Honours seminars facilitate exploration and training in how to think historically. They bring students together to consider problems of wide import to the discipline. All students in the first year of honours take HIST 333, which introduces them to the philosophy and practice of history, and teaches them how to conceptualize and complete a research project. HIST 333 is a full-year course, but students who want to participate in an exchange or co-op program may divide it and take half in their third year and half in their fourth year.
In the second or graduating year, students take HIST 433 in which they will discuss the research and writing of the senior thesis, as well as study a broad issue of current concern to the discipline.
The one semester-long honours tutorials present large units of history in terms of region, period or, most often, theme. Each tutorial, small in size, is open to both third- and fourth-year honours students. Students are required to take one tutorial each year. To account for their intensity, they are worth twice the usual number of credits.
History honours students are required to take a history department "capstone" course (HIST 490) as well as nine credits of upper division history courses, which should include an upper division history course in a field related to their thesis topic.
A requirement of the Program is that before graduation, students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of French or a foreign language appropriate to their field of interest. Students hoping to write a thesis which requires languages other than English are encouraged to complete their language preparation as early as possible. All students are required to demonstrate their competence in a language other than English by passing a translation exam. In the exam, Honours students will be asked to translate an unseen passage from the language of their choice into English. The History Department administers these translation exams in March and November each year. Students need to pass only one translation exam and may make more than one attempt.
The senior thesis is both the main challenge and the main reward of the last year of Honours. It is the capstone achievement of the undergraduate experience. Students undertake substantial pieces of independent research on topics of their choice and under the direction of faculty members expert in the various fields.
By the end of their first year in Honours, students should have decided on what most interests them and have consulted with department members who are knowledgeable in the field. Students are strongly urged to pick a topic in a field with which they are already broadly familiar and to that end are encouraged to have taken classes relevant to the topic of their thesis (for example, a student interested in questions of empire and race in Mexico should ideally have taken classes in the history of Mexico or Latin America as well as classes exploring questions of empire and/or race.)
A faculty adviser is chosen in consultation with the Honours Chair at the end of the first year of the program. The faculty advisor will help you shape a thesis topic congruent with your interests, your existing knowledge of the field, and the faculty member’s own knowledge and interests. The length of the thesis should be approximately 60 typed double-spaced pages.
The minimum acceptable standing on the graduating thesis for an Honours degree is 68%. The standing is established by a panel of History Department members, including the adviser, who jointly judge the thesis and also examine the student orally on the written work and on the general subject of which it is a part.
History Honours can be combined with the Arts Co-op Program. The Arts Co-op Program has one intake period annually in September. Applications are normally available on the Arts Co-op web site in August. We recommend that students interested in combining History Honours with Arts Co-op apply for the Co-op program in their 2nd year and do their first co-op term prior to the start of 3rd year. However, it is also possible to apply to the Arts Co-op Program in your 3rd year after you have entered the Honours Program. You can find out more about the Arts Co-op program at http://artscoop.ubc.ca/.
If you want to pursue this option, you should speak to the Honours Chair (currently Paige Raibmon) and to Julie Walchi, the Director of Arts Co-op (Julie.walchi@ubc.ca) in order to work out a schedule for your co-op terms.
We encourage students interested in studying abroad to combine History Honours with one of the many exciting international exchange opportunities available through UBC's Go-Global Program. A one semester exchange can be incorporated into your History Honours Program without delaying graduation. A two-semester exchange is also possible but in most cases will require adding at least one semetser to your studies at UBC. You can find out more about Go-Global Programs at http://www.students.ubc.ca/global/.
If you want to pursue this option, you should speak to the Honours chair (currently Paige Raibmon) and contact Carol Zachs at Go-Global (go.global@ubc.ca).
Another variant of History Honours accommodates students especially interested in International Relations. This requires the successful completion of 120 credits. Students considering this honours program should consult the History Honours adviser (currently Paige Raibmon) in their first or second year. For more details, please see the course and credit requirements for the honours program detailed below.
Honours students are expected to maintain high standing over the two-year period of the Program. Third year students who cannot maintain a good B average in their honours courses may be asked, for their fourth year, to revert to the majors Program. Those students who receive less than 68% in any of their honours courses will not be granted an honours degree. Normally, they will graduate with a majors degree in history.
The programs of all honours students must be approved during the summer or at the beginning of each year by the chair of the Honours Committee (currently Paige Raibmon), who represents the department in these matters and is available for advice throughout the student’s course of study.
The Honours degree in History requires the successful completion of 120 credits, 60 of which are in History courses and 48 of which must be in upper level courses. Students must also complete Faculty of Arts program requirements for a B.A. Students considering the Honours program should consult the History Honours advisor (currently Paige Raibmon) in their first or second year.
In their first and second years, students must take 12 credits from any of the 100- or 200-level courses in History (or the equivalent taken in other institutions) with an average of at least 80%. The 12 credits may include up to 6 credits of MDVL 200, Arts One, or a relevant Coordinated Arts Program (CAP) course.
-HIST 333 (6 credits): year-long course in historiography and methodology
-HIST 321 (6 credits): intensive one-term honours tutorial
-HIST 433 (6 credits): year-long course devoted to a topic of broad interest; and to working collaboratively on skills relevant to writing the honours essay
-HIST 421A or 421B (6 credits): intensive one-term honours tutorial
-HIST 449 (12 credits): Honours Graduating Essay
-an oral examination on the graduating essay
-HIST 490 (3 credits): a History department “capstone” course
-9 upper division history credits which must include an upper division history course in a field related to essay topic
-an exam confirming reading knowledge of French or a foreign language
-HIST 102 or 103 (6 credits)
-6 credits from any of the 100- or 200-level courses in History (or the equivalent taken in other institutions) with an average of at least 80%. The 12 credits may include up to 6 credits of MDVL 200, Arts One, or a relevant Coordinated Arts Program (CAP) course.
-POLI 260 (3 credits)
-prerequisites for courses to be taken in the upper years
-HIST 333 (6 credits): year-long course in historiography and methodology
-HIST 321 (6 credits): intensive one-term honours tutorial
-6 credits in History
-in consultation with an advisor, 12 credits selected from courses listed in the International Relations Major program
-HIST 433 (6 credits): year-long course devoted to a topic of broad interest; and to working collaboratively on skills relevant to writing the honours essay
-HIST 421A or 421B (6 credits): intensive one-term honours tutorial
-HIST 449 (12 credits): Honours Graduating Essay
-IR seminar (3 credits)
-3 additional credits in IR
-an oral examination on the graduating essay
-an exam confirming reading knowledge of French or a foreign language
