This minor may only be completed by students admitted to Elementary Education options leading to certification in K-9 or Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence. A minor is not required to complete the K-9 certification program, but students may elect to complete one.
Minors provide a depth of study in a particular area of interest and also inform classroom instruction. The completion of a minor is required to teach middle school in some states and may benefit students particularly interested in teaching at this level.
The Department of History is housed in the College of Letters & Science. Students may wish to consult with an undergraduate advisor in the department to discuss course selection and other issues related to this field of study.
Students have numerous advising resources available to them, including both professional and peer advisors. Information on the History advising team, how to contact an advisor, how to schedule an appointment, and drop-in advising hours can be found on the departmental website.
Upon completion, the subject area of the minor will be posted on the UW-Madison transcript. Students will not receive an additional certification or license in the subject area as was possible prior to fall, 2022 program admission. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not offer content licenses in association with the K-9 educator license.
This minor may only be declared by students completing Elementary Education certification in either K-9 or Middle-Childhood-through-Early-Adolescence. The declaration form is located on the School of Education's Undergraduate Admissions page and can be submitted any time after admission into the program.
The History minor requires a minimum of 24 credits. No more than three courses may be numbered below 300. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required, based on all history minor coursework taken on the UW–Madison campus.
European History
Complete at least one course; includes British or Russian history.
European History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY/CLASSICS 110 | The Ancient Mediterranean | 4 |
| HISTORY 111 | Culture & Society in the Ancient Mediterranean | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 112 | The World of Late Antiquity (200-900 C.E.) | 4 |
| HISTORY 115 | Medieval Europe 410-1500 | 4 |
| HISTORY 119 | Europe and the World, 1400-1815 | 4 |
| HISTORY 120 | Europe and the Modern World 1815 to the Present | 4 |
| HISTORY 123 | English History: England to 1688 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 124 | British History: 1688 to the Present | 4 |
| HIST SCI 201 | The Origins of Scientific Thought | 3 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (European topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 208 | Western Intellectual and Religious History to 1500 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 209 | Western Intellectual and Religious History since 1500 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 212 | The History of Western Christianity to 1750 | 4 |
| HISTORY/JEWISH 220 | Introduction to Modern Jewish History | 4 |
| HISTORY 223 | Explorations in European History (H) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 224 | Explorations in European History (S) | 3 |
| HISTORY/GEOG/POLI SCI/SLAVIC 253 | Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey | 4 |
| HISTORY/GEOG/POLI SCI/SLAVIC 254 | Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey | 4 |
| HISTORY 270 | Eastern Europe since 1900 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 271 | History Study Abroad: European History | 1-4 |
| HISTORY 303 | A History of Greek Civilization | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 307 | A History of Rome | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 309 | The Crusades: Christianity and Islam | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/JEWISH 310 | The Holocaust | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 320 | Early Modern France, 1500-1715 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI 323 | The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton | 3 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI 324 | Science in the Enlightenment | 3 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST 328 | Environmental History of Europe | 3 |
| HISTORY 348 | France from Napoleon to the Great War, 1799-1914 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 349 | Contemporary France, 1914 to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 350 | The First World War and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century Europe | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 351 | Seventeenth-Century Europe | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 357 | The Second World War | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 358 | French Revolution and Napoleon | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 359 | History of Europe Since 1945 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENGL/RELIG ST 360 | The Anglo-Saxons | 3 |
| HISTORY 361 | The Emergence of Mod Britain: England 1485-1660 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CLASSICS/POLI SCI 362 | Athenian Democracy | 3 |
| HISTORY/INTL ST 366 | From Fascism to Today: Social Movements and Politics in Europe | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 367 | Society and Ideas in Shakespeare's England | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 392 | Women and Gender in Modern Europe | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 410 | History of Germany, 1871 to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 411 | The Enlightenment and Its Critics | 3 |
| HISTORY 417 | History of Russia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 418 | History of Russia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 419 | History of Soviet Russia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 420 | Russian Social and Intellectual History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 424 | The Soviet Union and the World, 1917-1991 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 425 | History of Poland and the Baltic Area | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 426 | The History of Punishment | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/SCAND ST 431 | History of Scandinavia to 1815 | 3 |
| HISTORY/SCAND ST 432 | History of Scandinavia Since 1815 | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 476 | Medieval Law and Society | 3 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 478 | Comparative History of Childhood and Adolescence | 3 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 507 | Health, Disease and Healing I | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CURRIC/ED POL/JEWISH 515 | Holocaust: History, Memory and Education | 3 |
| HISTORY/CLASSICS/RELIG ST 517 | Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean | 3 |
| HISTORY/JEWISH 518 | Anti-Semitism in European Culture, 1700-1945 | 3 |
| HISTORY/SCAND ST 577 | Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History | 3-4 |
U.S. History
Complete at least one course.
