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Undergraduate Program Requirements
Note: University regulations apply to all students at Laurier. If there is any discrepancy between the program or progression requirements outlined on this page and those in the university's academic calendars, the academic calendars are the official sources of information. The information below is from the latest calendar, and you may be following progression requirements from an earlier calendar. Students are responsible for checking the appropriate calendar. Contact your program coordinator should you notice any discrepancies.
A list of all Ancient Studies and History courses along with short descriptions are available in the undergraduate academic calendar.
Summary of Undergraduate Program Requirements
The following summaries of program requirements in History are intended to assist students with their selection of courses. Students with specific enquiries about whether their own course selection meets program requirements should consult the department's undergraduate officer. The summaries here present in abbreviated form descriptions that are available in the academic calendar. Should there appear to be a discrepancy between the summaries here and the calendar regulations, the latter statements apply.
Don't forget your GPA matters. If you want to learn how to calculate your GPA, visit the GPA calculator.
You may also wish to consult the progression requirements below for more detail.
Courses and Credits
The department offers two-term courses covering the 24 weeks of the fall and winter semesters, and it also offers one-term, or 12-week, courses. Two-term courses (designated by a *) count as 1.0 credit, and one-term courses count as one-half (0.5) credit.
Junior Courses
A "junior course" refers to a 100-level offering. Students registering for their first History courses will normally choose 1.0 credit at the 100-level. Students in an honours program may count no more than six 100-level credits toward their degree. Students in a general program may count no more than seven 100-level credits toward their degree.
Senior Courses
A "senior course" refers to a 200-, 300-, or 400-level offering. Students are advised to complete at least 2.0 credits at the 200-level before registering in a 300-level course.
Undergraduate Programs
The honours History program consists of 20.0 credits. A minimum of 11.0 of these 20.0 credits must be in History. No more than 7.0 of the 20.0 credits required for the degree may be at the 100 level, and one of these junior credits must be in History. A minimum of 10.0 History credits at the senior level (200-, 300-, or 400-level) is required for the degree. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
The combined Honours History program consists of 20.0 credits. Not more than 7.0 of these may be at the 100 level, and 1.0 of these must be in History. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
The Honours History program consists of 20.0 credits in total. Your history major requires 11.0 credits which must fulfil the following history level and breadth requirements. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
Prior to departing for studies at the University of Sussex, students must have completed 10.0 credits including those that are listed under Year 1 and Year 2 below.
Download the Honours BA History (Sussex) LLB Stream worksheet.
The Honours History program with Co-op consists of 20.0 credits in total. Your history major requires 11.0 credits which must fulfil both history level and breadth requirements. Co-op students follow the same academic program as regular students. Because of the alternating pattern of work and study terms, there may be some differences in the scheduling of individual courses. Please see the academic calendar and the degree checklist below for more information.
The Honours BA in Ancient Studies consists of 20.0 credits. A minimum of 11.0 of these 20.0 credits must be from the list of Ancient Studies courses. No more than 7.0 of the 20.0 credits required for the degree may be at the 100 level, and one of these junior credits must be in Ancient Studies. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
Download the BA in Ancient Studies worksheet.
Notes
- Certain courses may have prerequisites which do not appear in this list.
- Some courses may be offered on a rotating basis; it is the student's responsibility to plan his/her program accordingly.
- Students who are planning to pursue graduate studies in this or a related field are encouraged to plan their program with that goal in mind, and should consider the department’s offerings in ancient languages as applicable.
Language Courses
Languages other than English can contribute to a deeper understanding of Ancient Studies. For this reason, Ancient Studies majors are encouraged to study ancient languages (including but not limited to Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Akkadian, Sanskrit, Classical Chinese, Classical Japanese), and subject to the following provisions:
- Ancient Studies majors may count up to 1.0 credit of language study toward the additional Ancient Studies requirement.
- For Ancient Studies majors who take Year 1 language courses during Year 2, Year 3, or Year 4, and who have already accumulated 7.0 junior credits, these courses (up to a maximum of 1.0 credit) will not be counted toward the maximum 7.0 limit on 100 level credits.
