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Bachelor of Arts in History | Undergraduate Degree Program

Bachelor of Arts in History

Online Bachelor of Arts in History

Are you considering an online degree in history? If you have an interest in history, then you should turn your passion into your profession by enrolling in Ottawa University's accelerated, online Bachelor in History program. As a history major, you’ll explore the impact of past events on vital contemporary problems and synthesize the study of past human activity with the nature, purpose and principles of governmental systems throughout the world. Then you’ll bring it all together to develop an understanding of public events and trends in both national and international spheres.

History Courses and Curriculum

The courses and curriculum for our accelerated, online bachelor in history program explore the interrelationships between society and the environment, issues of war and peace, and movements for social and political change. Your courses may include:

  • American Government
  • American Women's History
  • Global Issues in Historical Perspective
  • Religion in American Culture
  • Seminar in American History and Government I
  • Seminar in World History I
  • The American Experience I & II
  • Twentieth Century World History
  • United States Constitution
  • World Civilization I & II
  • World Regional Geography

For curriculum and course descriptions, please download a History program overview.

Why Earn a History Degree?

Historians research, analyze, and interpret the past. They use many sources of information in their research, including government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, and unpublished manuscripts such as personal diaries and letters. Historians usually specialize in a country or region, a particular period, or a particular field, such as social, intellectual, cultural, political, or diplomatic history. Other historians help study and preserve archival materials, artifacts, and historic buildings and sites. The study of history, like any effort that promotes critical thinking and careful judgment, prepares its practitioners for any number of careers, including government, law, teaching, politics, museum curator, park ranger, and journalism.

If you’re interested in earning a Bachelor's degree in history, contact us today!

See Also

Masters in Education

Boost Your Career with an Accelerated Online Degree

How to Choose a Degree Program

History is offered at the following locations.

  • Ottawa, KS (Residential Campus)
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Brookfield, Wisconsin
  • Online

Education and Qualifications for History 

Numerous local museums, historical societies, government agencies, non-profit, and other organizations offer internships or volunteer research opportunities. Archaeological field schools instruct future anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians in how to excavate, record, and interpret historical sites and typically require a bachelor degree or higher. Many of our history graduates continue their education with a Masters in Education.

History Careers

With a major in history, you can apply solid critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to careers. You could even find yourself studying ancient civilizations across the globe!

Career Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for historians was $63,100 in May 2020. An online degree in history prepares students for a wide variety of career options where research, problem solving, analysis, and communication skills are valued. In fact, most graduates with a bachelor in history degree have the flexibility to work outside of traditional historian jobs and pursue careers in education, communications, law, business, publishing, or journalism. 

Careers in History 

  • archivist
  • historian
  • information specialist
  • intelligence agent
  • lawyer
  • museum curator
  • researcher
  • teacher
  • writer

History Major Courses

World Regional Geography |  HPS 10153 (3 credits)
Survey of the developed and developing regions of the world, emphasizing regional differentiation, as well as concepts of location, place, human environment interaction, and cultural diffusion.

The American Experience I |  HPS 11053 (3 credits)
Introduces the study of American history and its cultural, intellectual, political, economic, religious, racial and diplomatic topics. Emphasis on development of the country from discovery through Reconstruction.

The American Experience II |  HPS 13053 (3 credits)
Uses principle theme of the development of United States since reconstruction. Examines political, economic, social, and cultural development.

The Great Plains | HPS 20153 (3 credits)
From northern Texas to the Canadian prairie provinces. Examines the physical environment, resources, land use patterns and ethnic cultures of the region. The historical and political development of Kansas plays a central role in the course.

Practicum in History | HPS 24053 (3 credits)
Experience aspects of the discipline through a semester long practicum.

World Civilization I | HPS 25353 (3 credits) 
Introduces historical study of the beginnings and development of human culture and institutions, western
and non-western. Basic introduction to historical study.

World Civilization II | HPS 25453 (3 credits)
Examines development of civilization, western and non-western, in the modern era. Analysis of political, economic and cultural revolutions that have created contemporary culture and its tensions.

