1. History
  2. Undergraduate Program
  3. Curriculum
  4. Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

Historical illustrations - Catherine the Great, Ottoman Empire, map of Africa, plague with text about virtual course fair

The history department offers a variety of courses in ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern history for an overall geographical scope that encompasses East Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

  • 100-level courses are designed for students with little or no previous knowledge in a subject area with the intention of providing a broader survey necessary for later study at the upper level.
  • HIST 201, the Art of Historical Detection, provides a focused study in the methods of historical investigation and serves to fulfill the College of Humanities and Sciences Area 6 (Literature and Civilization) requirement.
  • 300-level courses offer a directed look at a specific geographic region, topic, or time period, and require in-depth reading and writing in the given subject area.
  • 400-420 range are advanced topics courses that focus on the instructor's specific area of expertise and also require in-depth reading and writing on the specific topic.
  • HIST490 is a capstone course, and provides an intense study in seminar format and is reserved for students in their final semesters in the program.
  • HIST 493 (internship) may be substituted for HIST 490, provided that a placement can be found which meets needs of the student and fulfills the requirements of the internship program. Click here for more information on capstones and internships.

A list of history course offerings for the current semester can be found by consulting the VCU Schedule of Classes.

Course descriptions for all the undergraduate history courses offered by the department can be found in the University Bulletin.