Undergraduate Programs

The range and diversity of courses offered by the Department of History are designed to meet the needs and interests of Majors, non-Majors, and of full-time and part-time students. Students who do not intend to concentrate in history will find that history courses complement in almost any of the fields and disciplines which comprise the Faculty of Arts & Science. History courses are considered Non-Specialist Electives for students registered in the Faculty of Arts & Science and who are concentrating in an area other than the Humanities.

Students who elect to concentrate their studies in history will select from three programs offered by the department: Specialist, Major or Minor. The Department of History also offers two foci options: Focus in Law and History (Specialist) and Focus in Law and History (Major). **NEW** for 2023-2024 the Department of History is offering the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) which is a professional work-integrated learning program.

Below are the current program requirements for the History Specialist, Major and Minor programs for the 2023-2024 Academic Session and onwards. Students are responsible for fulfilling the program requirements of the Specialist, Major and Minor program from the Calendar of the year in which they enrolled in the program: Arts & Science Calendars. NB: ‘Course’ means 1 full credit (Y) or 2 half credits (H). See also Geographic courses and Temporal courses.**

New requirements for the Specialist program will take effect for students who enroll in the program for 2023-2024 Academic Session.

Type 2L

Enrolment Requirements
This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Variable Minimum Grade A minimum grade is needed for entry, and this minimum changes each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. The following courses must be completed:

2.0 HIS credits to be made up in one of the following ways:

Option 1:

  • 1.0 credit at the 100-level excluding the following First-Year Foundations courses: HIS190H1, HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1
  • 1.0 credit at the 200+ level

Option 2:

  • 0.5 credit from HIS111H1, HIS112H1 or the following First-Year Foundations courses: HIS190H1, HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1
  • 1.5 credits at the 200+ level

To ensure that students admitted to the program will be successful, applicants with a final grade lower than 70% in each course will not be considered for admission. Please note that obtaining this minimum final grade does not guarantee admission to the program.

Students in this program have the option to request enrolment in the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream. Students can apply for the ASIP stream after Year 1 (Year 2 entry) or after Year 2 (Year 3 entry, starting Fall 2024). Full details about ASIP, including student eligibility, selection and enrolment, are available in the ASIP section of the Arts & Science Academic Calendar. Please note that the majority of students enter ASIP in Fall term of Year 2. Space is more limited for Year 3 entry. Students applying for Year 3 entry must have been admitted to the History Specialist in the Summer after Year 2.

Completion Requirements: The Specialist program gives students in-depth training in historical research, analysis, and writing for future professional use or graduate study. To tailor the program to your needs, in your third year you have a choice between two pathways: a higher level course-work option in order to further the development of excellent skills via a wider variety of courses or a thesis option where you will be able to do the same while also concentrating on a specific research topic.

A total of 10.0 credits, meeting the following requirements:

Only 1.0 credit at the 100-level can be used to fulfill program requirements.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 10.0 credits overall, meeting the following requirements:

1. Geographic Distribution (200+ level):

a) 2.0 credits in Africa/Asia/Middle East with at least one 0.5 credit in 2 of the 3 areas. This requirement cannot be met by more than 1.0 credit from any area.
b) 1.0 credit in Canada/US/Latin America/The Caribbean
c) 1.0 credit in Europe

2. Temporal Requirement: 1.0 credit in Pre-1800 history course(s).Note 1: HIS courses listed with (.50) indicate that they fulfill half of the Temporal Requirement.

3. Levels: At least 5.0 credits at the 300+ level, including 1.5 credits at the 400-level to be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

Pathways:

a) Thesis Option: HIS475H1 and HIS476H1 taken in that order. (see Note 2) or
b) Coursework option: 1.0 credit of Senior (300 or 400-level)  PDF iconMethodology Courses for History Specialist 23-24.pdf

Note 2: Students interested in the Thesis Option should contact the Undergraduate Chair for advice about the pathway, thesis topics, and the selection of an appropriate faculty advisor.

Courses in other departments:Students may take up to 1.0 credit from the Equivalent Courses list. These courses may not be used to fulfill the 100-level, Geographic, or Temporal requirements.

