Get Started on Your BA in History Degree Today!

History is the study of the lived human experience, as told to us in papyrus scrolls, slave ship manifests, literature, monuments and family photo albums. By studying history online at Mississippi State University, you'll gain the perspective that comes with seeing the world from a different point of view. There's a saying: “The past is a foreign country.” Visiting the past through our courses will leave you fluent in its many languages and better equipped to understand the workings of the world today.

Your online bachelor's degree in history involves taking at least 124 credit hours total, including 39 in the History department and 59 in other disciplines. (This includes AP, CLEP, and transfer credit you may have.)

You'll take 12 hours in 1000-level survey History courses, another 24 hours in upper-level History courses, and our capstone Historiography and Historical Methods course. We offer courses in American history, European history, military and diplomatic history, African-American history, environmental history, the history of science, and several other fields.

Transfer Credit

  • Students may transfer up to 62 hours from an accredited community college
  • You may not transfer any credits from a community college after you have a total of 62 credits accepted by and/or earned at MSU
  • Last 32 hours must be from MSU
  • Upon admission to the university, the Registrar's Office will evaluate transfer credit to determine how it transfers to MSU

Program Structure

To graduate with the Bachelor of Arts in History degree:

  • Students must complete a minimum of 124 hours
    • Up to 62 hours may be transferred from an accredited community college
    • Students will take a total of 39 hours in History courses
    • Students will take at least 59 in other required areas
    • Three semesters of a foreign language (or demonstration of proficiency by a test)
  • Students must have a GPA of 2.0 on all college work prior to entering the major
  • An overall GPA of 2.5 in History courses is required to graduate

You'll also take courses in a variety of other fields, including:

  • 6 hours in mathematics
  • 9 hours in the sciences
  • 3 hours of public speaking
  • 2-3 hours in computer literacy
  • 9 hours in philosophy, literature, and the humanities
  • 18 hours of social sciences
  • 3 hours in the fine arts
  • 9 hours in a foreign language (up to the third semester of a language, unless you test out of this requirement)
 

Admissions Process

New Admissions

If you have never attended Mississippi State University, please complete the online Undergraduate Admissions Application.

  • You will choose History (HI) as your major and Online Education as your campus.
  • Request that official ACT or SAT scores be sent to MSU.
  • Request that your high school send your official transcript. Faxed transcripts will not be accepted.
  • Submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
  • If you are able to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them to admit@msstate.edu.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them via U.S. Postal Service to:
    Office of Admissions & Scholarships
    P.O. Box 6334
    Mississippi State, MS 39762
  • All new admits will pay a non-refundable application fee online.

Admission Options

Freshmen admission requirements

To be accepted into the freshmen class at Mississippi State University, students must satisfactorily complete the following College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with an appropriate core grade-point average:

  • English - 4 units, all requiring substantial communication skills components.
  • Mathematics - 3 units: Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. (Algebra I taken in the 8th grade will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.)
  • Natural Science - 3 units chosen from Biology, Advanced Biology, Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry, Physical Science, Physics, Advanced Physics, or another science course of comparable rigor. (Two science units must be laboratory-based.)
  • Social Studies - 3 units, including U.S. History, World History (substantial Geography component), Government (½ unit), and Economics (½ unit) or Geography (½ unit).
  • Advanced Electives - 2 units chosen from Foreign Language, World Geography, 4th-year laboratory-based Science, and 4th-year Mathematics. One of the units must be Foreign Language or World Geography. (Foreign Language taken in the 8th grade will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.)
  • Computer - ½ unit: computer as a productivity tool, not as a keyboarding device.
  • Pre-High School Units - Algebra I, or first year Foreign Language, or Mississippi Studies taken prior to high school will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.

Courses

HI 1063 Early US History
Three hours lecture. A survey of U.S. history through Reconstruction.

HI 1073 Modern US History
Three hours lecture. A continuation of HI 1063, covering the period from Reconstruction to the present.

HI 1213 Early Western World
Three hours lecture. A survey of western world history from ancient times to about 1600.

HI 1223 Modern Western World
Three hours lecture. A continuation of HI 1213, covering the period from the 17th century to the present.

HI 3333 Mississippi History
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. A survey of Mississippi history examining economic, social, political, geographical, and cultural aspects of the state's past.

HI 4193 US Environmental History
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. A survey of the impact of the environment in shaping the American culture,literature,politics, and economy from European colonization to the present.

HI 4273 Women in American History
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. A study of the economic, political, and social activities of women in American history. Emphasis on Southern women.

HI 4303 The Old South
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. Development of the Old South from colonization through the slavery controversy and the Civil War.

HI 4313 The New South
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. Southern life from Reconstruction times to the present.

HI 4363 African American History and Culture
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Africian-Americans from their Africian origins to the present, emphasizing black-white relations in the making of America. (Same as AAS 4363 )

HI 4653 History Science and Technology
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. Science and technology from Newton to the present, emphasizing the relationship between scientific innovation and technological application.

HI 4683 Europe WWI - Hitler
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. European development from the beginning of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War.

HI 3903 Historiography and Historical Methods
(Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing) Three hours lecture. The writings and interpretations of leading European and American historians, bibliographical aids, methods of research, preparation of bibliographies, practice in writing a research paper.

HI 4533 History of the Cold War
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course) Three hours lecture. The political, social, cultural, and economic history of the Cold War, from its origins in the early twentieth century to its conclusion in 1991.

See More

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact one of your advisors to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.

Photo of Matthew Lavine

Matthew Lavine

History

  • Associate Professor & Undergraduate Coordinator
662.325.8912

Program Reminders

  • If you want to deviate from the program of study recommended for you, check with your advisor
  • If you take courses not on your recommended program of study, there is a risk that the classes will not count toward your BS degree
  • You must get a grade of "C" in all classes required in the History Major Core

All programs of study are subject to review by the Registrar's Office for graduation, even from a signed program of study. Courses that do not equal MSU courses exactly may or may not apply to your program as core courses. You can see these course translations through the CAPP report found at my.msstate.edu. To access the report, log into your myState account and click on the "hamburger" icon in the top left corner in order to access the Banner tab; click or hover over the myBanner for Students tab in order to view the Academic Records column where you can click on the CAPP Compliances link.

Career Opportunities

"But what can I do with an undergraduate history degree?" Anything! Graduates from our major enjoy a wide variety of career opportunities. Of course, it's a great start for a teaching career in history or social studies, and it's the perfect option for students looking to work in library and archival fields, public history, or museums and historical preservation. We place many of our majors in graduate programs in history or education or pursue degrees in library science or archival studies.

But the perspective you will gain, and the critical thinking, research and writing skills you will learn as a history major are useful in many other endeavors as well. MSU history majors routinely go on to law school, or careers in public policy, or work in religious or counseling careers. We also have students who are entrepreneurs, who have worked in federal law enforcement, or become physicians.

What they all have in common is that they've benefited from the core skills that the study of history helps develop: how to think critically and analytically, how to make sense of complicated situations, and how to communicate ideas in writing.


Contact Information

Photo of Joy Bailey

Joy Bailey

Online Education

  • Coordinator
662-325-9684
Photo of Matthew Lavine

Matthew Lavine

History

  • Associate Professor & Undergraduate Coordinator
662.325.8912