Major map compass icon
2024-2025

History, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts: Arts and Sciences (History) (College of Southern Maryland)
College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland
Associate degree

Associate of Arts: Arts and Sciences (History)

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The Bachelor of Arts in History requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 36 of those credits in history. Students must complete HIST 300 with a minimum grade of C prior to enrolling in more than six credits of 300- or 400-level history courses. The history curriculum exposes students to a multidimensional analysis of the human past. Knowledge gained through such analysis not only has the intrinsic appeal of any disciplined intellectual inquiry, but also constitutes an indispensable basis for active citizenship and for critical thinking about the society in which the student lives. Historical training at the undergraduate level leads to personal and social awareness within the rich tradition of the liberal arts. It also provides students an ideal preparation for a wide range of careers and further professional study. Students in the program can take advantage of a wide range of courses with thematic, topical, national or chronological emphases to fulfill requirements and electives. Capstone options in the major include an in-depth, hands-on research course, or an internship with an historical organization.  Students should consult with their advisers each semester to design a program that meets these requirements and suits their interests and career objectives.

Career opportunities
An undergraduate degree in history is good preparation for a wide variety of careers, including in public history, law, public administration, education, not-for-profit management, or business (including sales, marketing, and administration), as well as for graduate study in History. Students in History who take the appropriate coursework in the sciences also go on successfully to graduate programs in medicine. History undergraduate students would do well to seek leadership roles in school or community organizations, and to gain experience in the fundraising and grant writing techniques which support not-for-profit organizations. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are imperative for most careers related to history, politics, or government administration. Part-time and summer jobs, internships, and volunteer positions are critical to gaining the experience and skills that employers seek.
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialist   
  • Film and Video Editor
  • Library Technician
  • Museum Technician and Conservator  
  • Park Naturalist  
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Recreation Worker
  • Research Assistant
  • Secondary School Teacher
  • Social and Human Services Assistant 
  • Staff and Legislative Assistant  
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Archivist
  • Attorney
  • College Professor
  • Museum Director
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

History, Bachelor of Arts

College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Arts: Arts and Sciences (History))

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Browse careers related to History through the Career Coach.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Take a career assessment through the Career Coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU History Department and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students in History to make professional and personal connections.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or History department-related events.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college to explore your interests.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to History through the Career Coach.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take a career assessment through the Career Coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU History Department and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students in History to make professional and personal connections.
  • Research housing for next year.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or History department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college to explore your interests.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

History, Bachelor of Arts

College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Arts: Arts and Sciences (History))

College of Southern Maryland courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENG 1010 Composition and Rhetoric Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 1020 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
FYS 1010 First Year Seminar UNIV 101 3 Elective
MTH 1010 Quantitative Literacy and Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
SCE 1010 Scientific Method and the Modern World INSC 1XX 3 Elective
History Select from HST 1011, HST 1013, HST 1015, HST 1031, and HST 1032 HIST 3 Major
ENG 1020 Composition & Literature UNIV 200 3 General education
Biological/Physical Science Select 1: AST 1010, BIO 1060, CHE 1200, GEO 1010, PHY 1110 VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
Communication Select 1: COM 1010, COM 1250, COM 1350 SPCH 3 Elective
History Select two from HST 1011, HST 1013, HST 1015, HST 1031, and HST 1032 HIST 6 Major
Social/Behavioral Science Select from approved list of general education courses VCU equivalent 3 General education
Arts Select from ART, THE, or MUS VCU equivalent 3 General education
History Select two from HIS HIST 6 Major
Elective Select 1 from HST, COM, ART, MUS, PHL, THE, and ENG 2000 level VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Arts/Humanities Select 1: FRE 1010 or SPA 1010 or approved arts/humanities elective The VCU foreign language requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Literature Select 1: ENG 2010, 2020, 2200, 2210, 2320, 2330. ENGL 3 General education
Arts/Humanities FRE 1020 or SPA 1020 or approved arts/humanities elective (see note above) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science Select from approved list of general education courses VCU equivalent 3 General education
Elective Elective VCU equivalent 2 to 3 Elective
CSM credits transferred to VCU 61
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
HIST 300 Introduction to Historical Study 3 Major
HIST Junior seminar (choose from HIST 401 through HIST 422) 3 Major
HIST 493 or HIST 490 Internship or Senior Seminar in History 3 Major
HIST Upper-level HIST (301-499, except 490 or 493) Note: The history major requires students to take one course (three credits) from at least five of the following seven geographic specialties: 1) history of the United States, 2) history of Europe, 3) history of Africa, 4) history of Asia, 5) history of Latin America, 6) history of the Middle East and 7) history of the Caribbean. This geographic distribution requirement may be satisfied by any course taken for HIST credit, at any level. 15 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 21 Elective
Open electives 14 Elective
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 59
Bachelor's degree total 120