History
Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
546 Park Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4130
Phone: 716.645.2181
Fax: 716.645.5954
Web: www.cas.buffalo.edu/depts/history
Email: ubhistor@acsu.buffalo.edu
Tamara Plakins Thornton
Chair
Erik R. Seeman
Director of Undergraduate Studies
About the Department
History is an exploration of how people have lived, thought, and tried to make sense of their worlds. It is cross-cultural and multi-dimensional, aulressing the brealih of human experience and uncovering patterns that are essential in situating ourselves in the present and preparing ourselves for the future. History deals with both change and continuity, examining, for example, what is novel and what is recurrent in human efforts to deal with enduring matters such as ethnicity, class, and gender.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.A., Minor
Graduate: M.A., Ph.D.
About Our Degrees
The History department offers a wide array of courses, and stresses the development of research and communication skills vital for many different careers. History graduates work in such fields as business, law, government and journalism, as well as in librarianship, museum management, and teaching — wherever critical thinking and clear writing are recognized assets.
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of “C” in two history courses.
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students majoring in history may receive credit for up to five history courses (15 credit hours) but must take five upper-level history courses, including the two 400-level seminars, at UB. Whenever possible, transfer courses will be articulated with existing UB history courses. Acceptance criteria and all other requirements remain the same as for regular majors.
About Our Courses
The History department offers a wide array of courses and stresses the development of research and communication skills vital for many different careers.
The typical class size for:
Freshmen/introductory courses is: 75-125
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 30-60
Senior level/advanced courses is: 15-20
In the History department, what do graduate teaching assistants (TA's) do?
TA’s are recitation section leaders in large surveys, teach some classes in the evening division and in summer school, and teach some senior seminar courses.
Suggested Introductory Courses
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
The History department includes faculty of national and international distinction. Faculty members have taught in many parts of the globe, including Italy, Korea, Australia, and Russia, and their published scholarship has been translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. The department values teaching, and several faculty members have received teaching awards.
Special Academic Opportunities
Honors Program
Majors who complete at least four history courses with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.33 (B+) are eligible to apply for admission to the History department Honors Program. To complete this program, students fulfill the standard requirements for the major, plus four more courses. Eight of these courses shall be at the upper-division level (300/400). This includes a two-semester sequence of research seminars: HIS 497 and HIS 498, in which students work under the direction of a faculty member mentor to prepare a thesis of approximately thirty to forty pages in length. Upon admission to the program, honors students are responsible for arranging with a faculty member to guide their thesis research and writing, normally completed in the senior year. Honors students may, at the discretion of their mentors and upon the approval of the directors of undergraduate and graduate studies, participate in a relevant graduate seminar or seminars. Honors students who complete the thesis and attain a minimum GPA of 3.33 in the major will graduate with Honors in history. In aulition to being intellectually challenging and personally rewarding, successful completion of the Honors program—indicated on the transcript and in letters of recommendation—is excellent preparation for employment or graduate study.
Scholarships and Awards
Plesur Scholarships
Thanks to a generous benefactor, the History department is able to offer several scholarships each year. The awards are based on scholarly merit and promise. The amount of the awards varies from $1,000 to $3,500. Applications are accepted during the spring semester.
Horton Undergraduate History Essay
This prize, named in honor of the late Professor John Horton, long-time chair of the department, is awarded for the best undergraduate essay submitted for a history course.
Phi Alpha Theta
The History department has a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, one of the oldest honor societies in the United States. Phi Alpha Theta's purpose is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and thought among historians. It also encourages and assists historical research and publication by its members. An undergraduate student must have completed at least twelve semester hours in history with a grade in all history courses averaging above 3.1, and must have an overall average of 3.0 in courses excluding history.
Study Abroad
The History department encourages history majors to participate in study abroad programs. History students participate in university-wide exchange programs with Darmstali and Beijing. There are also exchanges with schools in England, Canada and elsewhere. The SUNY Study Abroad Program also offers exceptional opportunities for our students.
Extracurricular Activities
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
- African-American Studies
- American Studies
- Anthropology
- Art History
- Classics
- Economics
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
Courses outside History that could improve employment opportunities
Foreign languages, computer science, and business administration.
Advising Information
For more information, including current course descriptions, please drop by the office of the director of undergraduate studies at 540 Park Hall, visit us on the web at http://www.cas.buffalo.edu/depts/history, call us at (716) 645-2181, ext. 540, or e-mail us at ubhistor@acsu.buffalo.edu. This office handles all advising of undergraduate students.
Career Information
Skills gained in this program include:
- Making use of past experiences in reaching current decisions
- Following trends to predict shifts in political views or consumer tastes
- Monitoring profit cycles and changes in government policies to provide up-to-date business information
- Reading rapidly and extracting relevant data
- Interviewing: eliciting information from people outside an organization, and supplying it to people on the inside
- Documenting a conclusion and presenting it clearly, either through speech or writing
Career Choices
- Archivist
- Biographer
- Business administrator
- Consultant
- Counselor
- Editor
- Foreign service officer
- Historian
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Librarian
- Market research analyst
- Public official
- Researcher
- Teacher
Alumni in History have found employment in the following fields:
- Archival and library management
- Banking
- Civil service
- Communications
- Education
- Federal, state, and local government
- Foreign service
- Investment services
- Law
- Marketing and advertising
- Museums
- Newspapers/media
- Non-profit organizations and “think tanks”
- Public relations
- University administration
What percentage of graduates goes on to find related employment?
50%
Salary Information
Salaries range greatly from one occupation, position, and work setting to another. According to the September 1998 NACE national salary for bachelor's degree graduates, history salaries averaged $24,688 with graduates’ range from $18,000 to $35,000.
What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?
10 – 15%