Majors are required to complete 12 approved
history courses with grades of C- or better. Those who select the
thesis option must complete 10 approved history courses and a
2-credit thesis with grades of C- or better. At least eight of
these courses, including the senior thesis, HIST 299,
and HIST 300, must be completed at Trinity
or in academic programs taught or sponsored by Trinity faculty.
In the interest of shaping a trajectory from lower-division to
higher-division courses, students may apply a maximum of two
courses at the 100 and 200 levels taken during their senior
year toward the major. The award of departmental honors will
be based on superior performance in history courses and in a
senior thesis.
Distribution Courses (5 credits)
Students must complete five distribution
courses at any level (100, 200, or 300) in order to acquire
thematic, geographical, and chronological breadth in the discipline.
Each requirement must be fulfilled with a distinct course:
- One course in European history
- One course in US history
- One course covering a time period before 1700
- Two courses in areas other than Europe and the U.S.
Common Courses (2 credits)
These courses constitute the common
experience of all history majors. They develop methodological
sophistication and research skills.
- HIST 299: Historiography: This course
introduces students to debate among historians and historical
methods. It is expected that students will complete this course
in the spring semester of their sophomore year.
- HIST 300: History Workshop: This
course guides students in writing a major research paper using
primary sources. It is expected that students will complete this
course by the end of their junior year. History Workshop fulfills
the Writing Intensive Part II requirement.
300-level seminars (4 credits)
Students are required to take a minimum of four
300-level seminars. All 300-level courses approved for the major are
designated seminars and consist of intensive reading, discussion,
and writing, either in the scholarly literature or the primary
sources of a certain field, or in some combination of both. All
300-level courses fulfill the Writing Part II requirement.
Elective (1 credit) or Thesis Option (2 credits)
Students may apply to pursue a two-semester
two-credit thesis during their senior year. They must have a
minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit a proposal and bibliography
following departmental guidelines in the spring of their junior
year. Students not pursuing the thesis option must take one
additional elective course at any level.
Study abroad---
History majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad, during the
academic year, summer, or both. Over 60 percent of Trinity College
students take part in foreign study and the College sponsors its own
global learning sites or summer institutes abroad in many parts of
the world. The Office of International Programs and its staff offer
detailed information about such programs. History faculty members
participate in guiding students to appropriate programs and lead
such study efforts, which bear history credit, in many parts of the
world.
Undergraduates
intending to pursue graduate work in history should develop a
reading knowledge of two foreign languages.
Senior Thesis Application Procedure---Schedule for Spring Term of Junior Year
- February 13, 2013---Submit thesis title and name of adviser;
- March 1, 2013---Submit annotated bibliography to thesis adviser;
- March 29, 2013---Submit bibliography of primary sources to thesis adviser;
- April 3, 2013---Submit thesis proposal to History Office;
- Mid-April---Departmental thesis committee issues decisions on thesis proposals.
The Thesis Application form is on the History Department home page.