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. In addition to completing required surveys in global and/or U.S. history and a methods course, Global History majors choose the degree electives on the topics or regions that most interest them. The required skills course introduces students to the main schools of historical thought, varied techniques and approaches to doing historical research, and provides them with the opportunity to do original research in their capstone seminar.
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.
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.
Structure of the Major
Part One. Foundations
Choose Two:
- HIS 201 United States History to 1865
- HIS 202 United States History since 1865
- HIS 203 The Ancient World
- HIS 204 The Medieval World
- HIS 205 The Modern World
Required:
- HIS 300 Research Methods in History
Part Two. Electives
Choose Three:
- HIS 210 Doing History
- HIS 219 Violence and Social Change in America
- HIS 224 A History of Crime in New York City
- HIS 228 Critical Perspectives on the Middle East
- HIS 252 Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt
- HIS 254 History of Ancient Greece and Rome
- HIS 264 Premodern Asia: Empires, Exchanges, and the Silk Road
- HIS 269 History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE)
- HIS 270 History of Marriage
- HIS 274 Modern Asia: Empires, Encounters, and Globalization
- HIS 277 American Legal History
- HIS 281 Imperialism in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East
- HIS 282 Selected Topics in History
- HIS 289 Independent Study 200-level
Choose Four:
- HIS 323 History of Lynching and Collective Violence
- HIS 327 History of Genocide: 500 C.E. to the Present
- HIS 344 Topics in Legal History
- HIS 354 Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome
- HIS 362 Topics in the History of Science and Medicine
- HIS 364 History of Gender and Sexuality
- HIS 366 Religions of the Ancient World
- HIS 368 Law and Society in the Ancient Middle East
- HIS 381 Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World
- HIS 385 Faculty Mentored Research Experience in History
- HIS 389 Independent Study 300-level
Choose Two
- Any HIS Course (1XX, 2XX, 3XX, 4XX)
- AFR 150 Origins of Contemporary Africa
- ART 222 Body Politics
- HJS 215 Race and Rebellion
- HUM 300 Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Cases
- LLS 130 Introduction to Latin American History
Part Three. Capstone Seminar
Required:
- HIS 425 Senior Seminar in History
Required for Honors Track Students Only:
- HIS 489 Independent Study 400-level
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 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.