The Focus in Law and History gives students the critical skill-set to interrogate the ‘force of law’, not only in the sense of law as enforced, but also as a vehicle of cultural, social, and economic knowledge. Importantly, it will ask students to interrogate assumptions of what counts as law across time and space. At the core of this Focus to the Specialist are fundamental questions of both law and society: Who has law? What does (or should) it look like? Who decides? What sorts of critical histories can be written from and about legal archives that span time, space, and language tradition?

Enrolment Requirements: Enrolment in the History Specialist is required.

Completion Requirements: 3.0 credits

1. Methodological Training Requirement: HIS268H1 Law and History.

2. Law and History Focus Enrichment: 2.5 credits from the following list, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level.

HIS101Y1HIS230H1HIS231H1HIS282Y1HIS283Y1HIS303H1, HIS307H1, HIS308H1HIS332H1HIS335H1HIS357Y1HIS375H1,
HIS379H1HIS390H1HIS391Y1HIS397H1HIS419H1HIS424H1HIS438H1HIS443H1HIS470H1HIS493H1JHN323H1

Some offerings of HIS389H1, HIS466H1 and HIS496H1 may also count towards this focus. PDF iconTopics Courses that Fulfill Focus Requirements.pdf

Up to 0.5 credit from non-HIS courses may be substituted for requirement 2, with permission of the department. Substitutions will be reviewed based on a copy of the course syllabus.

New requirements for the Major program will take effect for students who enroll in the program for 2023-2024 Academic Session.

Type 2

Enrolment Requirements
This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Completed courses: The following courses are required:

HIS credits to be made up in one of the following ways:

  • 1.0 credit from HIS courses excluding the following HIS First-Year Foundations courses: HIS190H1, HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1; or
  • 0.5 credit from HIS111H1, HIS112H1 or the following HIS First-Year Foundations courses: HIS190H1, HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1, and 0.5 HIS credit at the 200+ level

Students in this program have the option to request enrolment in the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream. Students can apply for the ASIP stream after Year 1 (Year 2 entry) or after Year 2 (Year 3 entry, starting Fall 2024). Full details about ASIP, including student eligibility, selection and enrolment, are available in the ASIP section of the Arts &Science Academic Calendar. Please note that the majority of students enter ASIP in Fall term of Year 2. Space is more limited for Year 3 entry. Students applying for Year 3 entry must have been admitted to the History Major in the Summer after Year 2.

Completion Requirements: A total of 7.0 credits, meeting the following requirements.

Only 1.0 credit at the 100-level can be used to fulfill program requirements.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 7.0 credits, meeting the following requirements:

1. Geographic Distribution (200+ level):

a) 2.0 credits Africa/Asia/Middle East with at least a 0.5 credit in 2 of the 3 areas. This requirement cannot be met by more than 1.0 credit from any area.
b) 1.0 credit Canada/US/Latin America/The Caribbean
c) 1.0 credit Europe

2. Temporal Requirement: 1.0 credit in Pre-1800 history course(s).
Note 1: The HIS courses listed with (.50) indicate that they fulfill half of the Temporal Requirement.

3. At least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level, including 0.5 credit at the 400-level.

Courses in other departments: Students may take up to 1.0 credit from the Equivalent Courses list. These courses may not be used to fulfill the 100-level, Geographic, or Temporal requirements.

The Focus in Law and History gives students the critical skill-set to interrogate the ‘force of law’, not only in the sense of law as enforced, but also as a vehicle of cultural, social, and economic knowledge. Importantly, it will ask students to interrogate assumptions of what counts as law across time and space. At the core of this Focus to the Major are fundamental questions of both law and society: Who has law? What does (or should) it look like? Who decides? What sorts of critical histories can be written from and about legal archives that span time, space, and language tradition?

Enrolment Requirements: Enrolment in the History Major is required.

Completion Requirements: 3.0 credits

1. Methodological Training Requirement: HIS268H1 Law and History.

2. Law and History Focus Enrichment: 2.5 credits from the following list, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level.

