To achieve these goals, majors are required to complete successfully ten or more courses (30 semester hours). The three introductory courses, HIS 111, 112, and 165, are required of all majors and will enable students to communicate a knowledge of the histories of both America and of Western Civilization. The relevant introductory courses must be taken as preparation for upper-division courses unless the instructor consents to an exception. Students who receive at least three hours of either transfer or AP credit for introductory United States History are considered to have fulfilled the requirement for HIS 165. Majors must also take HIS 295, "The Historian’s Craft," preferably in their sophomore year and no later than their junior year, and, as seniors, must take HIS 495. Of the five remaining courses, at least one must be taken from the first two of the following categories, and at least two must be taken from the third:

1) Pre-Modern Europe and Non-Western (HIS 301, 302, 310, 315, 320, 321, and 324)

2) Modern Europe (HIS 317, 318, 322, 327, 328, 330, and 332)

3) United States (HIS 352, 353, 354, 356, 361, 362, 363, 365, 370, 377, and 380)

This upper-division distributional requirement is not met by HIS 333, 340, 401, 481, 491, 495, and 499. Only nine hours of 100-level credit may be applied towards the major, and only six hours of credit in HIS 481, 491, and 499 may be applied toward the major. Upon successful completion of the upper-division requirement, majors will be able to communicate a detailed knowledge of specific Pre-modern European, Modern European, and American historical eras and fields. They will also be proficient in historical methodology and both written and oral historical argumentation.

In their senior year, history majors must pass separate Senior Comprehensive Examinations in European and American history, each requiring an essay response to one of three questions presented.  These examinations assess students' ability to display both general and specific knowledge of the histories of America and Western Civilization and to interpret and argue historically.

A minor in history consists of at least five courses. Three must be upper-division courses (301 and above), and these upper-division courses must belong to at least two of the categories listed above. Minors will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills similar to those of majors.

History majors may attain Departmental Honors by earning a grade of B+ or better in HIS 495 and by attaining a grade point average of 3.75 in courses in the major and an overall grade point average of 3.50.