- Language courses may be taken at Laurier, at other recognized universities in Canada, or abroad on a letter of permission. The prior written consent of the History department is required for all language courses.
The Honours BA in Ancient Studies in combination with another Honours BA program consists of 20.0 credits. A minimum of 7.0 of these 20.0 credits must be from the list of Ancient Studies Courses. No more than 7.0 of the 20.0 credits required for the degree may be at the 100 level, and one of these junior credits must be in Ancient Studies. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
Download the combination BA in Ancient Studies worksheet.
Notes
- Certain courses may have prerequisites which do not appear in this list.
- Some courses may be offered on a rotating basis; it is the student's responsibility to plan his/her program accordingly.
- Students who are planning to pursue graduate studies in this or a related field are encouraged to register for the single Honours BA Program in Ancient Studies.
- Students majoring in Ancient Studies may not double-count more than 1.0 credits from the list of Ancient Studies courses towards a combined Honours BA in History or Archaeology and Heritage Studies.
Language Courses
Languages other than English can contribute to a deeper understanding of Ancient Studies. For this reason, Ancient Studies majors are encouraged to study ancient languages (including but not limited to Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Akkadian, Sanskrit, Classical Chinese, Classical Japanese), and subject to the following provisions:
- Ancient Studies majors may count up to 1.0 credit of language study toward the additional requirements for honours Ancient.
- For Ancient Studies majors who take Year 1 language courses during Year 2, Year 3, or Year 4, and who have already accumulated 6.0 junior credits, these courses (up to a maximum of 1.0 credit) will not be counted toward the maximum 6.0 limit on 100 level credits.
- Language courses may be taken at Laurier, at other recognized universities in Canada, or abroad on a letter of permission. The prior written consent of the History department is required for all language courses.
The Digital Humanities Minor consists of 3.0 credits (DH100, 0.5 from the Digital Humanities list, 1.0 from the Applied elective list, and 1.0 from the Contextual elective list).
A minimum of 1.5 of the required 3.0 credits must be outside of the major.
The minor is administered by the Department of History. For academic advice, students should consult the History Undergraduate Advisor.
Required Course (0.5 credit)
DH100: Digital Creativity
Digital Humanities Course (0.5 credit)
DH200: Digital Narratives
DH201: Introduction to Generative AI
DH299: Special Topics in Digital Humanities
DH300: Digital Editing and Publishing
DH301: Advanced Generative AI
DH399: Advanced Special Topics in Digital Humanities
Applied Elective list (1.0 credit)
AR250: Digital Heritage and Archaeology
AR341: Analytical Archaeology and Data Management
BU205: Introduction to Applied Statistics
GESC251: Cartography
GG351: Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization
GG368: Computer Applications in Geography
GG369: Geographical Information Systems
GG469: Advanced Geographical Information Systems
HI326: A History of Conspiracies
ML305: Medievalism in Video Games
PO218: Answering Questions in Political Science: Research in Practice
PO465: Media Analysis for Politics and Policy in a Digital Age
SY280: Quantitative Methods
SY382: Social Statistics
Contextual Elective list (1.0 credit)
AN347: Science, Technology and Body Culture
CS213: Technology and Society
CS325: Digital Media and Culture
CS350: Political Economy of Communication and Culture
CS353: Internet Studies
CS371: Social Media and Social Life
EN281: Contemporary Science Fiction
EN381: Gaming and Narrative Theory
FS345: Film Theory and Mass Media
FS348: Film Theory in the Digital Age
FS447a: Digital New Media
HI326: A History of Conspiracies
HI393: Multimedia Applications in History
KS220: Networked and Digital Cultures
PO360: Citizen Politics
WS305: Gender, Culture and Technology
A minimum of 1.5 of the required 3.0 credits must be outside of the major.
The minor is administered by the Department of History. For academic advice, students should consult the History Undergraduate Advisor.
