北英属哥伦比亚大学

The BA Honours - History provides a higher level of training and specialization for students planning to proceed to postgraduate work or professional schools. The program of study is offered to students majoring in history who have completed their first 60 credit hours.

In order to enter the Honours Degree Program, students must have completed HIST 190-3 World History to 1550 and HIST 191-3 World History since 1550; 12 credit hours in 200-level history courses; HIST 300-3 (Historiography: The Nature of the Historical Discipline), and have attained a Cumulative GPA of no less than 3.33 upon completion of 60 credit hours. Having fulfilled the requirements of admission to the History Honours Degree Program, students must then complete 18 credit hours in 300-level history courses; 15 credit hours in 400- level history courses; and 12 credit hours in four additional history courses designed for honours students, for a total of 66 credit hours as a component of an undergraduate degree totaling 120 credit hours. Attaining the minimum requirement does not guarantee entry to the Honours Program, which is at the discretion of the Department. Students must maintain a Cumulative GPA of 3.33 to remain in the Honours Program. Students are responsible to find their own undergraduate thesis research supervisor. Faculty members are under no obligation to supervise Honours students.

A Cumulative GPA of not less than 3.33 must be maintained while in the honours program.

In addition, students must achieve a minimum grade of B (3.0) in HIST 505-6 to be granted the Honours designation.

The minimum requirement for completion of a BA Honours - History is 120 credit hours.

Tracing the origins of their discipline to the Ancient Greek scholar Herodotus (fifth century B.C.E.), historians examine the records of the human past, with the goal of understanding change over time. We are particularly interested in establishing cause and effect in the patterns of how society, politics, economies, culture, identity, and thought developed. Traditionally, historians have examined prominent individuals or critical events in politics, warfare, diplomacy, economics and intellectual activity. But in recent decades, the scope of historical study has expanded to encompass a wide range of phenomena and a broad spectrum of society. Women’s roles in history, the daily life of ordinary men and women in the past, and the impact of imperialism and colonialism are just a few of the topics that have come under intense historical scrutiny in recent years. Of particular interest to the current generation of historians are the relationship of the individual to society; encounters between diverse cultures; the dynamics of class, race, and gender; and the expression of power and authority (political, social, or cultural).

The study of history has direct relevance on the present. It provides an enlightening perspective on the cultures and societies of the past and on how the ideals, institutions, and issues of today arose and evolved over time. The discipline of History also requires intellectual rigour, and cultivates critical thinking, creative analysis, and both oral and written communication skills. History majors are highly sought after in fields such as law, education, journalism, business, government service, and “public history” (i.e., museums, historical sites, and archives). A History major is also an ideal foundation for graduate study in the Humanities and Social Sciences.