History - Bachelor of Arts (36 Credits + 6 Credits Experiential Learning)
The study of history trains students to uncover the forgotten voices and diverse perspectives of the past and explain their relevance to society today. It prepares students to make critical evaluations of long-term transformations that continue to shape the contemporary world, like industrialization, imperialism, globalization, racism, and environmental change. History majors develop skills that are vital to meaningful careers and engaged citizenship. Majors will study key historical events in pre-, early, and modern history and engage in original historical research. They will gain a nuanced understanding of pivotal historical issues and cultivate highly transferable skills in research, writing, and critical thinking.
Majors have the option to complete many of their program requirements through Reacting to the Past courses. This award-winning, active-learning pedagogy immerses students in significant historical moments through complex role-playing games. This innovative approach offers a dynamic and engaging approach to teaching history.
Degree Requirements
I. Required Core (12 Credits):
A. Pre and Early Modern Period (3 Credits)
B. Modern Period (3 Credits)
| CHIST 2550 | Crisis of Democracy Games in World History | 3 |
C. Research Methods (6 Credits)
Students must take CHIST-4900: Advanced History Seminar twice to fulfill the 6-credit requirement.
| CHIST 4900 | Women’s Untold Stories: Advanced History Seminar | 3 |
| CHIST 4900 | Women’s Untold Stories: Advanced History Seminar | 3 |
II. Electives (24 Credits):
A. Choice Courses (15 Credits)
Any non-required CHIST or CHUMS course.
All students need to prove World Language competency. If a student needs to fulfill the World Language competency by taking CLANG courses at Lesley, six (6) credits will count towards the Depth Electives. See below for more info on fulfilling the World Language competency.
B. Depth (9 Credits)
Any 3000-level or above non-required CHIST or CHUMS course.
World Language Competency (6 credits)
Students may fulfill the world language requirement by completing any of the following options (A, B, C, or D)
A. American Sign Language
B. Spanish
| CLANG 1101 | Spanish I: Community Engagement in Spanish | 3 |
| CLANG 1102 | Spanish II: Community Engagement in Spanish | 3 |
C. Portuguese
D. Competencies in world language for the History Major are also fulfilled by:
- Successfully finishing two semesters of a non-English world language at an accredited higher education institution or approved year-abroad program.
Students arriving at Lesley with the proficiency to enroll in American Sign Language II, Spanish II, or Portuguese II, and successfully completing the course, also satisfy the world language competency requirement.
Students who have achieved proficiency equal to two full semesters of college language instruction before joining Lesley have several options to meet this requirement:
Before entering Lesley, students may take an AP language exam or CLEP exam and satisfy the language requirement if they score a grade of four or higher (AP) or 50 or above (CLEP).
Upon enrollment, students seeking to demonstrate language competency should consult the Department Chair.
Students can opt to take a competency exam in any of the languages offered at Lesley. A grade of B or higher on this test will waive the language requirement, while a grade ranging from C to B- will place the student at the second-semester level.
For languages not offered at Lesley, students must take the CLEP or an equivalent exam as approved by the Department Chair.
III. Professional/Experiential Component (6 Credits):
If the student declares an Education Major or Minor, the internship requirement is satisfied with student teaching in the Major or Minor. If the student declares any other double major, the internship requirement must be satisfied in the major with the greater number of credits in its experiential component. If they are the same, the student may choose one. Every effort will be made to have one of the internships encompass the objectives of the other major. Students may choose to do an additional internship in their other major.
| CINTD 3100 | Interdisciplinary Internship & Seminar | 3-6 |
| CINTD 4100 | Interdisciplinary Internship & Seminar II | 3-6 |