History Major

Major Coordinators

For information and advising related to the B.A. in Global History, please contact:

Edward Paulino
edpaulino@jjay.cuny.edu
212.237.8852
8.65.13NB

Matthew Perry
mperry@jjay.cuny.edu
212.237.8814
8.65.14NB

Requirements for the B.A. in Global History

The History Department's Global History major is derived from the field of global history, which emphasizes interactions and collisions between and among cultures. The major offers undergraduates the opportunity to develop skills that will serve them well in a variety of professional contexts.

After completing the required three–part survey in global history, students take a number of electives distributed among US History, Non-US History, and Premodern History. Electives cover a wide range of topics, but all of them embrace the principles of global history rather than producing students with a narrow and specialized geographic focus.

The required skills courses introduce students to the major schools of historical thought, varied techniques and approaches to doing historical research, and provide them with the opportunity to do original research in their capstone seminars.

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.
Credits Required
Global History Major 39
General Education 42
Electives 39
Total Credits Required for B.A. Degree 120

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

Part One. Survey of Global History
Required
HIS 203 The Ancient World 3
HIS 204 The Medieval World 3
HIS 205 The Modern World 3
Subtotal: 9
Part Two. Research and Methodology
Required
HIS 210 Doing History 3
HIS 240 Historiography 3
HIS 300 Research Methods in History 3
Subtotal: 9

 

Part Three. Electives

Students will complete six elective courses (18 credits). History majors who are in the Honors track will complete five elective courses (15 credits). Students must meet the following requirements when selecting degree electives:

  • At least two at 300-level
  • At least two from category: U.S. History 
  • At least two from category: Non-U.S. History
  • At least two from category: Premodern History

A maximum of two 100-level courses may be applied to the six electives.

U.S. History
HIS 100 Criminal Justice and Popular Culture 3
HIS 106 Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality 3
HIS 127 Microhistories: A Lens into the Past 3
HIS 131 Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine 3
HIS 144 Reacting to the Past 3
HIS 201 American Civilization- From Colonialism through the Civil War 3
HIS 202 American Civilization - From 1865 to the Present 3
HIS 206 /MUS 206 Orchestral Music and the World Wars 3
HIS 208 Exploring Global History 3
HIS 214 Immigration and Ethnicity in the United States 3
HIS 217 History of NYC (was Three Hundred Years of NYC) 3
HIS 219 Violence and Social Change in America 3
HIS 224 A History of Crime in New York City 3
HIS 242 /POL 242 /LLS 242 U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America 3
HIS 277 American Legal History 3
HIS 320 Topics in the History of Crime & Punishment in U.S 3
HIS 3ZZ Topics in U.S. History 3
HIS 323 History of Lynching and Collective Violence 3
HIS 340 Modern Military History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present 3
HIS 344 Topics in Legal History 3
HIS 352 History & Justice in Wider World 3
HIS 381 Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World 3
HIS 383 History of Terrorism 3
MUS 310 Comparative History of African American Musics 3
Non-U.S. History
AFR 150 Origins of Contemporary Africa 3
ART 222 Body Politics 3
HIS 106 Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality 3
HIS 127 Microhistories: A Lens into the Past 3
HIS 131 Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine 3
HIS 144 Reacting to the Past 3
HIS 206 /MUS 206 Orchestral Music and the World Wars 3
HIS 208 Exploring Global History 3
HIS 242 /POL 242 /LLS 242 U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America 3
HIS 252 Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt 3
HIS 254 History of Ancient Greece and Rome 3
HIS 256 History of Muslim Societies and Communities 3
HIS 260 /LLS 260 History of Contemporary Cuba 3
HIS 264 China to 1650 3
HIS 265 /LLS 265 Class, Race and Family in Latin American History 3
HIS 269 History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE) 3
HIS 270 Marriage in Medieval Europe 3
HIS 274 China: 1650-Present 3
HIS 281 Imperialism in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East 3
HIS 323 History of Lynching and Collective Violence 3
HIS 325 Criminal Justice in European Society, 1750 to the Present 3
HIS 327 History of Genocide: 500 C.E. to the Present 3
HIS 340 Modern Military History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present 3
HIS 344 Topics in Legal History 3
HIS 352 History & Justice in Wider World 3
HIS 354 Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome 3
HIS 356 /GEN 356 Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies 3
HIS 359 History of Islamic Law 3
HIS 362 History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650 3
HIS 364 /GEN 364 History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650 3
HIS 366 Religions of the Ancient World 3
HIS 368 Law and Society in the Ancient Near East 3
HIS 370 Ancient Egypt 3
HIS 374 Premodern Punishment 3
HIS 375 Female Felons in the Premodern World 3
HIS 381 Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World 3
HIS 383 History of Terrorism 3
LLS 130 Introduction to Latin American History 3
MUS 310 Comparative History of African American Musics 3
Premodern History
AFR 150 Origins of Contemporary Africa 3
HIS 106 Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality 3
HIS 127 Microhistories: A Lens into the Past 3
HIS 131 Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine 3
HIS 144 Reacting to the Past 3
HIS 201 American Civilization- From Colonialism through the Civil War 3
HIS 208 Exploring Global History 3
HIS 252 Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt 3
HIS 254 History of Ancient Greece and Rome 3
HIS 256 History of Muslim Societies and Communities 3
HIS 264 China to 1650 3
HIS 269 History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE) 3
HIS 270 Marriage in Medieval Europe 3
HIS 323 History of Lynching and Collective Violence 3
HIS 354 Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome 3
HIS 356 /GEN 356 Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies 3
HIS 359 History of Islamic Law 3
HIS 362 History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650 3
HIS 364 /GEN 364 History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650 3
HIS 366 Religions of the Ancient World 3
HIS 368 Law and Society in the Ancient Near East 3
HIS 370 Ancient Egypt 3
HIS 374 Premodern Punishment 3
HIS 375 Female Felons in the Premodern World 3
LLS 130 Introduction to Latin American History 3
Subtotal: 12

Part Four. Capstone Seminar

All Global History majors will complete a capstone seminar in their fourth year, which unites students from all three chronological tracks in the study of a particular theme, complete a research paper, and present their work at a departmental colloquium.

Required
HIS 425 Senior Seminar in History
HIS 489 Independent Study 400-level
Note: HIS 489 is required of honors students only. Students in the Honors track will enroll in an Independent Study (HIS 489) with a faculty mentor in the first semester of their senior year, and then in HIS 425 the following semester.
Subtotal: 3-6
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 39