Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

4 years
Credit Hours:

120
History provides the greatest context for both understanding the present and preparing for the future.
History encompasses all aspects of past human endeavor; it encourages students to think broadly and to attempt to integrate all of their knowledge into a meaningful whole. From history, a person develops a better understanding of current events and a better appreciation of art, architecture, ideas, politics, and fellow human beings and their activities. It also provides a guide for the future.

Want more info?

We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.

Request More Info

Why Earn a History Degree?

No matter your career path, you can benefit from majoring in history or taking history classes as electives because of the understanding and perspectives you gain.

Our curriculum helps you achieve a better understanding of current events and a better appreciation of architecture, art, ideas and politics.

Course offerings range from American political and constitutional development to ancient and modern Europe to modern China. Some courses are available online. As you progress toward your degree, you can focus your studies on U.S., European/Western or non-Western history.

Marketable Skills
  • Knowledge of historical context of current events
  • Knowledge of history/historical research methods
  • Oral and written communication
  • Critical reading of texts
  • Multicultural/diversity competencies

History Degree Highlights

The History Help Center and the Kingsbury-Thomason Departmental Library can assist you with preparing for exams and writing papers.
Other vital on-campus resources are the Military History Center and the University Libraries.
You may receive additional learning opportunities by attending any of the annual symposia and events hosted by the department or by getting involved in the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society.
UNT's Phi Alpha Theta chapter has been recognized as Best Chapter multiple times by the national organization.
Five faculty members have been Fellows of the Texas State Historical Association, recognized for their published works related to Texas history.
Faculty members have published dozens of award-winning books.

What Can You Do With a History Degree?

Advertising firms, historical societies, museums, libraries and publishers are potential employers of students with history backgrounds. Our alumni include:

  • Archivists and museum curators
  • Consultants for the CIA and the Department of Defense
  • Deans, program and department chairpersons, and faculty members at major universities
  • Environmental historians for the National Park Service
  • Lawyers
  • Teachers

If you plan to be a professional historian or teach at a university, you'll need to earn a master's or doctoral degree.

History Degree Courses You Could Take

Hollywood and the Wild West (3 hrs)
Introduction to the critical study of Western films from an historical perspective.
History of Anti-Semitism from Ancient Times to the Present (3 hrs)
Examines the history of anti-Semitism from ancient Egypt to the contemporary world. Topics include pagan responses to Jews, Christian theological anti-Semitism, the first Crusade, the ritual murder accusation, the blood libel, the Inquisition, impact of the Reformation, Russian pogroms, anti-Semitism in America, the Holocaust, Holocaust denial and Arab anti-Semitism.
War Crimes, Genocide, and Justice (3 hrs)
An examination of war crimes, genocides, and the development of international law to seek justice for these actions from antiquity to the present.
Pirates, Smugglers, and States in the Atlantic World, 1600-1856 (3 hrs)
Piracy’s “golden age” was a symptom of weak states that could not project power at a distance. Introduces two competing narratives about the rise, nature and fall of Atlantic piracy.
Rise and Fall of the Slave South (3 hrs)
Explores the development of the American South from its earliest colonial settlements through its destruction during the U.S. Civil War, examining the broad economic, political and social development of the region while focusing on the role that slavery played in shaping the southern United States as a major economic and political force in the 19th-century Atlantic World.
Historical and Cultural Development of the Mexican-American Community (3 hrs)
Historical evolution of Mexican-American culture, social structure, family patterns and community organizations, and their effects on education, economic and religious institutions.

Learn More About UNT

Watch this video to learn more about what makes UNT great!