Program Overview

Understand yesterday. Prepare for tomorrow.

We know that those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it. As a history major at the University of New Haven, you will develop an in-depth understanding of how the seminal events that preceded us impacted us then and how they affect our society today and moving forward.

The field of history is one of the central disciplines of the liberal arts and it provides a classic mode of learning. It also is a popular and interesting major to pursue. Why? Because everything has history. At its core, history deals with real people and events, and it offers limitless opportunities for intensive exploration.

History is not constrained by borders, neither are we
You learn through class discussions, debates and a senior thesis project; have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester; take elective courses that allow you to customize your course of study based on your interests; or double major or minor in a complementary field of study.

You’ll also develop your critical thinking, research, and writing skills, and gain an education in logic and reasoning. These are core skills that will serve you well as you attend law school, pursue an advanced degree in a range of disciplines, or start your career in a variety of fields or industries.

Applied History and Public Policy

The B.A. History - Applied History and Public Policy Concentration requires the completion of 121 credits. The courses must include the University Core Curriculum and at least 33 credits of history courses, including those listed below.

Students must complete at least 3 credits from each of the following areas for a total of 9 credits: Europe/World, Latin America, and the United States. At least 3 of the 9 credits must cover the pre-modern period and at least 3 cover the modern period.

Students must complete at least 15 credits of history courses that have the "applied history" attribute, including HIST 3325: Applied History and Public Policy.

All students are encouraged to demonstrate an intermediate proficiency (2000-level course) in a foreign language either through a placement test of by passing 2000-level courses.

In line with the University's core mission of experiential education, students should participate in experiential learning courses and/or activities (e.g. Study Abroad, Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, internship, service learning course, etc.) in addition to the senior thesis. Students are encouraged to complete the Applied History internship - HIST 4495.

Program Outcomes

• Students can analyze the interplay amongst such factors as politics, religion, race, and economics and their effect on the development of civilizations.
• Students can develop an historical narrative using primary and secondary sources.
• Students can construct a critical historical argument relevant to contemporary or foreseeable challenges using primary and secondary sources, as well as digital and computational data analysis.
• Students can synthesize historical data into a compelling interpretive arguments applicable to informing policy recommendations.