HIS101Y1HIS230H1HIS231H1HIS282Y1HIS283Y1HIS303H1, HIS307H1, HIS308H1HIS332H1HIS335H1HIS357Y1HIS375H1,
HIS379H1HIS390H1HIS391Y1HIS397H1HIS419H1HIS424H1HIS438H1HIS443H1HIS470H1HIS493H1JHN323H1

Some offerings of HIS389H1, HIS466H1 and HIS496H1 may also count towards this focus. PDF iconTopics Courses that Fulfill Focus Requirements.pdf

Up to 0.5 credit from non-HIS courses may be substituted for requirement 2, with permission of the department. Substitutions will be reviewed based on a copy of the course syllabus.

Type 1

Enrolment Requirements
This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion RequirementsThe minor program provides a useful grounding for students interested in the study of the past and contributes to their development of interdisciplinary perspectives from across the Humanities and Social Sciences.

(4.0 credits, of which only 1.0 credit at the 100-level may be used to fulfill program requirements)

First Year: 1.0 credit at the 100-level is required. It is recommended that students complete this requirement prior to enrolling in the minor program.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 4.0 credits, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300- or 400-level.

Courses in other departments: Students may take up to a 0.5 credit from the Equivalent Courses list.

 

New for the 2023-2024 Academic Session the Arts & Science Internship Program.

The Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) is a professional work-integrated learning program for Faculty of Arts & Science students enrolled in specific programs of study, including the following History programs: 

  • History Specialist (ASSPE0652)
  • History Major (ASMAJ0652)

Students enrolled in the ASIP stream complete mandatory Professional Development programming plus a minimum of 12 and maximum of 20 months of paid, full-time, academically related work experience. The time to degree completion for students enrolled in ASIP is normally 5 years. ASIP is administered by the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Experiential Learning & Outreach Support (ELOS) Office.  
The ASIP stream of each program is limited enrolment. Students will typically be admitted to the ASIP stream of their program for the Fall term of Year 2 of study. Please refer to the ASIP Eligibility page for further details for detailed entry requirements.  
 
The mandatory Professional Development programming will help students prepare for their work opportunities and maximize their learning while on their work terms. It will consist of 4 zero credit weight courses taken over 4 academic terms (Year 2 entry) or 2 academic terms (Year 3 entry). The completion of these courses is mandatory for the ASIP stream of each program, in addition to the regular academic requirements of the program. 
 
The work experience component will consist of 12-20 months of paid, full-time work in the private, not-for-profit, and/or public sectors.  For students enrolling in the ASIP stream of their program for the Fall term of Year 2, the first, 4-month work term will take place in the summer between Year 2 and 3, followed by a longer 8, 12 or 16-month work term following the completion of Year 3. Students enrolling in the ASIP stream of their program for the Fall term of Year 3 will complete 12 or 16 months of work experience after Year 3 over one or two work terms.  Students completing all mandatory Professional Development requirements and a minimum of 12 months of work experience will graduate with the ASIP stream acknowledged on their transcript. 
 
Students will be provided a wide range of professional development supports as they progress through the ASIP stream of their program, including workplace readiness and job search coaching, access to the ASIP job board, professional skill development training, access to the Employer Relations Staff and Student Development staff, industry information sessions, resources to support students facing barriers to employability, and community-building events. Acceptance into the ASIP stream of a program does not guarantee a student’s employment in each work term. 
 
The cost to students to participate in the full program will be paid over a series of six installments, paid as ancillary fees which will be assessed on each Professional Development work term course, while the final two payments will be assessed on the first two work terms between Year 3 and Year 5. Refer to the ASIP Fees & Financial Aid website for further details. 


These are the program requirements for the History Specialist, Major and Minor programs for the 2021-2022 Academic Session and onwards. Students are responsible for fulfilling the program requirements of the Specialist, Major and Minor program from the Calendar of the year in which they enrolled in the program: Arts & Science Archived Calendars. NB: ‘Course’ means 1 full credit (Y) or 2 half credits (H). See also Geographic courses and Temporal courses.**

New requirements for the Specialist program will take effect for students who enroll in the program for 2021-2022 Academic Session.