Required Course (0.5 credit)
DH100: Digital Creativity
Digital Humanities Course (0.5 credit)
DH200: Digital Narratives
DH201: Introduction to Generative AI
DH299: Special Topics in Digital Humanities
DH300: Digital Editing and Publishing
DH301: Advanced Generative AI
DH399: Advanced Special Topics in Digital Humanities
Applied Elective list (1.0 credit)
AR250: Digital Heritage and Archaeology
AR341: Analytical Archaeology and Data Management
BU205: Introduction to Applied Statistics
GESC251: Cartography
GG351: Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization
GG368: Computer Applications in Geography
GG369: Geographical Information Systems
GG469: Advanced Geographical Information Systems
HI326: A History of Conspiracies
ML305: Medievalism in Video Games
PO218: Answering Questions in Political Science: Research in Practice
PO465: Media Analysis for Politics and Policy in a Digital Age
SY280: Quantitative Methods
SY382: Social Statistics
Contextual Elective list (1.0 credit)
AN347: Science, Technology and Body Culture
CS213: Technology and Society
CS325: Digital Media and Culture
CS350: Political Economy of Communication and Culture
CS353: Internet Studies
CS371: Social Media and Social Life
EN281: Contemporary Science Fiction
EN381: Gaming and Narrative Theory
FS345: Film Theory and Mass Media
FS348: Film Theory in the Digital Age
FS447a: Digital New Media
HI326: A History of Conspiracies
HI393: Multimedia Applications in History
KS220: Networked and Digital Cultures
PO360: Citizen Politics
WS305: Gender, Culture and Technology
The Digital Humanities Option consists of 4.0 credits (0.5 required, 2.0 from the pathways and 1.5 from the elective list). All honours program students are eligible to apply for the Digital Humanities Option. A cumulative GPA of 7.00 in the courses specific to the Digital Humanities Option is required to graduate.
- At least 2.0 of the required 4.0 credits in the option must be outside the major.
- Students should note that many option elective courses have prerequisites.
- Completion of the option requirements will result in a "Digital Humanities Option" designation on the student transcript.
- The option is administered by the Department of History. For advice on the option, students should consult the History undergraduate advisor.
Required Course
- DH100: Digital Creativity (0.5 credit)
Pathway Courses (2.0 credits; students may specialize in one pathway, but are encouraged to choose courses from both):
Design Pathway courses:
- CP104: Introduction to Programming
- CP202: Website Design
- DH200: Digital Narratives
- DH201: Introduction to Generative AI
- DH299: Special Topics in Digital Humanities
- DH300: Digital Editing and Publishing
- DH301: Advanced Generative AI
- DH399: Advanced Special Topics in Digital Humanities
- HI393: Multimedia Applications in History
Applications Pathway courses:
- AR250: Digital Heritage and Archaeology
- DH299: Applied Digital special Topics
- GESC251: Cartography
- GG351: Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization
- GG368: Computer Applications in Geography
- GG369: Geographical Information Systems
- GG469: Advanced Geographical Information Systems
- HI326: A History of Conspiracies
- ML305: Medievalism in Video Games
- PO360: Citizen Politics
- PO465: Media Analysis for Politics and Policy in a Digital Age
Elective Courses
1.5 credits from among any of the following list of courses:
Programming courses:
- CP164: Data Structures I
- CP212: Windows Application Programming
- CP213: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
- CP363: Database I
Statistics courses:
- BU205: Introduction to Applied Statistics
- PO218: Answering Questions in Political Science: Research in Practice
- ST259: Probability I
- ST260: Introduction to Statistics
- SY280: Quantitative Methods
- SY382: Social Statistics
Critical Perspectives courses:
- AN347: Science, Technology and Culture
- AR341: Analytical Archaeology and Data Management
- CS213: Technology and Society
- CS325: Digital Media and Culture
- CS350: Political Economy of Communication and Culture
- CS353: Internet Studies
- CS371: Social Media and Social Life
- EN281: Contemporary Science Fiction
- EN381: Gaming and Narrative Theory
- FS345: Film Theory and Mass Media
- FS348: Film Theory in the Digital Age
- FS447a: Digital New Media
- HI326: A History of Conspiracies
- KS220: Networked and Digital Cultures
- ML305: Medievalism in Video Games
- WS305: Gender, Culture and Technology
The History, Philosophy and Ethics of Science (HPS) minor program requires 3.0 credits, including 0.5 credit from each of the following three categories (A, B and C). The remaining courses are from any of these categories. Students are responsible for meeting course prerequisites and exclusions as directed by the relevant department.
