Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Historical and Political Studies Requirements

The B.A. degree with a major in Historical and Political Studies requires 24 credits of upper division courses taken from the History and/or Political Science disciplines. 

Pre-major requirements: Every student must complete a minimum of two courses selected from HI-151, HI-152, HI-201, HI-202, POL-111, and POL-211. The specific selections may vary according to the intended career and personal interests of the student. Students intending to teach social studies in the middle and secondary schools have further prerequisites as listed below.

Major requirements: The student must complete 24 upper division credits in History or Political Science, or some combination of courses from the two disciplines. This includes HI/POL-494 Research Seminar that is required for all majors. The other 21 credits in the program will be decided with the faculty advisor based on intended career and personal interests. Three advising paths are recommended by the faculty that lead toward careers in law, government service, and secondary education.

Advising Paths in Historical and Political Studies

Faculty members in the discipline help students to identify their interests, intellectual passions, and desired careers. Understanding these, they work together to choose an effective and engaging course of study. For those interest in careers in law, government service, or education, the faculty suggests three advising paths. Preparation for a career in law is consistent with the Pre-Law Program guidelines on pages 120. Preparation for government service involves a path that includes both history and political science options. Preparation for a career in secondary education begins with an expanded group of lower division prerequisites that provide the information they will need in the secondary school social studies classroom. Students then work with faculty advisors in developing a selection of upper division courses that match the student’s interests and intellectual passions. The program mirrors the Social Studies degree with different options for students who intend to teach in Hawaii and those students who intend to teach elsewhere.

Consultation with advisors is necessary to ensure that the path of study for the major followed by the student will include upper division courses in which program learning outcomes 1 & 3 are primarily developed. All upper division history courses fulfill P.L.O.1. All upper division Political Science courses fulfill P.L.O. 2. See P.L.O. 3 above for courses that satisfy this outcome. P.L.O. 4 and P.L.O. 5 are satisfied within HI/POL-494.

Path towards a Career in Law

Lower-division requirement: select a minimum of two courses from: HI-201, HI-202, POL-111, and POL-211. These courses examine the operation of government from a historical perspective.

Upper-division requirements:

Note: HI/POL-494 Research Seminar (Student must complete at least 12 hours of upper-division history/political science course work before enrolling in this course).

*Consult with program advisor to be sure that the courses selected cover program learning outcomes 1 to 3.

Path towards a Career in Education

Lower-division requirements: The following seven courses are vital preparation for teaching the social studies curriculum in middle and high schools, as well as taking the PRAXIS II Social Studies Content Knowledge Examination, which is required for the licensing of teachers in Hawaii and many other states.

 Upper-division requirements:

1. Students preparing to teach in Hawaii must take HI-450 Pre-Modern Hawaii and HI/POL-451 Modern Hawaii.

2. HI/POL-494 Research Seminar (student must complete at least 12 hours of upper-division history/political science course work before enrolling in this course).

*Consult with program advisor to be sure that the courses selected cover program learning outcomes 1 to 3.

Path towards a Career in Government Lower-division requirement:

Select a minimum of two courses from: HI-152, HI-202, POL-111, and POL-211. These courses examine the operation of government from a historical perspective.

Upper-division requirements:

Note: HI/POL-494 Research Seminar (Student must complete at least 12 hours of upper-division history/political science course work before enrolling in this course).

*Consult with program advisor to be sure that the courses selected cover program learning outcomes 1 to 3.