History Major

Major Coordinator and Major Advisor

For information and advising related to the B.A. in Global History, please contact Allison Kavey at akavey@jjay.cuny.edu

Requirements for the B.A. in Global History

The Global History major is derived from the discipline of global history, which emphasizes interactions and collisions between and among cultures. This program provides undergraduates with the knowledge and research skills to better understand the world, to think critically about the past, present, and future problems facing different peoples and communities. After completing the required three–part survey in global history, Global History majors choose the degree electives on the topics or regions that most interest them. The required skills courses introduce students to the main schools of historical thought, varied techniques and approaches to doing historical research, and provide them with the opportunity to do original research in their capstone seminar. Click here for information about this major in the John Jay College Undergraduate Bulletin .

Learning outcomes
Students will:

Identify and explain the historical significance of critical events, trends, and themes in ancient, medieval, or modern world history.
Identify, locate, contextualize, and evaluate the usefulness of different forms of historical evidence (primary sources).
Effectively read historical scholarship (secondary sources) by accurately identifying the thesis, source base, organizational structure, and conclusions of academic texts.
Identify different theories and methods used in the historical profession.
Construct a historical argument grounded in evidence from primary and secondary sources and be able to provide a coherent defense of this thesis orally and in writing.

Credits required

Global History Major	39
General Education	42
Electives	39
Total Credits Required for B.A. Degree	120

Honors option
To receive Honors in Global History, a student must complete an extended senior thesis over the course of their senior year (two semesters) while achieving a 3.5 grade point average in their major courses. Eligible students may enroll in the honors track as upper juniors (having accumulated at least 75 to 90 credits) by meeting with the major coordinator.

Experiential learning opportunities
Students in the Global History major can participate in a variety of experiential learning opportunities over the course of their studies. During the freshman and sophomore years, students in HIS 150 engage with archival resources as well as public documents. In the junior year, students in HIS 300 visit historical archives and may engage in an internship that entails use of archival research. During the senior year, students participate in an extensive research experience associated with the capstone seminar, HIS 425, culminating in a presentation of their senior thesis to the History Department. In addition, Global History students may participate in our internship for credit program where students can receive one major elective credit for an internship that is paired with an independent study.

Dual Admission/ Accelerated Program Leading to the MA in Human Rights. This program allows student an accelerated approach to earning their BA in Global History and MA in Human Rights at John Jay. Students complete 135 credits to earn both degrees. Contact the Major Coordinator for more details about requirements and applications.

Additional information
Students who enrolled for the first time at the College in September 2023 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the major. A copy of the earlier version can be obtained in the 2022-2023 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Part One. Survey of Global History

Choose Two

HIS 203	The Ancient World	3
HIS 204	The Medieval World	3
HIS 205	The Modern World	3

Subtotal: 6

Part Two. Research and Methodology

Required

HIS 210	Doing History	3
HIS 240	Historiography	3
HIS 300	Research Methods in History	3

Note: HIS 210 Doing History formerly HIS 150 Doing History

Subtotal: 9

Part Three. Electives

Students will complete seven elective courses (21 credits). History majors who are in the Honors track will complete six elective courses (18 credits). Students must meet the following requirements when selecting degree electives:

At least three at 300-level
At least two from category: U.S. History
At least two from category: Non-U.S. History
At least two from category: Premodern History

A maximum of two 100-level courses may be applied to the six electives.

Non-U.S. History

AFR 150	Origins of Contemporary Africa	3
ART 222	Body Politics	3
HIS 106	Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality	3
HIS 127	Microhistories: A Lens into the Past	3
HIS 131	Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine	3
HIS 144	Reacting to the Past	3
HIS 206/MUS 206	Orchestral Music and the World Wars	3
HIS 208	Exploring Global History	3
HIS 228	Critical Perspectives on the Middle East	3
HIS 242/POL 242/LLS 242	U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America	3
HIS 252	Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt	3
HIS 254	History of Ancient Greece and Rome	3
HIS 256	History of Muslim Societies and Communities	3
HIS 260/LLS 260	History of Contemporary Cuba	3
HIS 264	China to 1650	3
HIS 265/LLS 265	Class, Race and Family in Latin American History	3
HIS 269	History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE)	3
HIS 270	Marriage in Medieval Europe	3
HIS 274	China: 1650-Present	3
HIS 281	Imperialism in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East	3
HIS 323	History of Lynching and Collective Violence	3
HIS 325	Criminal Justice in European Society, 1750 to the Present	3
HIS 327	History of Genocide: 500 C.E. to the Present	3
HIS 340	Modern Military History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present	3
HIS 344	Topics in Legal History	3
HIS 352	History & Justice in Wider World	3
HIS 354	Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome	3
HIS 356/GEN 356	Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies	3
HIS 359	History of Islamic Law	3
HIS 362	History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650	3
HIS 364/GEN 364	History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650	3
HIS 366	Religions of the Ancient World	3
HIS 368	Law and Society in the Ancient Near East	3
HIS 370	Ancient Egypt	3
HIS 374	Premodern Punishment	3
HIS 375	Female Felons in the Premodern World	3
HIS 381	Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World	3
HIS 383	History of Terrorism	3
HJS 215	Race and Rebellion	3
LLS 130	Introduction to Latin American History	3
MUS 310	Comparative History of African American Musics	3

