History Pathway Guide

Preparation for Transfer as a History Major

The following sequences are suggested courses to take in your semesters prior to transferring to SMU as a history major. For students attending a Texas public community college or university, Texas Common Course Numbers (TCCNS) are listed. If you are transferring from a college or university outside of Texas, click on the SMU course for a course description which may be used to select/compare courses at your current institution.

CC listings refer to SMU’s Common Curriculum, which all undergraduates are required to complete. Refer to the Common Curriculum Transfer Guide  for a list of courses satisfying CC components. Interactive equivalency guides organized by transfer institution are available on the Transfer and Transition Services’ website.

Save all of your course syllabi! The History Department might ask for them to consider your courses for the history major.

The History Program

The study of history offers students an opportunity to investigate the past, gain perspective on the present, and develop their critical faculties. History provides students a sense of human development and interrelatedness, and an understanding of social processes.

The William P. Clements Department of History offers small classes, usually 25 to 30 students. Junior seminars (12 students per section) provide intense training in research and writing. Our 24 faculty members specialize in fields including North America, Latin America, Europe and the non-Western world. The department’s courses include rich offerings in ethnic and women’s studies and in the history and culture of the American Southwest.

Symposia and Research

The Stanton Sharp Lectures and Symposia are supported by Ruth Sharp Altshuler, honoring her son Stanton Sharp. Inaugurated in 1991, the Sharp events bring to the SMU campus some of the nation’s most distinguished scholars for lectures, discussions and interaction with students, faculty and members of the community. The Sharp Endowment also enhances faculty research and teaching. 

In addition, the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies promotes research, publishing, teaching and public programming in a variety of fields related to Texas, the American Southwest and the U.S. - Mexico borderlands. 

The Center for Presidential History seeks to advance understanding of the history of the American presidency through research and the Collective Memory Project.

Majoring in History

A total of 33 credit hours in history are required for the major, with at least 18 credit hours in courses at the 3000 level and above. Students must complete 18 hours of advanced coursework (3000 level and above) in the major in residence at SMU. Students must take at least six credit hours in American history, six credit hours in European history, and six credit hours in African, Asian, Latin American or Middle Eastern history. 

All history majors are required to take HIST 4300 - Junior Seminar in Research and Writing , and HIST 4390 - Senior Seminar in Research and Writing . HIST 4300 - Junior Seminar in Research and Writing  counts as three hours of the 18 advanced hours required for the major, but it cannot be counted toward area distribution requirements for the major. HIST 4390 - Senior Seminar in Research and Writing  counts as three hours of the 18 advanced hours required for the major, and counts toward either the area distribution requirements or the electives for the major.

All advanced courses taken for the major must be passed with a grade of C- or better. History majors must earn 2.000 minimum GPAs in their history coursework and may not take history courses pass/fail. 

Six credit hours of Advanced Placement (AP) credit can be applied toward the history major if the students received a four or higher on AP history exams in European history or American history.

For more information on the major, contact the director of undergraduate studies: HistoryDUS@smu.edu.

Minoring in History

Students with a general interest in history may pursue a minor by taking fifteen semester hours of departmental coursework. Nine semester hours must be taken at the 3000 level or above. Students can earn six credit hours towards the history minor if they received at least a four on an AP history exam.

SMU Degree

A degree from SMU is typically comprised of a minimum of 120 hours, 60 of which must be completed through SMU, 42 of which must be in courses at the 3000 and higher levels. Components of the degree include:

• Courses in your major.
• Courses required for the Common Curriculum (CC) .
• Elective courses. These electives may be used to add a second major or minor.

The Common Curriculum (CC)

The Common Curriculum is required of all undergraduate students and consists of three main components: 

1. Foundations - 6 hours of Writing courses, 3 hours of Quantitative Reasoning courses, proficiency in a second language. 
2. Breadth - 7 Breadth courses which may double count with majors and minors.
3. Proficiencies and Experiences - 8 Proficiencies and Experiences requirements, met through coursework or approved, noncredit activities.

NOTE: If you transfer with 23 or fewer credit hours and/or transfer in your first year out of high school, transfer work earned prior to high school graduation (dual/concurrent credit) will not satisfy CC requirements.

Apply Now!

Click here for more information about transferring to SMU.