Comprehensive Requirement

Students meet their comprehensive requirement by taking HIST 490 in the fall semester of their senior year and writing for that course a 25-page paper that involves research and analysis of primary and secondary sources. They are required to turn in a 5-page prospectus of their project and attend several meetings in the spring of their junior year to prepare for HIST 490. Papers may concentrate on a geographical area or take a topical approach, such as History of Science and Medicine; Women's History; or Revolutions.

Students are eligible for distinction if they receive an A or A- on their paper for HIST 490.  HIST 490 instructors, in consultation with thesis advisers, make the final determination on awarding marks of distinction.