- No more than 1.0 credit at the 100-level can be counted toward the HPS minor.
- No more than 1.0 credit in the honours program(s) can be counted towards the HPS minor.
List of History and Philosophy of Science Courses
- Core courses: HP201, HP202
- Disciplinary courses: HI342, HI343, HI377, HI424*, HI425*, HP390, PP201, PP204, PP216, PP217, PP224, PP225, PP226, PP256, PP259, PP262, PP263, PP264
- Science in Historical and Philosophical Perspective: AN202, AS101, AS102, BI226, BI236, BI296, CH313, CS213, CS304, EC327, GG452, MA233, MA235, MA238, MA318, PC235, PC242, PO316, PS390, RE203, RE216, SY321, SY406, WS305
The History Research Specialization is available to Honours BA History and Combined Honours BA students. Students normally apply at the end of Year 2. Submit the Program Selection Form on the Enrolment Services website. Entry into the program is competitive and decisions are based on the applicant's History GPA as of April 30.
To be eligible, a student must have a minimum GPA of 9.0 in all History courses prior to admission. To proceed in and graduate with the option, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 9.0 in all History courses.
The History Research Specialization Option includes HI398 (normally completed in Year 3) and a minimum of 2.0 credits of 400-level History courses.
Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
Download the History Research Specialization worksheet.
The History Teaching Specialization is intended to prepare students for Teachers' College and teaching history at the high school level. Completion of the specialization will result in a “History Teaching Specialization” designation on student transcripts.
The History Teaching Specialization consists of 2.5 credits, including 0.5 credits from each of five areas:
1. History Foundation (0.5 credit from the following)
HI109 - Age of Extremes: Europe's 20th Century
HI114 - Problems in United States History
HI117 - Topics in North American History to the 1860s
HI118 - Topics in North American History from the 1860s
HI128 - Revolution in the Modern World
HI130 - Making the Modern World 1945-2000
HI198 - World History Before 1500
HI199 - Modern World History
2. Canadian History (0.5 credit from the following)
HI112 - Untold Histories in Modern Canada
HI292 - History of Canada to Confederation
HI293 - History of Canada since Confederation
3. Indigenous History (0.5 credit from the following)
HI335 - Defending Indigenous Homelands
HI344 - Indigenous Eastern Canada: Peoples and Societies Under Colonialism
HI345 - Indigenous Western Canada: Peoples & Societies under Colonialism
4. Methods (0.5 credit)
HI398 - The Historian’s Craft
5. Practicum (0.5 credit from the following)
AF399 - Faculty of Arts Teaching Practicum Seminar
ML402 - Medieval Studies Teaching Practicum Seminar
Program Regulations
The Specialization is only available to Single and Combined Honours History Majors at the Waterloo campus graduating with a minimum of 8.00 (B) GPA in the major.
The Ancient Studies minor consists of 3.0 credits selected from the list of Ancient Studies courses. No more than 1.0 credit can be in 100-level courses. Please see the academic calendar or degree checklists for more information.
Note: Students minoring in Ancient Studies, and also doing a single or combined Honours BA in History or Archaeology and Heritage Studies, may not double-count more than 1.0 credits from the list of Ancient Studies courses.The History minor consists of 3.0 credits. No more than 1.0 of these 3.0 credits may be at the 100-level. Students who are interested in having History as a teachable subject in an Education program are strongly advised to take 1.0 credit in courses in Canadian History (designated by a {C}).
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all academic program and course requirements have been met. Please refer to regulations in the academic calendar.