History Bachelor's Degree

Minors & Certificates

You will learn to think critically, examining the past within the economic, political and socio-cultural historical contexts of previous generations. You will learn how to read and analyze primary sources, the remnants of times gone by and how to engage in historical discussions in the classroom. At the same time, through examinations of the historical literature, you will learn about historiographical contributions and debates. In the process, you will have many opportunities to hone your research, writing and presentation skills. Your education will culminate with a major research paper you will produce in the History 4973 Seminar course.

History students have regular opportunities to develop critical thinking, research, writing, oral presentation and technological skills. Additionally, history students learn to take responsibility for their individual work while mastering teamwork through groupwork projects. Furthermore, many history courses offer opportunities for experiential learning, public history, digital humanities and AI. These skills make our graduates highly qualified for a variety of careers, as they know how to think clearly and logically about problems/issues, how to find solutions through research and teamwork and how to communicate effectively in writing and orally. Finally, the process of thinking historically involves the ability to study the past deeply and faithfully, so as to properly envision time periods often very different from our own. This requires dedicated study and a level of creativity that employers find desirable and much-needed.

Beyond the Core Curriculum requirements, History majors take a Historical Research Methods course (History 3013), which is a gateway course that must be successfully completed with a grade of C- or better. Since this is a foundation course, students must take it as early as possible in the program. Students take three History 2000-level Civilization courses at the Introduction level, followed by 21 upper-division history courses, including at least one U.S., one European, one Latin American and one African or Asian studies course. The capstone course for the History program is the Seminar or Honors Thesis. The Seminar in History (History 4973) has a prerequisite, which is History 3013 – Historical Research Methods.

Yes, the History program offers hands-on learning experiences through certain courses, where professors incorporate experiential learning such as research projects, oral histories and presentations that take students beyond the classroom. These experiences can be local, such as trips to the San Antonio missions, but can also expand to other parts of Texas, the United States or other parts of the world through Study Away and Study Abroad programs. Finally, students have opportunities for hands-on learning through our internship program, which boasts an impressive array of partners, including museums, archives, libraries and more.

The UTSA History program focuses on teaching students valuable skills that can prepare them for careers in a variety of fields including academia, K-12 education, law, business, government, politics, news media, public relations and more. We have graduates who have developed careers in these areas. Others have used their BA in history as a foundation for graduate studies in history, earning Master’s degrees, and a few have earned MA and doctoral degrees. Many of these alumni who pursued higher education are now professors at colleges and universities. Still others used their BA in History as a foundation for law school and are now practicing attorneys in areas where a knowledge of history matters.