BA in History
The BA in History major at LAU aims to instill in you an in-depth appreciation of the past by exposing them to a global focus on both Eastern and Western civilizations through a consideration of the complex interactions across cultures over designated spans of time—interactions that collectively constitute the sum total of the human experience.
Learning about the past has the dual purpose of helping you get acquainted with the accumulated wisdom of the ages, while at the same time allowing you to discern the errors of eras gone by in order to avoid repeating them. A proper and systematic grounding in history therefore becomes the surest way to form character, cultivate perspective, illuminate context, and refine an understanding of what it means to belong to the human family.
Curriculum (new students enrolling in fall 2018 only)
Students must complete 42 credits in core requirements distributed among 14 courses of three credits each. Some courses are themselves required, but in most cases, the student will have considerable choice within designated areas, as can be seen in the course list provided below. This is designed to maximize even distribution, and increase both breadth and depth, among the different fields within history. In addition, all majors must complete a 40-page Senior Study. The topic will be selected and formulated by the student in consultation with a history advisor of the student’s choosing, and it must demonstrate serious scholarship and original thinking.
The history program features nine distinct components. Within each component there are required courses for those majoring in history as well as other courses that can be taken either as electives or as part of the Liberal Arts Core.
The program requires 92 credits distributed as follows:
- Major requirements: 42 credits
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) requirements: 30 credits (ENG 202 Advanced Academic English; COM 203 Fundamentals of Oral Communication, Arts and Humanities minimum 12 credits and maximum 15 credits, Sciences and Mathematics minimum 3 credits and maximum 6 credits and Social Sciences minimum 6 credits and maximum 9 credits)
- Computer Skills: 1 credit (CSC201 Computer Applications)
- Free elective courses: 19 credits
See suggested study plan (students enrolling in Fall 2018)
Major requirements (42 credits)
Four required courses:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST205 | Historical Tools | 3 |
| HST231 | History of Lebanon, from the Imarah to the 1975-1990 War | 3 |
| HST401 | Special Topics | 3 |
| HST499 | Senior Study | 3 |
Choose one course from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST220 | The Ancient World, Pre-History to Pericles | 3 |
| HST221 | The Ancient World, Greece and Rome | 3 |
Choose one course from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST240 | History of the Arab Peoples | 3 |
| HST241 | History of Islam in the Middle East | 3 |
Choose one course from the following (other than the course chosen in the above section):
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST240 | History of the Arab Peoples | 3 |
| HST241 | History of Islam in the Middle East | |
| HST242 | Europe and the Middle East (1798-1956) | 3 |
| HST243 | Economic History of the Middle East | 3 |
| HST244 | History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
Choose two courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST301 | Europe in Late Antiquity 410-1066 | 3 |
| HST302 | Medieval Europe 1066-1453 | 3 |
| HST303 | Early Modern Europe 1450-1750 | 3 |
| HST304 | Modern Europe 1750-1945 | 3 |
| HST305 | Contemporary Europe 1945-1989 | 3 |
Choose three courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST330 | History of Byzantium | 3 |
| HST331 | History of Russia | 3 |
| HST332 | History of China | 3 |
| HST333 | History of South Asia | 3 |
| HST334 | History of North America | 3 |
| HST335 | History of Central and South America | 3 |
| HST336 | History of Africa | 3 |
Choose two courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST340 | Topics in the History of Ideas | 3 |
| HST341 | Topics in the History of Science | 3 |
| HST342 | Topics in the History of Religion | 3 |
| HST343 | Topics in Economic History | 3 |
Curriculum (students enrolled before Fall 2018)
Students must complete 42 credits in core requirements distributed among 14 courses of three credits each. Some courses are themselves required, but in most cases, the student will have considerable choice within designated areas, as can be seen in the course list provided below. This is designed to maximize even distribution, and increase both breadth and depth, among the different fields within history. In addition, all majors must complete a 40-page Senior Study. The topic will be selected and formulated by the student in consultation with a history advisor of the student’s choosing, and it must demonstrate serious scholarship and original thinking.
The history program features nine distinct components. Within each component there are required courses for those majoring in history as well as other courses that can be taken either as electives or as part of the Liberal Arts Core.
See Suggested study plan (current students)
Major requirements (42 credits)
Four required courses:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST205 | Historical Tools | 3 |
| HST231 | History of Lebanon, from the Imarah to the 1975-1990 War | 3 |
| HST401 | Special Topics | 3 |
| HST499 | Senior Study | 3 |
Choose one course from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST220 | The Ancient World, Pre-History to Pericles | 3 |
| HST221 | The Ancient World, Greece and Rome | 3 |
Choose one course from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST240 | History of the Arab Peoples | 3 |
| HST241 | History of Islam in the Middle East | 3 |
Choose one course from the following (other than the course chosen in the above section):
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST240 | History of the Arab Peoples | 3 |
| HST241 | History of Islam in the Middle East | |
| HST242 | Europe and the Middle East (1798-1956) | 3 |
| HST243 | Economic History of the Middle East | 3 |
| HST244 | History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
Choose two courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST301 | Europe in Late Antiquity 410-1066 | 3 |
| HST302 | Medieval Europe 1066-1453 | 3 |
| HST303 | Early Modern Europe 1450-1750 | 3 |
| HST304 | Modern Europe 1750-1945 | 3 |
| HST305 | Contemporary Europe 1945-1989 | 3 |
Choose three courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST330 | History of Byzantium | 3 |
| HST331 | History of Russia | 3 |
| HST332 | History of China | 3 |
| HST333 | History of South Asia | 3 |
| HST334 | History of North America | 3 |
| HST335 | History of Central and South America | 3 |
| HST336 | History of Africa | 3 |
Choose two courses from the following:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| HST340 | Topics in the History of Ideas | 3 |
| HST341 | Topics in the History of Science | 3 |
| HST342 | Topics in the History of Religion | 3 |
| HST343 | Topics in Economic History |
Free electives (16 credits)
Duration
This program requires 92 credits, which can be completed in three years by those entering as sophomores.
Location
This program is offered in Byblos only.
