Bachelor of Arts (BA) Major in History
Dive Deeply Into History to Build Skills for Your Future
GMercyU's Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in History will prepare you for graduate education or career opportunities in law, government, industry, and other public and private sectors.
As a history major, your interactive courses and learning experiences will help you become fluent in global political and social developments, develop your research abilities, and perform original scholarship.
Photo: History major James Davey '25 and History minor Ines Monsalve '26 co-curated an exhibit on the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for the Peace History Society Conference hosted at GMercyU. They partnered with AFSC archivist Don Davis to create the exhibit as part of an internship designed for them by Professor Michael Clinton. View an online version of the exhibit.
GMercyU offers two exciting options:
BA in History with Teacher Certification
Want to teach social studies in a secondary school setting? With this option, you'll graduate in four years with a Bachelor of Arts in History and your choice of the following teacher certification options:
- Secondary education certification
- Dual certification: secondary education certification and special education (grades PreK-12) certification
With either option above, you'll earn six graduate credits that can be applied to a future Master’s degree in Education.
4+1 Master of Science in Education with Teacher Certification
With this unique 4+1 MsEd degree option for future educators, you can take graduate level courses during your senior year – as part of your undergraduate tuition. In your fifth year, you will complete your MsEd degree with 18 credits of online classes and your student teaching requirement. This degree offers a path to certification.
*Certification: Both programs above were designed to meet the certification requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If you reside in a different state, you should carefully review your home state’s certification requirements prior to enrolling in this program.
Gwynedd Mercy University offers an impressive mix of top-notch liberal arts education. Here you'll find ample opportunity to hone your skills, develop a career path, and map out your future while gaining professional experience through our history program.
As a GMercyU history major, you can:
- Earn hands-on experience through internship placements at historical societies, archives, and sites throughout Pennsylvania
- Perform original research at area archives
- Participate in academic conferences, such as:
Thanks to a multidisciplinary background in arts, sciences, and humanities along with their particular understanding of history, GMercyU's history major graduates go on to pursue careers in law, education, politics, media, management, and more.
In addition to general education requirements, our BA in History degree students will complete the following courses:
Major Requirements – 30 Credits
| HIS 107 | World History I |
| HIS 109 | World History II |
| HIS 131 | American Civilization to 1877 |
| HIS 132 | American Civilization from 1877 |
| HIS 449 | Historiography |
| HIS 4000 | Capstone Seminar |
| HIS | History Elective (4) |
The minimum credit requirements are as follows:
BA in History: 120 credits
BA in History with Secondary Ed certification: 126 credits
BA in History with Secondary Ed and Special Ed certifications: 132 credits
History 4+1 BA/MsEd: 132 credits
For more information and course descriptions, please refer to the undergraduate catalog.
Increase the value of your BA in History degree by adding an undergraduate minor. GMercyU offers a wide variety of minors so you can choose the one that best meets your personal and professional goals.
A bachelor's degree in history offers a wider and more flexible range of career paths than most other majors. See this list from the American American Historical Association, and check out the opportunities shared below:
- Anthropologist
- Archeologist
- Archivist
- Biographer
- Clergy
- Community Relations Director
- Congressional Aide
- Consumer Advocate
- Demographer
- FBI/CIA Agent
- Foreign News Correspondent
- Foreign Service Officer
- Genealogist
- Government Official
- Historian
- Historic Preservation Specialist
- Historic Site Tour Guide
- Historical Society Staff Member
- Intelligence Analyst
- International Relations Specialist
- Journalist
- Judge
- Lawyer
- Lecturer
- Legal Assistant/Paralegal
- Librarian
- Lobbyist
- Market Research Analyst
- Media Consultant
- Museum Curator
- Museum Technicians & Specialist
- Newspaper Reporter
- Paralegal Assistant
- Park Ranger
- Peace Corps/Vista Worker
- Political Scientist
- Public Administrator
- Public Relations Specialist
- Research Assistant
- Research Library Assistant
- Teacher, Social Studies
- Travel Agent
- Urban Administrator
- Urban Planner
- Writer/Author
* Some of these careers may involve acquiring additional education.
* This is only a partial list and not meant to limit you.
Michael Clinton, PhD
Position: Professor, History
Did You Know? Dr. Clinton has previously served as president of the Peace History Society and book review editor of its journal, Peace & Change.
Read bio
Wayne Huss, PhD
Position: Professor Emeritus, History
Did You Know? A recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, Dr. Huss has taught at GMercyU for more than 30 years.
Read bio
Professor Michael Clinton challenged students to consider the relentless pursuit of peace as equally impactful to civilization as war. Listen to the podcast, produced by GMercyU Digital Communications students, for his thoughts.
Minor in History
Develop skills that will complement any major or career path — skills such as critical thinking, research, presentation, cultural competency, and more.
Scholarships
GMercyU offers dozens of scholarships and grants to help you save on a great education. They do not need to be repaid and generally are renewable each year.
Transfer
GMercyU grants up to 90 qualifying credits toward a bachelor's degree and offers renewable transfer scholarships and grants ranging from $11,000 to $18,000 a year.
