History Curriculum Requirements
See the synopsis of the history curriculum below.
Institute Core Curriculum: Note that ERH 101 and ERH 102 must be passed with a grade of C or better. The required core curriculum mathematics sequence may be filled with one of the following course sequences: MA 101 /MA 102 or MA 123 /MA 124 . All VMI students are required to take two writing intensive courses, at least one of which must be within their major department. Listings of courses to be offered in each coming semester indicate writing-intensive courses with the suffix W following the course number.
Department of History Core Curriculum: History majors and minors must earn a grade of C or better in the following courses: HI 103 , HI 104 , HI 205 or 205W, HI 206 or HI 206W. One of the following must be taken as a Writing Intensive (W) option: HI 205 or HI 206 . History majors must take at least thirty-six hours of history, including the eighteen required hours of HI 103 , HI 104 , HI 205 or 205W, HI 206 or 206W, HI 300 and HI 460W . Please note that the Department of History will not accept Western Civilization courses as a substitute for World History Parts I or II (HI 103 /HI 104 ). They can be transferred in only as history electives. Nor does the History Department allow transfer credit for asynchronous internet-based or distance learning courses.
History majors must take one 300 level Methodologically Intensive (M) course, and one 300 level Research Intensive (R) course. Completion of at least one 300-level “M” course is a prerequisite to enrollment in a 300-level “R” course; completion of a 300 level “R” course is a prerequisite to enrollment in HI 460W . Cadets completing thesis requirements must demonstrate ability to construct an annotated bibliography and to cite sources in accordance with departmental standards , and to conduct research in and perform analysis of primary sources. Any methodological course may also fulfill a regional requirement.
Capstone Course: History majors must take HI 460W , during their first class year. The history department may direct individuals to enroll in HI 460W in either fall or spring semester, however. The course requires a major research paper. Topics for the course will vary. (Note: individual sections of HI 460W may have special prerequisites.) Substitutions for HI 460W are rare but with prior approval by the department head, may be allowed for comparable work while in residence at VMI, e.g., an orally defended thesis for Institute Honors or the three-semester departmental honors sequence of HI 372 , HI 491W , and HI 492W .
The third class English electives may be filled with any literature course offered by the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies.
The minimum foreign language requirement for history majors is one foreign language through the third-year level, or two foreign languages, each through the second-year level.
The second and first class restricted elective requirements may be filled by: a) courses required for a double-major or minor in another curriculum; b) elective courses offered by the Department of Economics and Business or the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies; c) courses in the International Studies Department.
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