2024-2025 Academic Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Academic Catalog

History, BA


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About the Program


Apply Now The Purdue University Northwest Bachelor of Arts degree in History meets national standards outlined by the American Historical Association. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in History will open many opportunities. Graduates with degrees in History are well suited to pursue careers as educators, researchers, curators, archivists, entrepreneurs, business managers and in government service. The degree also prepares students well for graduate school, MBA programs and law school. Students earning a degree in History will gain essential critical thinking skills, expertise in writing and communication, research capabilities and analytical skills that potential employers find essential in the workplace.

A special feature of the program is its Research Seminar, which allows students to investigate history at local, national, or international levels, using archives and professional databases. Upon completion of their research students have an opportunity to present their work. The dynamic classroom environment encourages students to share knowledge gained from various historical perspectives.

PNW history students may apply for membership in the Phi Alpha Theta national history honor society, which provides them with an opportunity for recognition of excellence, and allows them participation in regional and national research conferences. Membership also makes them eligible for special scholarships, awards and recognition.

Degree Requirements


  • 120 Credit Hours
  • Minimum grade of C required for ENGL 10400  and all History and Foreign Language courses; C- required for ENGL 10500  
  • Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation

PNW General Education Core (30 Credits Minimum)


CHESS College Core (24 Credits)


  • Four (4) College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences (CHESS) electives from courses outside of the student’s major. Electives may not be used toward the fulfillment of General Education requirements (*See notes below) (12 Credits)
  • World Language - Proficiency through Level IV in one world language (12 Credits)

 

*Requirements for transfer students are based on the number of transfer credits accepted at PNW as follows:

  1. Students who transfer with less than 30 credits need to take 4 CHESS Core Electives (12 credits)
  2. Students who transfer with 30 credits or more and with less than 60 credits need to take 3 CHESS Core Electives (9 credits)
  3. Students who transfer with 60 credits or more and with less than 90 credits need to take 2 CHESS Core Electives (6 credits)
  4. Students who transfer with 90 credits or more need to take 1 CHESS Core Elective (3 credits)

Major Core (39 Credits)


Other Required Courses (27 Credits)


Free Electives (27 Credits) - Student may choose any nine (9) courses to fulfil this requirement

Civics Literacy Proficiency


The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue Northwest students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry.

Students will complete the Proficiency by passing a test of civic knowledge, and completing one of three paths:

  • Attending six approved civics-related events and completing an assessment for each; or
  • Completing 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement that use C-SPAN material and completing an assessment for each; or
  • Earning a passing grade for one of the approved courses (or transferring in approved AP or departmental credit in lieu of taking a course)

For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.

Total 120 Credits Required


Degree Map


Requirements


Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA):  Minimum grade of C required for ENGL 10400, and all History and Foreign Language courses; C- required for ENGL 10500; 2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL):  One EL course required, select from the Experiential Learning course list  

General Education Core:  General Education notations can be found within the course description, click on a course to see if if meets a Gen Ed requirement

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study. 

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Semester 1 (15 Credits)


Semester 2 (15 Credits)


Semester 3 (15 Credits)


Semester 4 (15 Credits)


Semester 5 (15 Credits)


Semester 6 (15 Credits)


Semester 7 (15 Credits)


Semester 8 (15 Credits)


Additional Information and Guidelines


Note 1:  Requirements for transfer students are based on the number of transfer credits accepted at PNW as follows:

  • Students who transfer with less than 30 credits need to take 4 CHESS Core Electives (12 credits)
  • Students who transfer with 30 credits or more and with less than 60 credits need to take 3 CHESS Core Electives (9 credits)
  • Students who transfer with 60 credits or more and with less than 90 credits need to take 2 CHESS Core Electives (6 credits)
  • Students who transfer with 90 credits or more need to take 1 CHESS Core Elective (3 credits)

Note 2:  Any world language is accepted. Students must complete four (4) semesters of the same world language or test out at level 4.

 

Resources


The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, click here to visit the Careers and Employment Trends page.

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here.  See Important Dates and Deadlines for annual FAFSA filing deadlines and Indiana state aid deadlines. State Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to maintain eligibility for the 21st Century Scholars award and the On-time Frank O’Bannon grant.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester.  Certain exclusions apply. 

College Scorecard


The U.S. Department of Education has created a scorecard for each university and its programs.  The scorecard shows data for the university such as graduation rate, average annual cost, and median earnings.  Then, when certain minimum standards have been met, data are available for a specific program.  That data could include median earnings, median total debt, and number of graduates. The link below will help you learn more:

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?490805-Purdue-University-Northwest&fos_code=5401&fos_credential=3

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