Type 2L
Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.Variable Minimum GradeA minimum grade is needed for entry, and this minimum changes each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. The following courses must be completed:

2.0 HIS credits to be made up in one of the following ways:

Option 1:

  • 1.0 credit at the 100-level excluding the following First-Year Foundations (FYF) courses: HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1
  • 1.0 credit at the 200+ level

Option 2:

  • 0.5 credit from the following First-Year Foundations (FYF) courses: HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1
  • 1.5 credits at the 200+ level

To ensure that students admitted to the program will be successful, applicants with a final grade lower than 70% in each course will not be considered for admission. Please note that obtaining this minimum final grade does not guarantee admission to the program.

Completion Requirements:
The Specialist program gives students in-depth training in historical research, analysis, and writing for future professional use or graduate study. To tailor the program to your needs, in your third year you have a choice between two pathways: a higher level course-work option in order to further the development of excellent skills via a wider variety of courses or a thesis option where you will be able to do the same while also concentrating on a specific research topic.

(10.0 credits, of which only 1.0 credit at the 100-level may be used to fulfill program requirements)

First year: 1.0 HIS credit at the 100-level.
Note 1: Students may also take 200-level HIS courses in their first year.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 10.0 credits overall, meeting the following requirements:

1. Geographic Distribution (200+ level):
a) 2.0 credits in Africa/Asia/Middle East with at least one 0.5 credit in each region
b) 1.0 credit in Canada/US/Latin America/The Caribbean
c) 1.0 credit in Europe

2. Temporal Requirement: 1.0 credit in Pre-1800 history course(s).
Note 2: HIS courses listed with (.50) indicate that they fulfill half of the Temporal Requirement.

3. Levels: At least 5.0 credits at the 300+ level, including 1.5 credits at the 400-level to be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

Pathways:
a) Thesis Option: HIS475H1 and HIS476H1 taken in that order, OR HIS491Y1 (see Note 3)
b) Coursework option: 1.0 credit of Senior (300 or 400-level) PDF iconMethodology Courses for History Specialist 22-23.pdf
Note 3: Students interested in the Thesis Option should contact the Undergraduate Chair for advice about the pathway, thesis topics, and the selection of an appropriate faculty advisor.

Courses in other departments:
a) Students may take up to 1.0 credit from the Equivalent Courses. These courses may not be used to fulfill the 100-level, Geographic, or Temporal requirements.

New requirements for the Major program will take effect for students who enroll in the program for 2021-2022 Academic Session.

Type 2
Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Completed courses
The following courses are required:

HIS credits to be made up in one of the following ways:

  • 1.0 credit from HIS courses excluding the following First-Year Foundations courses: HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1; or
  • 0.5 credit from the following HIS First Year Foundations courses: HIS191H1, HIS192H1, HIS193H1, HIS194H1, HIS195H1, HIS196H1, HIS197H1, HIS198H1, HIS199H1, and 0.5 HIS credit at the 200+ level

Completion Requirements:
(7.0 credits, of which only 1.0 credit at the 100-level may be used to fulfill program requirements)

First Year: 1.0 HIS credit at the 100-level.Note 1: Students intending to enrol in the Major may take a 200-level course (Y or H) in their first year in addition to a .50 FYF course.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 7.0 credits, meeting the following requirements:

1. Geographic Distribution (200+ level):
a) 2.0 credits Africa/Asia/Middle East with at least 0.5 credit in each region
b) 1.0 credit Canada/United States/Latin America/The Caribbean
c) 1.0 credit Europe

2. Temporal Requirement: 1.0 credit Pre-1800 HIS course(s)
Note 2: The HIS courses listed with (0.5) indicate that they fulfill half of the Temporal Requirement.

3. At least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level, including 0.5 credit at the 400-level

Courses in other departments:
Students may take up to 1.0 credit from the Equivalent Courses list below. These courses may not be used to fulfill the 100-level, Geographic, or Temporal requirements.

New requirements for the Minor program will take effect for students who enroll in the program for 2021-2022 Academic Session.

Type 1
Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:
The minor program provides a useful grounding for students interested in the study of the past and contributes to their development of interdisciplinary perspectives from across the Humanities and Social Sciences.

