480
U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
3500
Progressive Era to the Jazz Age, 1890-1920
3600
U.S. History in Film
3640
History of the American West
3660
History of Nature in America
3700
U.S. Constitutional History

World History (3 Credits)

Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Latin American

Courses with the World history attribute. All are three-credit courses. Examples ofcommonly taughtcourses are:

HIST1700China and Japan To 1600: Histories, Cultures, Identities3
1710China and Japan Since 1600: Samurai, Revolutionaries, Entrepreneurs3
2730Crossroads of the World: The Middle East and North Africa Through History3
3030The Byzantine World: Faith and Power in a Thousand-Year Empire3
3170Colonial Latin America3
3220Jesuits and Their Worlds3
HIST3240History of Africa since 18843
3250World in Conflict Since 19453

Senior Research Seminars (3 Credits)

4900Seminar in European History3
4901Sem: American History3
4902Seminar in World History3

Internship (3 credits- may be taken twice)

4910Internship/History in Practice3-6

Senior Thesis (3-6 credits)

4990History Senior Thesis Prep (optional)3
4991History Senior Thesis3

Students can complete all or part of the history major at SLU’s campus in Madrid.

Learn More

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution.

History, B.A. (STLCC 2+SLU)