U.S. History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 101 | Amer Hist to the Civil War Era, the Origin & Growth of the U S | 4 |
| HISTORY 102 | American History, Civil War Era to the Present | 4 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 107 | The History of the University in the West | 3 |
| HISTORY 109 | Introduction to U.S. History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 136 | Sport, Recreation, & Society in the United States | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 143 | History of Race and Inequality in Urban America | 3 |
| HISTORY 145 | America and China, 1776-Today | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 150 | American Histories: The Nineteenth Century | 4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 151 | The North American West to 1850 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 152 | The U.S. West Since 1850 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 153 | Latina/Latino/Latinx History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN AM 160 | Asian American History: Movement and Dislocation | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN AM 161 | Asian American History: Settlement and National Belonging | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AMER IND 190 | Introduction to American Indian History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (U.S. topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/JEWISH 213 | Jews and American Pop. Culture | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 218 | History of Twentieth Century American Medicine | 3 |
| HISTORY/JEWISH 219 | The American Jewish Experience: From Shtetl to Suburb | 4 |
| HISTORY 221 | Explorations in American History (H) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 227 | Explorations in the History of Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/GEN&WS 245 | Chicana and Latina History | 3 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/ASIAN AM 246 | Southeast Asian Refugees of the "Cold" War | 4 |
| HISTORY/C&E SOC/POLI SCI/SOC 259 | Forward? The Wisconsin Idea, Past and Present | 1-3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 261 | American Legal History to 1860 | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 262 | American Legal History, 1860 to the Present | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/LACIS/POLI SCI 268 | The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | 3 |
| HISTORY 269 | War, Race, and Religion in Europe and the United States, from the Scramble for Africa to Today | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 272 | History Study Abroad: United States History | 1-4 |
| HIST SCI/AFROAMER 275 | Science, Medicine, and Race: A History | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFRICAN/AFROAMER/POLI SCI 297 | African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | 4 |
| HISTORY 302 | History of American Thought, 1859 to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 306 | The United States Since 1945 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 321 | Afro-American History Since 1900 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 322 | Afro-American History to 1900 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 329 | History of American Capitalism | 4 |
| HISTORY/INTL ST 332 | East Asia & The U.S. Since 1899 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 344 | The Age of the American Revolution, 1763-1789 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 345 | Military History of the United States | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 353 | Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 354 | Women and Gender in the U.S. Since 1870 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/LACIS/POLI SCI 355 | Labor in the Americas: US & Mexico in Comparative & Historical Perspective | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 393 | Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction, 1848-1877 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 394 | Science in America | 3 |
| HISTORY 401 | Public History Workshop | 3 |
| HISTORY 403 | Immigration and Assimilation in American History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 412 | History of American Education | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/POLI SCI 422 | Latino History and Politics | 3 |
| HISTORY 427 | The American Military Experience to 1902 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 428 | The American Military Experience Since 1899 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST/LEGAL ST 430 | Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 3 |
| HISTORY 434 | American Foreign Relations, 1901 to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 435 | Colony, Nation, and Minority: The Puerto Ricans' World | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST/GEOG 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| HISTORY/ECON 466 | The American Economy Since 1865 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST/GEOG 469 | The Making of the American Landscape | 4 |
| HISTORY 500 | Reading Seminar in History (U.S. Topics) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| HIST SCI/AFROAMER/MED HIST 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS 537 | Childbirth in the United States | 3 |
| HISTORY/JOURN 560 | History of U.S. Media | 4 |
| HISTORY/L I S 569 | History of American Librarianship | 3 |
| HISTORY 607 | The American Impact Abroad: The Historical Dimension | 3 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 612 | History of Student Activism from the Popular Front to Black Lives Matter | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 628 | History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States | 3 |
Non-Western History (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East)
Complete one course; Russian history does not fulfill this requirement.
