History Programs
*Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2019 may choose to follow the program requirements as stated below, or switch to the new Fall 2019 program requirements. It is highly recommended that you meet with an adviser before switching to be sure you are meeting all requirements. If you entered the program after Fall 2019 you must follow the new program requirements.*
The Department offers four undergraduate history programs: Honours, Joint Honours, Major concentration and Minor Concentration.
HIST courses are organized into four "areas": [1] The Americas, [2] Europe, [3] Asia/ Africa/ Middle East, and [4] Global/Thematic. For the Major, Joint Honours, and Honours programs, students may take a maximum number of courses from any one area; this is ensure programs students take a breadth of history courses. Consult the List of Courses by Area. Each student's program is worked out with a History Program Adviser to suit the student's specific needs within the general framework of the program. Advising meetings are on a drop-in basis or by appointment. Program students should complete a History Program Advising/Audit Form and bring it to their advising appointment.
History Program Requirements:
Minor Concentration in History (18 credits)
Students should complete a "History Minor Program Advising/Audit" form before meeting with a Program Advisor.
Program Requirements
Complementary Courses: 18 credits
12 credits minimum at the 300-level or higher
3 credits minimum at the 400-level or higher
6 credits maximum at the 100/200-level
Note: students are no longer required to take 15 of 18 credits from one area.
Transfer credits: Within the required 18 credits, the program will accept only 6 credits that are non-McGill.
Important Note: Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits may not be included in the overall credit requirement for the minor program but may be considered as having met prerequisites for upper-level courses - please discuss with the instructor of an upper-level course requiring the prerequisite or your Academic Program Adviser.
Major Concentration in History (36 credits)
Students should complete a "History Major Program Audit/Advising" form before meeting with a Program Advisor.
Program Requirements
36 credits selected from the Areas of History course lists (The Americas, Europe, Asia/Africa/Middle East, and Global/Thematic) with the following stipulations:
A maximum of 12 credits at the 200 level or lower.
A maximum of 24 credits from any one area.
6 credits at the 400-level or above.
3 credits in history of the pre-1800 period.
3 credits in history of the post-1800 period.
3 non-HIST credits pertinent to historical studies may be counted towards a Major program in History with the written approval of a program adviser. Faculty regulations stipulate that such courses must not be double-counted between programs.
Students should see an adviser to plan a program that suits their needs. Please consult Minerva Class Schedule for the most up-to-date list of course offerings for the current academic year.
Transfer credits: Within the required 36 credits, the program will accept only 12credits that are non-McGill.
Important Note: Advanced Placement (AP or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits may not be included in the overall credit requirement for the major program but may be considered as having met prerequisites for upper-level courses - please discuss with the instructor of an upper-level course requiring the prerequisite or your Academic Program Adviser.
Honours in History (60 credits)
Students should complete a Honours History Program Advising/Audit form before meeting with a Program Advisor.
Program Requirements
Required course: 3 credits
HIST 399 History and Historical Methods
Complementary Courses: 57 credits
- a minimum of 12 credits of Honours seminars
- a maximum of 15 credits at the 200-level or lower
- a maximum of 42 credits in any one of the following areas:
- The Americas
- Europe
- Africa/Asia/Middle East
- Global/thematic
Honours Seminars
Honours seminars (these are listed with their thematic area). Each Honours seminar comprises a 6-credit course with a D1/D2 course number or two 3-credit courses to be taken consecutively. The second term component includes the completion of a major research paper based substantially on primary-source research. (The first term of two 3-credit courses may be taken alone in exceptional circumstances, but in that case will be counted towards the complementary course component of the program only and will not be counted as an Honours seminar.)
Language training
Students in an Honours program may, under exceptional circumstances and with the written approval of a program adviser, count up to 6 credits of language training toward their Honours program in History if this training is pertinent to the student's academic program and is required to acquire knowledge of a language directly related to the student's area of specialization.
Cognate courses
Up to 6 non-HIST credits pertinent to historical studies may be counted toward an honours program in History with the written approval of a program adviser. Faculty regulations stipulate that any such courses must not be double-counted between programs.
Program gpa and Faculty of Arts cgpa requirement for Honours Programs (and grade requirement for history courses)
Students must maintain a 3.30 grade point average in their program courses and must have no less than a "B" in any program course. In addition, and in accordance with Faulty of Arts rules, students must maintain an overall CGPA of 3.00.
In all cases, students should see an adviser to plan a program that suits their needs. Please consult the Department website for the most up-to-date list of course offerings for the current academic year.
Important Note: Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits may not be included in the overall credit requirement for the honours program but may be considered as having met prerequisites for an upper-level course - please discuss with the instructor of an upper-level course requiring the prerequisite or your Academic Program Adviser.
Honours Seminars (full-year) - designated courses that fulfill program requirements of
"a minimum of 12 credits of Honours seminars".
