Frequently Asked Questions

Under our previous numbering system, all upper-level US History courses fell between HIST 3301-3373 leaving HIST 3374 through 4399 for everything else. Frankly, it didn’t make much sense, while making it difficult for students to identify courses that appealed to their particular interests.

The revised undergraduate catalog numbering system is similar to those used by every other department at UTA and most every History department at other universities across the country.

Under the new system, 1000- and 2000-level designations are reserved for introductory or “survey” classes designed to fill core curriculum requirements or to provide general overviews of major subjects/themes in preparation for more detailed study at advanced levels. 3000-level courses are typically lecture or lecture/discussion style offerings focusing on national histories, major eras, or themes. The 4000-level designation is used for courses devoted to narrower, more focused topics or national/regional subjects. Courses at the 4000-level may be more likely to incorporate significant reading/discussion components or to be delivered as reading seminars. You’ll find that both 3000- and 4000-level courses are also now broken down into thematic and world regions with numbers assigned in rough chronological order (i.e. earlier periods/eras have been given lower numbers than more recent ones).

This new approach should give students a better sense of the “bigger picture” while helping those who browse the catalog identify more quickly courses sharing related themes or subjects. Like everything devised by humankind, the new system isn’t perfect, and it will evolve as additional courses are added in the future. All the same, we’re confident that you’ll find the new catalog numbers make more sense and represent a considerable improvement over the old ones.

In short, it shouldn’t. The new system doesn’t change anything other than the numbers assigned to courses. It’s intended to help you make sense out of the Department’s wide variety of offerings and to make it easier to identify complimentary courses within and across thematic and subject areas while browsing the catalog.

That’s as much our problem as yours. And it’s not much of a problem. Our expert advisors will help ensure that you’re properly credited for both the courses you’ve already taken as well as the ones you still need to complete your degree plan. In addition, we’ve prepared two handy print outs to help current students navigate between the different systems! The first one translates the old course numbers into their new numerical designations. The second one presents the new system in full, clearly identifying the thematic and topical sub-categories at each level.

For printable .pdf versions of these two documents, click on the following links:

Old Undergraduate Course List (prior to Fall 2019)

Undergraduate Course List (Fall 2022)

All that said, you will find that along with the revised numbering system the Department is adding close to twenty new courses to our catalog beginning in Fall 2019!

Nope. Only two of our 4000-level courses (HIST 4395: “History Seminar” and HIST 4390: "History Internship") require a pre-requisite or special permission. While you may find it beneficial to complete one or more lower-level classes before “moving up” in number, you’re not required to do so. If there’s a 4000-level course being offered that sparks your interest, you’re free to enroll in it your first semester at UTA.

HIST 3300: “Introduction to Historical Research” is a foundational course that has long been required of all History majors. As its title and catalog description indicate, it’s intended to introduce budding historians to the sources and approaches used by professional scholars to investigate and comprehend the past. As it so happens, the investigative, analytical, and communicative skills you’ll develop through the disciplined study of history are also ideal tools for ensuring future success regardless of your chosen vocation. (see Q 8 below)

Given how important this class is to one’s intellectual development, all students are strongly encouraged to enroll in HIST 3300 as soon as they declare their History major.

Beginning in Fall 2019 all new transfer students will be required to complete a one-hour course UNIV 1101: “Career Preparation and Student Success” during their first semester at UTA. The course has been created by the university administration to help students adjust to campus life and to ensure they develop basic skills that will aid in their post-graduation transition to the workforce.

To best meet the educational and professional needs of our students, the History Department has decided to incorporate the course materials taught in UNIV 1101 into HIST 3300: “Introduction to Historical Research.” For this reason, new transfer students who have declared a History major will be expected to complete HIST 3300 together with UNIV 1101 during their first semester at UTA.

As is true of the changes to our course numbering system, the addition of the capstone seminar (HIST 4395) was undertaken to bring our Department into line with the standards and practices in place at other History Departments at leading research universities.

No. The new capstone requirement only applies to those students who declare (or declare their intention to become) History Majors beginning in Fall 2019. Students who did so prior to Fall 2019 are strongly encouraged to take the course, but are not required to do so in order to complete their degree plan.

Along with studying a foreign language (see Q 12 below) the completion of your capstone seminar is one of the most important things you’ll do as a History major at UTA. It will give you a meaningful opportunity to road test the essential knowledge and skills you developed in HIST 3300 and other courses by engaging in hands-on research and writing under the expert direction of a professional scholar.

To put it another way, if you think you’ll ever need to:

write a cover letter for a job

submit an application for graduate school

draft a report for your company supervisor

compose a business plan

analyze differing sets of data

gather evidence as part of an investigation

weigh the merits of multiple, competing proposals

convince your boss you deserve a raise (or promotion)

deliver a presentation in public

defend a controversial position

or simply distinguish truth from “truthiness”

…your capstone History seminar will ensure you’re prepared to do so effectively.

