History Major & Minor Requirements

These History major requirements apply to all students matriculating in Fall 2025 and after. 
Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2024 may elect to follow these new major requirements or 
may continue to follow the previous requirements for the History major that were in place when you 
entered St. Lawrence.

The requirements for the major in history are flexible enough to enable a student to pursue 
personal interests and goals and at the same time foster an appreciation for the diversity of the 
human experience. To qualify for a major in history the following minimum requirements must be met:

1. A minimum of nine history courses totaling nine units or more must be completed.
2. Geographical Distribution (at least three units): At least three courses must be drawn from 
   three of the following broad categories into which the history curriculum is divided: a) Africa, b) 
   Asia, c) Europe, d) Latin America and the Caribbean, e) Middle East, f) North America, g) 
   Transnational.
3. Historical Research Methods Seminar (at least one unit): HIST 299, normally completed before the 
   senior year.
4. Upper-level Courses (at least two units): At least two courses must be at the 300-level or 
   above.
5. No more than three courses at the 100 level may be credited toward the major.
6. The historical research methods seminar (HIST 299) and 300- and 400-level courses must be 
   completed at St. Lawrence University or in a SLU off-campus program.
7. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in the major.

Honors

The honors program in history enables qualified students to engage in intensive original work in the senior year. Admission to the program, at the discretion of the department, requires a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major. Students seeking admission must apply to the chair of the department by no later than May 1 of the junior year. Honors are granted upon the successful completion of an honors thesis written under the direction of a faculty advisor. Completion of the honors thesis earns two credits toward the major (History 498 and 499). Completion of a written historiography and other requirements by the end of the fall semester (History 498) is required for admission to History 499 in the spring. For additional information please see Honors Thesis Procedures.

Minor Requirements

A minor in history provides students with an opportunity to select courses that satisfy their interest in the field while learning the tools of the historian’s craft. To qualify for a minor in history the following minimum requirements must be met:

1. A minimum of five (5) history courses must be completed.
2. Historical Research Methods Seminar (at least one unit): HIST 299, normally completed before the senior year.
3. Upper-level Course (at least one unit): At least one course must be at the 300 level or above.
4. No more than one course (one unit) at the 100 level may be credited toward the minor.
5. Among the minimum of 5 courses, not more than one (one unit) may be an independent study (489, 490) or an internship (481, 482).
6. The historical research methods seminar (HIST 299) and 300- and 400-level courses must be
   completed at St. Lawrence University or in a SLU off-campus program.
7. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in the minor.

Advanced Placement and IB Credit 

Students may count up to one unit of AP or IB history credit (4 or higher required for AP history exams, 5 or higher for IB history exams) toward the major or minor.