1. Carolina Core (32-44 hours)

Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written — CMW (6 hours)

must be passed with a grade of C or higher​

• any CC-CMW courses

Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving — ARP (6-8 hours) 

• any CC-ARP courses

Scientific Literacy — SCI (8 hours)

• Two 4-credit hour CC-SCI laboratory science courses

Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language — GFL (0-6 hours)

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required for all baccalaureate degrees. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.

• CC-GFL courses

It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.

​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking — GHS (3 hours) 

• any CC-GHS course

Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences — GSS (3 hours) 

• any CC-GSS course

Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding —  AIU (3 hours)

• any CC-AIU course

Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component* — CMS (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course

Information Literacy* —  INF (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course

Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility* — VSR (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course

*Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)

Foreign Language (0-3 hours) 

• only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency

History (3 hours) 

The College of Arts and Sciences requires one U.S. History and one non-U.S. History course. Whichever is not fulfilled through the Carolina Core GHS requirement must be fulfilled through this college requirement. Accordingly, please select one of the following:

• One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on U.S. History: HIST 111 , 112 , 214 , or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Science to fit this geographic category.

OR

• One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on non-U.S. History: HIST 101 , 102 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 108 , 109 , GERM 280 , FAMS 300 , or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Sciences to fit this geographic category.

Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)

Courses Acceptable for Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences  

• Three hours of Social Science
• Nine hours of Fine Arts or Humanities

3. Program Requirements (28-43 hours)

Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)

Cognate

The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.

Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences .

For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.

It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate. For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

Minor

In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major. Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.

The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.

A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z .

Electives (10-31 hours)

No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.

4. Major Requirements (27 hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

Students may take up to 6 hours of History courses at the 200 level to fulfill major requirements; all the rest of their course hours in History must be taken at the 300 level or higher

Major Courses (15 hours)

• HIST 300 - Introduction to the History Major: The Historian’s Craft ​ 

Note: Students should take HIST 300 as soon as possible after declaring their history major.

• U.S. History (3 hours)
  • Select 1 course from U.S. History 300 or above
• European History (3 hour)
  • Select 1 course from European History 300 or above
• World History (3 hours)
  • Select 1 course from African, Middle Eastern, Asian, or Latin American History 300 or above
• Chronological Breadth (Overlay:the same courses that fulfill these requirements may also fulfill other major requirements)
  • Select 1 course (200-level or above) that substantially covers pre-modern societies
  • Select 1 course (200-level or above) that substantially covers modern societies

Note: Students may not use the same course to count for both of these chronological categories.

• ​Senior Seminar or Thesis (3 hours)

Select 1 course from the following:

• HIST 497 - Senior Seminar  
• HIST 498 - Senior Seminar  
• HIST 499 - Senior Thesis  
• SCHC 499 - Senior Thesis/Project  — Honors Thesis may substitute if this thesis is directed by a member of the history faculty.

Major Electives (12 hours)

Select 4 additional history courses, 200-level or above. The Assistant Chair and Undergraduate Director will determine into which groups specific History courses fall in consultation with the faculty member teaching the class. The Undergraduate Committee of the History Department must approve exceptions to the distribution requirements.

B.A. with Distinction (36 hours)

Students who fulfill the requirements for the general major may earn a B.A. with Distinction upon the completion of the following additional requirements:

• Declare their intention to pursue a degree with distinction before the beginning of their senior year, that is, before they have begun the last 30 units of their undergraduate degree.
• Have a minimum 3.60 GPA in the major and 3.50 overall GPA at the time of declaration of intent and maintain these GPA requirements.
• Complete an additional 9 hours of History courses at the 200-level or higher (only 6 hours of 200-level History courses may count towards the requirements for the major and graduation with distinction).
• Notify the professor of their Senior Seminar or Thesis course in writing by the end of the first week of classthat they intend to pursue a degree “with distinction” and complete to the professor’s satisfaction the additional research necessary for work “with distinction.”
• Public presentation of their research at Discovery Day.

Note: Students who want a degree “with distinction” from the History Department and a degree “with honors from the South Carolina Honors College” must complete two separate research projects.

The Warwick Exchange Progam

Selected history majors spend the junior year at the University of Warwick, Coventry, England, and maintain normal progress toward graduation.