Undergraduate Program
The History Department offers a wide variety of chronological, geographical, and thematic courses that enhance individuals’ understanding of themselves and the contemporary world by expanding their experience to include the experiences of other peoples, both past and present. These courses range from the ancient and medieval periods to the modern era, cover most geographical regions of the globe, and allow topical specialties ranging from women’s history to environmental history to digital and spatial history to military history.
Major in History
The History major requires at least 12 three-credit courses in History. For a balanced understanding of the subject, majors must complete courses from each of the following focus areas:
- U.S. history
- European history
- The history of other regions of the world (e.g., Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Canada) or history courses with a transnational focus.
Majors take HTY 130, The Craft of Historical Detection, as well as other courses at the 100- and 200-level, then 8 or more upper-level courses, including a junior seminar (HTY 311) and a senior capstone seminar (HTY 498). Your History advisor will help you design a course plan that suits your interests and needs. For further details, see the Requirements Checklist here and the Undergraduate Catalog. The form to declare a History major can be found here.
Minor in History
The History minor consists of at least 18 credit hours, of which at least 9 must be at the 300-level or above. For details, see the Undergraduate Catalog. The form to declare a History minor can be found here and the minor check list is here.
Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a BA in history will acquire the skills to:
- read, interpret, and evaluate historical sources and secondary material;
- participate effectively in discussions and express ideas clearly in writing (including making revisions);
- organize and complete a major research project.
Employment
History graduates find employment in a wide range of occupations. Traditionally they have gone into education careers in primary and secondary schools and, with appropriate graduate-level training, in colleges and universities. More recently, increasing numbers of history graduates find their way into private, nonprofit as well as public organizations and agencies, such as museums, archives and libraries, research and service institutions, legislative bodies, and planning agencies. Others find career opportunities in the private sector, in fields such as publishing, journalism, broadcasting, business, and law; in fact, history is an ideal pre-law major.
Your History advisor, together with the staff at the Career Center, can help you locate internship opportunities, build your networks, and evaluate your career options.
Departmental Life
History majors take an active part in the life of the department. Through the History Club, they get to know one another and participate in field trips, the annual History Picnic, and other events. Many undergraduates serve as judges for Maine’s National History Day. A wide variety of scholarships and awards support students’ research at the undergraduate level. Working with faculty on their research can lead in many different directions—from attending professional conferences to working with local organizations to bring history to life in the community.
The 4+1 MA Program
The 4+1 MA is a highly selective program that offers students at the University of Maine the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree (BA) and a master’s degree (MA) in History in five combined years of study. Further details on the program are available here. For 4+1 program video click here. An application can be found here.