Updated List:
HIST 486D1/D2 Topics: African Social History 1
HIST 550D1/D2 Ancient History: Seminar
HIST 552D1/D2 International Relations: Seminar
HIST 555D1/D2 Seminar: Medieval History
HIST 556/557 Colonial America: Seminar 1
HIST 558/559 Modern Medicine: Seminar
HIST 560D1/D2 World History: Seminar
HIST 564D1/D2 Topics: Latin American History
HIST 565D1/D2 Modern Britain: Seminar
HIST 567D1/D2 Seminar: Medieval Medicine
HIST 568D1/D2 Topics in Chinese History
HIST 569D1/D2 Topics: Modern French History
HIST 570D1/D2 Topics: Historical Interpretation
HIST 571D1/D2 Seminar: Italian Renaissance
HIST 572D1/D2 Seminar in Jewish History
HIST 573D1/D2 Seminar in Eastern Europe
HIST 574D1/D2 Topics in Comparative History
HIST 575D1/D2 Topics: Germany
HIST 576D1/D2 Seminar: Topics in Russian History
HIST 577D1/D2 Seminar: Antiquity to Reformation
HIST 578D1/D2 Seminar in Japanese History
HIST 580D1/D2 European and Native-American Encounters
HIST 586D1/D2 Canada: Diasporas and the State
HIST 587D1/D2 Topics: Canadian Social History
HIST 588D1/D2 History of Montreal
HIST 589D1/D2 Topics: History of Women in Canada
HIST 591D1/D2 Modern Middle East History
HIST 592D1/D2 Topics: Canadian Politics
HIST 593D1/D2 French Atlantic Worlds: Seminar
HIST 594D1/D2 Seminar in Early Modern Britain
HIST 595D1/D2 Seminar: Early Modern Western Europe
HIST 596D1/D2 Seminar: Canadian Health History
HIST 597D1/D2 Seminar: Modern Europe
HIST 598D1/D2 Topics in Modern US History
HIST 599D1/D2 Honours Tutorial
Joint Honours in History (36 credits)
Students should complete a Joint Honours History Program Advising/Audit form before meeting with a Program Advisor during their drop-in office hours below.
Program Requirements
Required course: 3 credits
HIST 399 History and Historical Methods
Complementary Courses: 33 credits
- a minimum of 6 credits of Honours seminar
- a maximum of 12 credits at the 200-level or lower
- a maximum of 27 credits in any one of the following areas:
- The Americas
- Europe
- Africa/Asia/Middle East
- Global/thematic
Honours Seminars
Honours seminars (these are listed with their thematic area). Each Honours seminar comprises a 6-credit course with a D1/D2 course number or two 3-credit courses to be taken consecutively. The second term component includes the completion of a major research paper based substantially on primary-source research. (The first term of two 3-credit courses may be taken alone in exceptional circumstances, but in that case will be counted towards the complementary course component of the program only and will not be counted as an Honours seminar.)
Language training
Students in a Joint Honours program may, under exceptional circumstances and with the written approval of a program adviser, count up to 3 credits of language training toward their Joint Honours program in History if this training is pertinent to the student's academic program and is required to acquire knowledge of a language directly related to the student's area of specialization.
Cognate courses
Up to 3 non-HIST credits pertinent to historical studies may be counted toward a Joint Honours program in History with the written approval of a program adviser. Faculty regulations stipulate that any such courses must not be double-counted between programs.
Program gpa and Faculty of Arts cgpa requirement for Honours Programs (and grade requirement for history courses)
Students must maintain a 3.30 grade point average in their program courses and must have no less than a "B" in any program course. In addition, and in accordance with Faulty of Arts rules, students must maintain an overall CGPA of 3.00.
In all cases, students should see an adviser to plan a program that suits their needs. Please consult the Department website for the most up-to-date list of course offerings for the current academic year.
Important Note: Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits may not be included in the overall credit requirement for the joint honours program but may be considered as having met prerequisites for upper-level courses - please discuss with the instructor of an upper-level course requiring the prerequisite or your Academic Program Adviser.
Honours Seminars (full-year) - designated courses that fulfill program requirements of
"a minimum of 6 credits of Honours seminars"
Updated List:
HIST 486D1/D2 Topics: African Social History 1
HIST 550D1/D2 Ancient History: Seminar
HIST 552D1/D2 International Relations: Seminar
HIST 555D1/D2 Seminar: Medieval History
HIST 556/557 Colonial America: Seminar 1
HIST 558/559 Modern Medicine: Seminar
HIST 560D1/D2 World History: Seminar
HIST 564D1/D2 Topics: Latin American History
HIST 565D1/D2 Modern Britain: Seminar
HIST 567D1/D2 Seminar: Medieval Medicine
HIST 568D1/D2 Topics in Chinese History
HIST 569D1/D2 Topics: Modern French History
HIST 570D1/D2 Topics: Historical Interpretation
HIST 571D1/D2 Seminar: Italian Renaissance
HIST 572D1/D2 Seminar in Jewish History
HIST 573D1/D2 Seminar in Eastern Europe
HIST 574D1/D2 Topics in Comparative History
HIST 575D1/D2 Topics: Germany
HIST 576D1/D2 Seminar: Topics in Russian History
HIST 577D1/D2 Seminar: Antiquity to Reformation
HIST 578D1/D2 Seminar in Japanese History
HIST 580D1/D2 European and Native-American Encounters
HIST 586D1/D2 Canada: Diasporas and the State
HIST 587D1/D2 Topics: Canadian Social History
HIST 588D1/D2 History of Montreal
HIST 589D1/D2 Topics: History of Women in Canada
HIST 591D1/D2 Modern Middle East History
HIST 592D1/D2 Topics: Canadian Politics
HIST 593D1/D2 French Atlantic Worlds: Seminar
HIST 594D1/D2 Seminar in Early Modern Britain
HIST 595D1/D2 Seminar: Early Modern Western Europe
HIST 596D1/D2 Seminar: Canadian Health History
HIST 597D1/D2 Seminar: Modern Europe
HIST 598D1/D2 Topics in Modern US History
HIST 599D1/D2 Honours Tutorial
Classics Programs
The department offers four Classics programs: Minor, Major, Honours and Joint Honours. Consult the Undergraduate section of the Classical Studies website for details on the Classics programs.
Neo-Hellenic Studies Minor Programs
For Information on the Minor Concentration in Neo-Hellenic Studies, consult the Modern Greek Studies website.