The Specialist History Major subplan is for students who want to receive the most rigorous training in history possible at the undergraduate level. It is designed for students who plan to go on to graduate school in History or History-related fields in mind, although it is also a great option for students who simply love history and want to take as many history classes as they can during their time at UMD. We have named this major subplan “Specialist” because it allows students in it to specialize their studies and develop a final research project focusing on a specific chronological period, geographic region, and/or theme.
Students may apply to be admitted into the Specialist History Major subplan after they have completed 16 History credits. The application form is at this link, but we strongly urge interested students to speak with a History faculty member before applying.
The Specialist History Major subplan is the Honors track in the History major. Students who complete it while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a History major GPA of 3.3 can graduate with Departmental Honors by completing this form at the beginning of their final semester at UMD.
Specialist History Major Subplan Requirements
The Specialist History major is 70-74 credits and consists of the following components:
- One course in each of our 6 required areas of study: Ancient, Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, West Asia, and the Americas.
- Seven elective History courses. Two non-HIST electives from a pre-approved list of History-related courses can be used as electives.
- Four courses in a second language (UMD offers American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish). Students with proficiency in one of these or another language may test out of part or all of this requirement.
- HIST 4999: Seminar, the capstone course for the History major.
- A final research project, which can be completed by taking a second section of HIST 4999: Seminar, a HIST 3091: Independent Study, or as part of an advanced research program like UMD’s Undergraduate Research Study Abroad.
Note that as part of the Specialist History Application students will identify an area of emphasis for their final project and at least 5 courses relevant to this area that they will take while satisfying their History Area and Elective requirements.
Check out the History Major listing in the UMD Catalog for a full list of the Specialist History major requirements and elective courses.
More Information on the Specialist History Major Subplan
Like all History majors, Specialist History majors have the option of doing internships in History and history-related fields at UMD itself and for local, state, and international organizations. They are eligible for thousands of dollars in student scholarships to support their studies, and have access to a number of exciting, life-changing opportunities: mentorship from UMD history alumni, fellowship with other History majors in History Club, the financial support to attend and present their own research at regional History conferences, and the chance to study abroad with History faculty in places like Ireland, Poland, Panama, and Jamaica.
Students who wish to go to graduate school for Public History and/or Museum Studies may choose either area as their specialist focus for this subplan. In this scenario, they have the option of going beyond the minimum requirements of the Public History subplan or the Museum Studies Certificate by taking additional courses and completing their final research project on a topic related to these fields.