Seminar in Research Methods and Historiography | HPS 32053 (3 credits)
Introduce traditional and emerging methods of historical research. Construct an extensive annotated bibliography as a purposeful entry into the Senior Comprehensive project.

Senior Comprehensive | HPS 49053 (3 credits)
Involves written paper responses to examination questions with oral defense. 


History Seminars 

(choose one)

Seminar in American History and Government I | HPS 34354 (3 credits)
Examines a selection of readings and topics on American history and government. Common theme, assigned readings, and individual projects required. Inquire in advance for information on selected topics.

Seminar in World History I | HPS 35054 (3 credits)
Examines a selection of readings and topics in world history. Common theme, assigned readings, and individual projects required.


Choose a Minimum of 12 Semester Credit Hours From the Following Courses:

American Government | HPS 13353 (3 credits)
Introduces American government philosophy, structure and operation of it. Studies performance and problems of American government with emphasis on the question of the citizen’s knowledge, role and responsibility.

Human Geography | HPS 23153 (3 credits)
The location and distribution of human cultural patterns throughout the world. Provides an overview of the spatial analysis of earth's human inhabitants, with a comprehensive view of settlement patterns and land use issues, and introduces the landscape as a cultural text.

United States Constitution | HPS 30251 (1 credit)  
Overview of the history of the United States Constitution to establish a foundation of understanding.

Geography of North America | HPS 30453 (3 credits)
Introduces spatial processes and patterns with the context of North America. Focuses on the physical environment, exploration, mapping settlement patterns, population, migration, agriculture and transportation. Primary objective is to gain an understanding of the regional variation in various social and economic phenomena in the U.S.

American Women’s History | HPS 30953 (3 credits)
Surveys women’s history in America from precolonial history to the present, and explores the intersections of race, class, and ethnicity in structuring women’s lives today.

Ethnicity in American History | HPS 31053 (3 credits)
Considers the histories of a variety of immigrant groups arriving in the United States from colonial settlement through the twentieth century, and examines issues of nativism, patterns of acculturation and assimilation, and adjustment to the American economic and political systems, religious experiences, and other issues connected to the ongoing adaptation to life in the U.S.

Religion in American Culture | HPS 31453 (3 credits)
Examine and explore the prominent place of religion in this religiously pluralistic country. Explores institutional and non-institutional developments with Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism and Islam. The course concludes with an examination of religion and material culture.

Twentieth Century World History | HPS 31654 (3 credits)
Course focuses on the history of Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa in the twentieth century. Course will address globalization and consequences, colonization versus nationalism, militarization, collective security, and the effects of technology on nations. Students will assess the consequences of global, regional and civil wars throughout the century and the subsequent shift in influence to emerging nations.

International Relations | HPS 33253 (3 credits)
Introduces international relations and foreign policy. Emphasis on causes of international conflict, the resolution of conflict and the study of war, particularly its prevention.

Frontier in American History | HPS 35056 (3 credits)
Emphasis on factors that have affected the commercial, political and natural development of the United States.


Required Supporting Courses:

  • Speech Preparation and Delivery | COM 11023 (3 credits)
  • Intermediate Writing (3 credits) OR Advanced Expository Writing (3 credits)

One 3 semester credit hour course in economics.
One 3 semester credit hour course in sociology or psychology.

For curriculum and course descriptions, please download a History program overview.

Full Degree Catalog

University Accreditation

Ottawa University, as a whole, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Specific degree programs within our institution have also been accredited by relevant bodies within the field:

We are proudly recognized for our commitment to student excellence by the following designations:

Why Choose Ottawa
Almost all courses in Ottawa University’s programs are available online and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. We make it easy for you to transfer credits in order to help keep tuition costs down. We also offer courses in accelerated 8-week terms in order to reduce your time to completion. These are just a few of the reasons why we are proud to be the best, fastest, and most affordable option locally in the Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Phoenix areas, as well as serving students nationally through our online degrees.

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