The bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in history are incredibly versatile degrees. Besides paving the way to careers in fields like government, law, journalism, and education, the study of history cultivates critical skills useful in all walks of life. Among these are the ability to communicate verbally and in writing, to conduct research on virtually any topic, and to analyze, interpret, and synthesize large quantities of information. The history major cultivates the kinds of learning and skills that we regard as crucial for historical thinking and, more broadly, as integral to a liberal arts education.

Use the sidebar menu to learn about the history major, the history minor, honors options in history, and other information of interest to undergraduates. You can also learn about our Faculty and the Courses we offer.

We recommend that every student interested in the history major contact a member of the faculty and/or consult with the department’s Undergraduate Advisor (see below).

History majors who want to become middle and/or high school teachers may also want to consider the five-term teaching licensure program offered by the UO School of Education.

Undergraduate Advising

Email: HistoryAdvising@uoregon.edu

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, advising sessions are handled remotely. Email your questions and requests to HistoryAdvising@uoregon.edu. Include your student ID (95#) in your email.

Inquiries will be queued and responded to in the order they are received.

General Advising

The Tykeson College and Career Advising in Tykeson Hall is UO’s advising center, located on 13th Avenue, between Johnson and Chapman Halls. At Tykeson Hall, you can work with professional College and Career Advisors who can help you explore your interests, schedule your classes, plan for graduation, discuss career interests, and more.

Tykeson Hall offers drop-in sessions and appointments. Visit advising.uoregon.edu/tykeson for more information about meeting with an advisor.

You can schedule appointments with the Tykeson College and Career Advising team via the EAB Navigate app available in the App Store or Google Play.

Outcomes

What kind of content do we expect history majors to learn?

• Depth: All history majors must take a preponderance of their classes for the major at the upper-division level, particularly in 400-level classes specialized enough in scope so that students can both attain a degree of mastery of a period or topic and learn to appreciate the complexity of historical experience.
• Geographical breadth: All history majors are required to become broadly familiar with at least three geographical regions of the world, an invaluable experience in an increasingly interconnected world.
• Chronological breadth: All history majors should acquire substantial historical knowledge of premodern as well as modern history because acquaintance with societies and cultures that are remote in time challenges the historical imagination and unsettles assumptions.
• Cultural and linguistic breadth: All history majors should be challenged to encounter at least one culture other than their own by learning its language.

What skills do we expect history majors to develop?

• Historical argument: All history majors must learn how to understand historical arguments and assess them critically, including evaluating conflicts of interpretation, examining the use of evidence, and learning how explanations are constructed in historical writing.
• Inquiry: All history majors must learn how to read primary sources and analyze them critically; each student will eventually define a historical problem, identify primary sources relevant to that problem, and develop a research strategy to address a historical question.
• Writing: All history majors are expected learn how to synthesize information from a variety of sources, construct cogent arguments, and express them in clear, convincing prose.