U.S. History

HIS 100	Criminal Justice and Popular Culture	3
HIS 106	Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality	3
HIS 127	Microhistories: A Lens into the Past	3
HIS 131	Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine	3
HIS 144	Reacting to the Past	3
HIS 201	United States History to 1865	3
HIS 202	United States History since 1865	3
HIS 206/MUS 206	Orchestral Music and the World Wars	3
HIS 208	Exploring Global History	3
HIS 214	Immigration and Ethnicity in the United States	3
HIS 217	History of NYC (was Three Hundred Years of NYC)	3
HIS 219	Violence and Social Change in America	3
HIS 224	A History of Crime in New York City	3
HIS 242/POL 242/LLS 242	U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America	3
HIS 244	History of Eugenics: Science and the Construction of Race	3
HIS 277	American Legal History	3
HIS 323	History of Lynching and Collective Violence	3
HIS 340	Modern Military History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present	3
HIS 344	Topics in Legal History	3
HIS 352	History & Justice in Wider World	3
HIS 381	Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World	3
HIS 383	History of Terrorism	3
HUM 277	Humanities in Action	3
MUS 310	Comparative History of African American Musics	3

Premodern History

AFR 150	Origins of Contemporary Africa	3
HIS 106	Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality	3
HIS 127	Microhistories: A Lens into the Past	3
HIS 131	Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine	3
HIS 144	Reacting to the Past	3
HIS 201	United States History to 1865	3
HIS 208	Exploring Global History	3
HIS 252	Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt	3
HIS 254	History of Ancient Greece and Rome	3
HIS 256	History of Muslim Societies and Communities	3
HIS 264	China to 1650	3
HIS 269	History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE)	3
HIS 270	Marriage in Medieval Europe	3
HIS 323	History of Lynching and Collective Violence	3
HIS 354	Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome	3
HIS 356/GEN 356	Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies	3
HIS 359	History of Islamic Law	3
HIS 362	History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650	3
HIS 364/GEN 364	History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650	3
HIS 366	Religions of the Ancient World	3
HIS 368	Law and Society in the Ancient Near East	3
HIS 370	Ancient Egypt	3
HIS 374	Premodern Punishment	3
HIS 375	Female Felons in the Premodern World	3
LLS 130	Introduction to Latin American History	3

Subtotal: 18-21

Part Four. Capstone Seminar

All Global History majors will complete a capstone seminar in their fourth year, which unites students from all three chronological tracks in the study of a particular theme, complete a research paper, and present their work at a departmental colloquium.

Required

HIS 425	Senior Seminar in History	3
HIS 489	Independent Study 400-level	3

HIS 489: For Honors Track students only - required

Note: Students in the Honors track will enroll in an Independent Study (HIS 489) with a faculty mentor in the first semester of their senior year, and then in HIS 425 the following semester.

Subtotal: 3-6

Note: Students on the Honors track will enroll in an Independent Study (HIS 489) with a faculty mentor in the first semester of their senior year, and then in HIS 425 the following semester.

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 39

Honors option. To receive Honors in Global History, a student must complete an extended senior thesis over the course of their senior year (two semesters) while achieving a 3.5 grade point average in their major courses. Eligible students may enroll in the honors track as upper juniors (having accumulated at least 75 to 90 credits) by meeting with the major coordinator.

Experiential learning opportunities. Students in the Global History major can participate in a variety of experiential learning opportunities over the course of their studies. During the freshman and sophomore years, students in HIS 150 engage with archival resources as well as public documents. In the junior year, students in HIS 300 visit historical archives and may engage in an internship that entails use of archival research. During the senior year, students participate in an extensive research experience associated with the capstone seminar, HIS 425, culminating in a presentation of their senior thesis to the History Department. In addition, Global History students may participate in our internship for credit program where students can receive one major elective credit for an internship that is paired with an independent study.

Additional information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College in September 2019 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the major. A copy of the earlier version can be obtained in the Undergraduate Bulletin 2017-18.