In short, the tools and techniques you’ll develop as a History major and apply in your capstone seminar are ones that you’ll need for the rest of your life.

We don’t expect any of our majors to be particularly good writers…at least not when they’re first starting out. The truth is none of our Department’s faculty members were good writers when they began their careers as undergraduates! We all learned how to do it and are eager to show you that you can, too!

You gotta start somewhere. We’re here to help. 

he Department’s new internship course is intended to provide high achieving students with opportunities to apply their acquired historical knowledge and skills in professional settings across the DFW metroplex. We currently developing partnership arrangements with several local institutions including UTA’s own Special Collections, the Military Museum of Fort Worth, the African American Museum of Dallas, and the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX. Students interested in serving as interns are expected to have already completed the course(s) required of all History majors and, when applicable, to have taken one or more courses relevant to the place at which they wish to serve as an intern. History majors who pursue the Museum Studies Minor offered through the UTA Department of Art + Art History will find themselves ideally prepared to succeed as History interns.

The responsibilities and duties of interns vary by assignment. Some may work on preparing curatorial materials and displays for exhibitions, cataloging and preserving archival materials, or contributing their talents as docents (guides) for visitors. The Department’s faculty will work with you to identify the location and duties best suited to your personal interests and talents.

Put simply, we believe that studying a foreign language is one of the most important things that you can do as an undergraduate student. In all likelihood, this is also your last opportunity to develop an important skill, one that will greatly enhance your perception and awareness by imparting direct knowledge of how people different from you comprehend the world and communicate their understanding of it.

Language study will change the way you think - literally! Don’t believe it? Just ask someone who’s developed fluency in a second language what it’s like to dream in a foreign tongue…

Even if you do not master the language you study well enough to speak (and think) it fluently, the knowledge of structural, grammatical, and other linguistic elements you will develop along the way will significantly improve your ability to read, write, and communicate in English.

No. There are many departments across campus that will grant you a degree without expecting you to study a foreign language or produce a research paper.

That said, if you’re attending UTA simply to “get a degree” and are looking for the quickest and easiest way to reach that goal then a History major is probably not for you (though you can always pursue one of our minors).

However, if you’re attending UTA to receive an education and understand that the value of your resulting degree depends entirely upon the effort you put into earning it - we’d love to have you as one of our majors.

Anything you want! History is among the most useful and flexible educational paths you can pursue as an undergraduate. Our courses and faculty will help you identify and hone your natural talents; encourage you to develop new skills and abilities; and prepare you to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances while providing opportunities to experience the world from a variety of perspectives and vantage points.

An education in History prepares you for a lifetime of personal and professional success.

The History Department offers three degree plans: The History BA, a comprehensive and flexible degree plan which allows students to guide their own course of study; The Legal History Track BA which prepares students for law school and careers in law by focusing on legal history and related subjects; and the History BA with Social Studies Teaching Certification for those students who wish to become educators at the secondary level (7-12) following graduation.

English 1301 is a prerequisite for our freshman-level U.S. History survey courses, HIST 1301 and 1302. If you have taken the equivalent of ENGL 1301 at another institution and transferred the credit, the system may not immediately recognize it and allow you to enroll. If you believe this is the case, contact one of the History advisors via email or in person, and we’ll take care of it for you.

In other instances, please be aware that many of our HIST 1301 and 1302 sections are reserved for Nursing majors enrolled in the university’s RN-BSN program. These are labelled “dynamic courses,” and have distinct 700 section numbers. These courses are not available for open enrollment.

Well, that depends...The “typical” course load is 15 credit hours per semester or approximately 30 hours per academic year. Some students take fewer, while others take more or, in some cases, complete courses during summer and winter sessions. (Note: the History BA with Social Studies Teaching Certification requires both three semesters of coursework in the School of Education, as well as that certain courses be taken in certain semesters. These semesters should be accounted for when calculating your expected graduation date.) As a general rule, however, completing your degree in History should not take longer than any other undergraduate degree at UTA.

Students are free to add and drop courses during the late registration period themselves through MyMav. They can add and drop courses with no academic penalty through census date with the assistance of an advisor. After census date, a student will receive a “W” for dropping a course, and will be subject to the six-drop limit policy. Students may drop courses all the way up to last drop date.

Key dates can be found on the University Academic Calendar.

Yes, two Math courses are required as part of the university core. A list of suitable courses can be found on your History degree plan. Philosophy 2311 (Logic) can be substituted for one MATH credit.

Yes, a minor is required for the History BA and the Legal History Track BA. The History Department offers a number of minors that can be added to your degree plan, though students can seek minors in other departments as well. You must contact an advisor in the department of your minor to find out its course requirements and to have the minor added.

A minor is not required for the History BA with Social Studies Teaching Certification. In place of a minor, students take three semesters of education coursework.