Academic Programs

Undergraduate Programs

Study History at UC

Three people laughing while seated in a room with books with more people in the background

Undergraduate students at Pizza & Profs event

History is a dynamic curriculum of study that helps students cultivate coveted skills for life after college. History students become inventive and capable thinkers, researchers, writers, and communicators. Our major and minor encourages teamwork and trains students to approach issues from diverse viewpoints to make informed decisions. In addition, historical research requires analysis of primary sources, secondary sources, and an array of technology and web-based resources to make clear and compelling arguments, observations, and informed recommendations. Few other disciplines hone such a wide variety of skills, making history students uniquely suited to excel in multiple professions. 

As a history major or minor, you will learn to:   

  • Organize and manage diverse and complex information   
  • Express strong and persuasive evidence-based arguments in writing and speech   
  • Build unparalleled research skills through deep and broad inquiry   
  • Explore the complexity of the human experience across time and space   
  • Use the lessons of the past to understand the present   

Developing these skills is vital for success in the major and minor and in college more generally. More importantly, these skills enable individuals to achieve success beyond their formal education: they engender self-confidence, they enhance the ability to solve problems creatively and fairly, and they encourage individuals to recognize their capacity to become influential leaders at home, in the workplace, and within their communities. In other words, emphasizing these skills ensures that our history majors and minors are highly adaptable in a rapidly changing global economy. Moreover, acquiring and refining these skills also helps history students realize that while not all problems are easily solved, they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to meet present challenges carefully and thoughtfully. They can do so because they can draw on their understanding of the extraordinary complexity of the past to understand the present and help usher in a better future. 

The major in History provides students with a broad range of choices. Students may concentrate their studies in any part of the world or era in history. The major also provides a carefully designed sequence of courses that teach students how to practice history as a discipline, from the critical examination of existing knowledge, to the techniques of original historical research. These techniques can be applied using an almost limitless variety of sources, including diaries, journals, film, literature, visual images, and government documents. Students may also minor in History or pursue, in addition to a BA, other interdisciplinary certificates such as historic preservation, public history, etc.

Major Requirements
A History major consists of 36 credits and is structured to reflect the department’s philosophy and pedagogical goals. Students begin with two survey courses chosen from among European, U.S., Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African, and world history. Building on this broad overview, students take a gateway course, “Introduction to Historical Thought and Methods” (HIST 3000), where they are introduced to historiography, critical thinking and intensive writing and rewriting. Five upper-division elective courses give students the freedom to develop their own field of special interest, while one course (at any level) in any area other than American or European history and one course (at any level) from pre-1800 history ensures a breadth of knowledge. The capstone “History Research Seminars” (HIST 5000) offer History majors experiential learning, allowing the students to integrate their training in critical thinking, research skills and writing to produce an original piece of scholarship. All History majors should consult with the department’s Director of Undergraduate Advising when they declare their major.

Minor Requirements
A History minor consists of 18 credit hours and allows students to experience some of the philosophy and pedagogical goals of the department. Students are required to enroll in 6 credit hours of 1000-2000 level history elective courses. Moving from this broad perspective, students next take “Introduction to Historical Thought and Methods” (HIST 3000). They then will need to enroll in two 3001-6000 level History elective courses. Finally, a student will need to take an additional 3 credit hours of History electives, at any level. All History minors should consult with the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies when they declare their minor. All History minors should consult with the department’s Director of Undergraduate Advising when they declare their minor.

Students have the option of double-majoring in History and other disciplines. It’s frequently the case that students interested in other areas, including teaching, law, area studies, and medicine, need complete only a handful of additional course in order to satisfy the History major. The UC College of Arts and Sciences offers flexible degree requirements that encourage multiple areas of study. Some of the most common pairings are Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Geography, International Affairs, Journalism, Languages, Law and Society, Political Science, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Students who want to show future employers the full breadth and depth of their preparation in their subject areas may choose to become dual majors. This is common within the College of Arts & Sciences but students with majors in other colleges can also become dual majors, which means they will have completed both the general education requirements and major requirements in both colleges. Others with more restrictive schedules may choose to pursue a Cross-College major, which means that they will have completed all general education and major requirements in their home college, but only the major requirements for History.

One common example of the Cross-College major involves students in CECH pursuing a BS Ed. As you can see in the chart below, those who choose this path will only need to complete five additional upper-division classes in History to receive the Cross-College major. Students in CECH preparing to teach secondary Social Studies will already have earned the History minor through their coursework, and simply have to declare it for it to show on their transcripts. 

Table comparing the number of required credit hours for History Majors and Cross-College Education Majors (History; Social Studies)
Requirement Category History Major Education Major (History; Social Studies)
Lower Level Courses 9 HRS 15 HRS
Methods 3 HRS 3 HRS
NonUS/Non-Euro Courses  3 HRS 3 HRS
Pre-1800 Courses 3 HRS 3 HRS
Upper-Level Electives 12 HRS 3 HRS
History 4000 3 HRS 3 HRS
Capstone 3 HRS 0 HRS
Total 36 HRS 30 HRS

Graduate Studies in History

history graduate students chatting on the sofa

Graduate students at the annual graduate student conference

Students enjoy the benefits of our mid-sized graduate program: a varied curriculum combined with personal attention from faculty. Together our MA and PhD programs enroll approximately 40 students with diverse backgrounds and a variety of goals. Some are honing skills that will advance their careers in secondary teaching, while others will seek - and land - academic posts. Our students have also found careers in public history, including museums and archives, while others have gone on to careers in law and business.

