The History department offers a wide array of courses, and stresses the development of research and communication skills vital for many different careers. History graduates work in such fields as business, law, government, and journalism, as well as in librarianship, museum management, and teaching - wherever critical thinking and clear writing are recognized assets.

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of C in two history courses.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling

Degree Requirements

Please see Degrees and Policies.

The History department offers a wide array of courses and stresses the development of research and communication skills vital for many different careers.

The typical class size for:

Freshmen/introductory courses is: 75-125
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 30-60
Senior level/advanced courses is: 15-20

In the History department, what do teaching assistants (TAs) do?

TAs are recitation section leaders in large surveys, teach some classes in the evening division and in summer school, and teach some senior seminar courses.

Suggested Introductory Courses

• HIS 161 - HIS 162 United States History I - II
• HIS 151 - HIS 152 Western Civilization I - II
• HIS 182 Asian Civilization II
• UGC 111 - UGC 112 World Civilizations I - II

For course descriptions, please see Courses.

The History department includes faculty of national and international distinction. Faculty members have taught in many parts of the globe, including Italy, Korea, Australia, and Russia, and their published scholarship has been published in and/or translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. The department values teaching, and several faculty members have received distinguished teaching awards.

See a list of our Undergraduate Faculty.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

Study Abroad
The History department encourages history majors to participate in study abroad programs. History students participate in university-wide exchange programs with Darmstadt and Beijing. There are also exchanges with schools in England, Canada and elsewhere. The SUNY Study Abroad Program also offers exceptional opportunities for our students.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

Honors Program
Majors who complete at least four history courses with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.33 (B+) are eligible to apply for admission to the History department Honors Program. To complete this program, students fulfill the standard requirements for the major, plus four more courses. Eight of these courses shall be at the upper-division level (300/400). This includes a two-semester sequence of research seminars: Honors Thesis I and Honors Thesis II, in which students prepare a thesis of approximately thirty to forty pages. Upon admission to the program, honors students are responsible for arranging with a faculty mentor to guide their thesis research and writing, normally completed in the senior year. Honors students may, at the discretion of their mentors and upon approval of the directors of undergraduate and graduate studies, participate in a relevant graduate seminar or seminars. Honors students who complete the thesis and attain a minimum GPA of 3.33 in the major will graduate with Honors in history. In addition to being intellectually challenging and personally rewarding, successful completion of the Honors program - indicated on the transcript and in letters of recommendation - is excellent preparation for employment or graduate study.

Plesur Scholarships
Thanks to a generous bequest from, the late Professor Milton Plesur, the department offers and array of scholarships and awards. It provides scholarships of from ,500 to ,000 to majors with outstanding records in history and serious interest in pursuing the discipline and a career in history. It awards scholarships of from 0 to ,000 to majors who enroll in a recognized summer, semester, or year-long program of study abroad.

Horton Undergraduate History Essay
Each spring the History department awards the John Horton Prize, named after a late faculty member, for the best essay written by an undergraduate in a history course during the previous calendar year.

Bryan G. Argo Student Award
History majors who are residents of Niagara or Erie County, are full-time students in their junior year who also work at least part-time, have compiled an overall grade point average of 3.0, and who exhibit family values and integrity are eligible to apply for this aware made each year through the generosity of the family and friends of Bryan Argo, a History student who was devoted to family and friends, believed strongly in continuing education, and whose promising life was tragically cut short by a traffic accident.

Joyce J. and John D. Milligan and Family Scholarships
History majors from underrepresented minorities with good academic credentials and good personal characteristics are eligible for these two annual scholarships, one for a perspective junior and one for a perspective senior. These awards are made available through the generosity of John D. Milligan, a long-time History Department faculty member, his wife Joyce, who served the Department as a secretary, and their daughters Jacqueline, Elizabeth, and Polla.

Phi Alpha Theta
The History department has a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, one of the oldest honor societies in the United States. Phi Alpha Theta's purpose is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, teaching, and publication. An undergraduate student must have completed at least twelve semester hours in history with a grade in all history courses averaging above 3.1, and must have an overall average of 3.0 in courses excluding history.

See the UB Student Association.

• African American Studies
• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Art History
• Classics
• Economics
• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Courses outside History that could improve employment opportunities

• Any foreign language
• Business Administration
• Computer Science