(4.0 credits, of which only 1.0 credit at the 100-level may be used to fulfill program requirements)

First Year: 1.0 credit at the 100-level is required. It is recommended that students complete this requirement prior to enrolling in the minor program.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 4.0 credits, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300- or 400-level.

Courses in other departments:
Students may take up to a 0.5 credit from the Equivalent Courses list below.


These are the program requirements for the History Specialist, Major and Minor programs for the 2020-2021 Academic Session and prior.

Students are responsible for fulfilling the program requirements of the Specialist, Major or Minor program from the Calendar of the year in which they enrolled in the program: Arts & Science Archived Calendars. NB: ‘Course’ means 1 full credit (Y) or 2 half credits (H). See also Division courses and Pre-Modern courses.**

Enrolment Requirements:This is a limited enrolment POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be based on a student marks in the required courses. The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the coming POSt admission cycle. Achieving those marks does not necessarily guarantee admission to the POSt in any given year.

Required courses:2.0 HIS full-course equivalent, one of which must be at the 100-level, with a final mark of at least 73% in each.

Completion Requirements:The Specialist program gives students in-depth training in historical research, analysis and writing for graduate study or professional use. To achieve these objectives, students choose one of two options when entering their third year.

(10 full courses or their equivalent) Consult the department for details of equivalent courses.

First year: 1.0 HIS full-course equivalent at the 100-level; in addition, students may take 1.0 HIS full-course equivalent at the 200-level

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 10 full-course equivalents overall, meeting the following requirements:

1. 1.0 full-course equivalent at the 200-level or above from each of the following Divisions*:I. Asia/Africa/Middle East
II. Canada/United States/Latin America/Caribbean
III. Europe
2. 1.0 full-course equivalent in Pre-modern (before 1800) history*.
3. At least 5 full-course equivalents at the 300-level or above, including 1.5 full-course equivalents at the 400-level to be fulfilled in the following ways:
I) HIS 476Y (full year senior thesis) and a 400-level H seminar course; or
II) HIS 475H (half year senior thesis) and two 400-level H seminar courses; or
III) 0.5 full-course equivalent senior Methodology course* and 1.0 full-course equivalent 400-level course(s)

Note that the Thesis Option has limited enrolment due to limited capacity in Thesis Courses HIS475H1 and HIS476Y1. Interested students should contact the department for more information regarding Thesis supervision.*Courses that satisfy the Methodology, Pre-modern and Divisional requirements are listed on the History website. Specialists may draw up to 2.0 full-course equivalent from the list of Related Courses offered in other departments to fulfill items 1 through 3 of the Specialist program. 

Enrolment Requirements:1.0 FCE 100-level HIS course or 0.5 200-level HIS course.

Completion Requirements:(7 full courses or their equivalent)

First Year: 1.0 HIS FCE at the 100-level; in addition, students may take 1.0 HIS FCE at the 200-level.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of seven, meeting the following requirements:

1. At least 2.0 full-course equivalents at the 300-level or above, including 0.5 full-course equivalent at the 400-level
2. 1 full-course equivalent at the 200-level or above from each of the following divisions*:
I. Asia/Africa/Middle East
II. Canada/United States/Latin America/Caribbean
III. Europe.
3. 1 full-course equivalent in pre-modern (pre-1800) history*.

*Courses that satisfy the Pre-modern and Divisional requirements are listed on the History website. Majors may draw up to 1 full-course equivalent from the list of Related Courses offered in other departments to fulfill items 1 through 3 of the Major program.  A 100-level related course may be applied toward the Divisional or Pre-modern requirements but does not take the place of the requirement for a 100-series HIS course.

Completion Requirements:
(4 full courses or their equivalent)

First Year: 1.0 HIS full-course equivalent at the 100-level is required. It is recommended that students complete this requirement prior to enrolling in the minor program.

Higher Years: Additional HIS courses to a total of 4.0 full-course equivalent*, including at least 1.0 full-course equivalent at the 300- or 400-level.

*Minors may draw up to 1.0 full-course equivalent from the list of Related Courses offered in other departments. A 100-level Related course does not take the place of the requirement for a 100-series HIS course.