To see some of our alumni success stories, check out our newsletter, where we regularly post updates from our alumni. Regardless of their goals, however, all of our students are trained to work as historians. Our program emphasizes original research based in primary sources, and it features courses in historical methodology, public history, and pedagogy. A vibrant community of scholars - both students and faculty - creates a lively learning environment.

Students select a concentration in United States, European, World, or Public History, but everyone receives broad training, taking courses in minor fields, languages, or in other graduate programs. Students also take at least one comparative seminar, usually team taught, in which a theme is explored across national boundaries, such as gender, race, or urban history.

Headshot of Steve Porter

Steve Porter

Director of Graduate Studies, Department of History

360 Arts & Sciences Hall

We offer an accelerated combined track for students who wish to earn both a BA and MA in history. To apply to this program, students must be declared History majors. They must have at least a 3.5 GPA in history courses and a 3.3 GPA overall at the end of their junior year, when they must declare their interest in entering the 5-year BA + MA Program in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies. In addition to fulfilling all of the requirements of the undergraduate major, interested students must take two 6000-level History seminars in their junior or senior year.

Applicants will follow the usual application procedures in the fall of their senior year. The Graduate Admissions Committee will consider 5-year BA + MA Program applications along with all other applicants for admission and Graduate Assistantships. Those who receive and accept GAship offers cannot complete the MA in one year. Those who do not receive or accept a GA offer can complete the MA degree taking an accelerated approach. Following is a sample 1-year MA Program:

Fall

  • HIST 7060 Historical Methodology Seminar
  • HIST 9040 Graduate Research Seminar I
  • Graduate Seminar in Major Field

Spring

  • HIST 7080 Comparative History Seminar
  • HIST 9041 Graduate Research Seminar II
  • Graduate Seminar in Major Field

The UC History Department is home to a selective and successful PhD program. While the program is designed to train future university teachers and researchers, a number of our PhDs have gone on to distinguished careers in government service and a range of other professions, including business and law. Our doctoral program is small by design as we usually admit between 2-5 students a year. This is one of our greatest strengths as it gives our doctoral students ample opportunity to work closely with faculty. Our doctoral students also benefit from generous funding for research and writing through departmental, university, and Taft Center funding. 

The History Department offers a joint Ph.D. initiative in Modern Jewish History and Culture, offered in partnership with the Pines School of Graduate Studies at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, Ohio.

For more information, please visit https://modernjewishhistory.net
 

The master's program in history at UC offers students a diverse and challenging postgraduate training in history. MA students typically complete their degrees in two years, with most of the coursework taking place in small graduate seminars and reading colloquia. Over the course of their MA training, all of our students have the opportunity to present papers and conduct primary archival research in the US and abroad, often with funds provided by the department or through other university-based sources. Many of our MA graduates use their degree to propel themselves into successful careers in museum work, historical societies, government service and secondary education. Other students choose to continue their graduate study by enrolling in doctoral programs in history, both in our own department and in other top history programs around the country.

For teachers and other working professionals that are seeking a graduate degree in History, there is a non-research track MA degree.  Students wishing to enroll in the non-research track must declare such when they apply for the program.  Students who choose this track must complete 32 hours of coursework, choose an area of concentration, and fulfill all program requirements other than the research seminars, HIST 9040 and HIST 9041 (8 credit hours).  (Non-research option students may convert to the research option upon consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.) 

Part-time students who take 8 credits per semester will still be able to complete the degree in four semesters or two academic years.  All required courses are offerred annually.  Many of our graduate seminars are scheduled in the evenings, starting at 5:00 or 6:00pm to permit schedule flexibility.  

History graduate students and faculty are involved with a range of important and exciting interdisciplinary programs at UC, including Asian Studies, European Studies, Historic Preservation (with DAAP), and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In these programs, historians engage with sociology, anthropology, economics, planning, geography, and languages and literatures to deepen their knowledge of particular areas of study.

Asian Studies

Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program devoted to the study of the languages, cultures, economics, history, geography, and politics of Asian countries. The Asian Studies graduate certificate is an interdisciplinary program that draws on courses offered through anthropology, art history, history, geography, economics, political science, planning, and other fields.

European Studies

The European Studies program provides opportunities for studying the multifaceted nature of a changing Europe—its history, languages, cultural, political, economic, and social fabric, as well as its relations with the United States and the world. European Studies offers an annual fall workshop in which grad students and faculty from a number of departments meet together to discuss a common theme related to European history, society, and culture. The workshop is followed by a two-quarter graduate research seminar that allows students to develop a research topic related to the general field of European Studies. MA or PhD students in history with an interest in Europe can find out more about graduate coursework by consulting the European Studies web page.

Historic Preservation

This program is designed to provide students with an appreciation for the issues and techniques involved in preserving the artifacts of the past.  College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP) offer a joint graduate certificate in this area. Coursework for the certificate may also contribute to the coursework requirements for the MA and PhD in Historic Preservation.

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at the University of Cincinnati offers one of the oldest and most respected programs in women's studies in the country. The WGSS department consists of both a core group of faculty as well as a diverse body of affiliated professors from a wide range of disciplines. WGSS offers a certificate of concentration for graduate students in history that consists of three core courses and two electives.

The application deadline for Fall 2025 admission both the PhD and MA program is January 1, 2025. The following materials should be uploaded through the Graduate School's central application system:

  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • A writing sample