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History

We have the largest history department in South Carolina, offering the most comprehensive course of study in the state and one of the most competitive in the region and nation.

What to Expect

As a history major, through in-depth analysis of the evolution of social, economics, cultural-intellectual and political patterns and events, you’ll develop an understanding of and appreciation for the life and development of various cultures, institutions and civilizations. You will become an expert at answering the questions “Who are we, and how did we get here?” You will learn how to situate yourself in the long continuum of human experience and how to find meaning in the past.

The skills you develop as a history major will give you the capacity to make the voices, stories and events of the past come alive and to give shape to the experiences and processes that have defined the interaction of humans with each other and with the world around them.

A selected number of history majors or minors spend their junior or senior year (or a spring or fall semester) at the University of Warwick, Coventry, England, while maintaining their normal progress toward graduation. Warwick has the United Kingdom’s second-highest-ranked history department.

Undergraduate Degree

B B.A. in History

The Department of History, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of the university’s “Centers of Excellence” and offers a strong and diverse program for both undergraduate and graduate students. The department has been praised by the Chronicle of Higher Education and The State Newspaper.

The following courses fulfill some of the requirements for a bachelor's degree in history:

The Historian’s Craft
A course from U.S. History
A course from European History
A course from African, Middle Eastern, Asian or Latin American History
Senior Seminar

Apply for Undergraduate Admission

Our Office of Undergraduate Admissions provides the most current information on the application process so you can check the requirements based on your current status and find university scholarships.

Graduate Degrees

Depending on their interests, graduate students can earn one of two master's degrees: history or public history. One of the oldest programs in the country, the public history program trains students for careers in museum administration, archive management and historic preservation. It is the only public history program in the country to win the prestigious Robert Kelley Memorial Award, recognizing its “distinguished and outstanding achievements in public history.”

Graduate students can also earn their Ph.D. in history or certificates either in historical archaeology and cultural resource management or in museum management.

Graduate Director: Matt D. Childs, 803-777-3198, childsmd@mailbox.sc.edu
Program Contact: Jay Pou, 803-777-4492, pouj@mailbox.sc.edu