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    Nov 23, 2024  
American University Catalog 2024-2025 
    
American University Catalog 2024-2025

History (BA)


History, B.A. 

Offered by the Department of History , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program


Formal admission to the major requires departmental approval.

University Requirements


AU Core Requirements


For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements


  • 39 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level
    • At least 20 of the 39 credit hours for the major must be taken in residence at American University
    • The department recommends that before enrolling in a course at or above 300-level, students should complete a suitable introductory course or attain equivalent knowledge

Advanced Placement


Prospective history majors may qualify for a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 advanced placement (AP) credits toward the major for the following exams: American history, European history, and world history, provided the student earns a grade of 4 or 5 on the AP examination. Students cannot receive AP credit towards the major if they also take the comparable survey courses in either American history (HIST-205  and HIST-206 ) or European history (HIST-110 ). A satisfactory International Baccalaureate (IB) examination may count toward fulfilling a specific course requirement for the major. Entering students with academic credit for IB examinations in history courses should consult with the department. A total of 6 AP and IB credits can be counted toward the history major.

Course Requirements


Required (3 credit hours)


Ancient or Medieval History (3 credit hours)


Complete 3 credit hours in ancient or medieval history (any area of the world, focusing on premodern era) from the following, or other approved courses:

United States History (6 credit hours)


Capstone (3-6 credit hours)


Complete one of the following options:

History Electives (9-12 credit hours)


Complete 9-12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Ancient or Medieval History, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African History, European History, or United States History:

Combined History (BA) and History (MA)


American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program  and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees  for more information.

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for combined bachelor’s/master’s programs:

  • Students in this program are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
  • Students will be admitted formally to MA status only if they have completed all requirements for the History (BA) with at least an overall 3.20 grade point average and a 3.50 grade point average in history courses.
  • Undergraduate students pursuing the History (MA)  (history concentration: 30 credit hours) may apply up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework in history to satisfy the requirements of both degrees. Undergraduate students pursuing the History (MA)  (public history concentration: 36 credit hours) may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework in history to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.