African History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 105 | Introduction to the History of Africa | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFRICAN 129 | Africa on the Global Stage | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (African topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFRICAN/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/GEOG/POLI SCI/SOC 277 | Africa: An Introductory Survey | 4 |
| HISTORY 278 | Africans in the Americas, 1492-1808 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 279 | Afro-Atlantic History, 1808-Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFRICAN/AFROAMER/POLI SCI 297 | African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | 4 |
| HISTORY 444 | History of East Africa | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 445 | History of Equatorial Africa | 3-4 |
Central or East Asian History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY/ASIAN 103 | Introduction to East Asian History: China | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 104 | Introduction to East Asian History: Japan | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 108 | Introduction to East Asian History - Korea | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Central or East Asian topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/POLI SCI 255 | Introduction to East Asian Civilizations | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GNS 265 | An Introduction to Central Asia: From the Silk Route to Afghanistan | 3 |
| HISTORY/INTL ST 332 | East Asia & The U.S. Since 1899 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 335 | The Koreas: Korean War to the 21st Century | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 336 | Chinese Economic and Business History: From Silk to iPhones | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 337 | Social and Intellectual History of China, 589 AD-1919 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 340 | Cultural History of Korea | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 341 | History of Modern China, 1800-1949 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 342 | History of the Peoples Republic of China, 1949 to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 363 | China and World War II in Asia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 454 | Samurai: History and Image | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 456 | Pearl Harbor & Hiroshima: Japan, the US & The Crisis in Asia | 3-4 |
South or Southeast Asian History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 142 | History of South Asia to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/GEOG/POLI SCI/SOC 244 | Introduction to Southeast Asia: Vietnam to the Philippines | 4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/ASIAN AM 246 | Southeast Asian Refugees of the "Cold" War | 4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/RELIG ST 267 | Asian Religions in Global Perspective | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/RELIG ST 308 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 319 | The Vietnam Wars | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 438 | 3-4 | |
| HISTORY 450 | Making of Modern South Asia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 457 | History of Southeast Asia to 1800 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 458 | History of Southeast Asia Since 1800 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 463 | Topics in South Asian History | 3 |
Latin American History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Latin American Topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 241 | Latin America from 1780 to 1940 | 4 |
| HISTORY/INTL ST/LACIS 242 | Modern Latin America | 4 |
| HISTORY/LACIS 243 | Colonial Latin America: Invasion to Independence | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/GEN&WS 245 | Chicana and Latina History | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/C&E SOC/GEOG/LACIS/POLI SCI/SOC/SPANISH 260 | Latin America: An Introduction | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/LACIS/POLI SCI 268 | The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | 3 |
| HISTORY 278 | Africans in the Americas, 1492-1808 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 279 | Afro-Atlantic History, 1808-Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 347 | The Caribbean and its Diasporas | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/LACIS/POLI SCI 355 | Labor in the Americas: US & Mexico in Comparative & Historical Perspective | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA/POLI SCI 422 | Latino History and Politics | 3 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 435 | Colony, Nation, and Minority: The Puerto Ricans' World | 3 |
| HISTORY 441 | Revolution and Conflict in Modern Latin America | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 533 | Multi-Racial Societies in Latin America | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
Middle Eastern History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 139 | Introduction to the Modern Middle East | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Middle Eastern topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 205 | The Making of the Islamic World: The Middle East, 500-1500 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 309 | The Crusades: Christianity and Islam | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 370 | 3-4 |
Ancient/Medieval History
Complete one European or Non-Western history course with a focus on the European or Mediterranean area before C.E. 1500 or with the history of Africa or Asia before these areas fell heavily under European influence. This course may also be counted toward the fulfillment of the other distribution requirements above.
Ancient/Medieval History course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY/CLASSICS 110 | The Ancient Mediterranean | 4 |
| HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 112 | The World of Late Antiquity (200-900 C.E.) | 4 |
| HISTORY 115 | Medieval Europe 410-1500 | 4 |
| HISTORY 123 | English History: England to 1688 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 200 | Historical Studies (Ancient/Medieval topics) | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI 201 | The Origins of Scientific Thought | 3 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Ancient/Medieval topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 205 | The Making of the Islamic World: The Middle East, 500-1500 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/RELIG ST 208 | Western Intellectual and Religious History to 1500 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 223 | Explorations in European History (H) (Ancient/Medieval topics) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 303 | A History of Greek Civilization | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 307 | A History of Rome | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/RELIG ST 308 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 309 | The Crusades: Christianity and Islam | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/MEDIEVAL 322 | Ancient and Medieval Science | 3 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 337 | Social and Intellectual History of China, 589 AD-1919 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENGL/RELIG ST 360 | The Anglo-Saxons | 3 |
| HISTORY/CLASSICS/POLI SCI 362 | Athenian Democracy | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 426 | The History of Punishment | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 454 | Samurai: History and Image | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 457 | History of Southeast Asia to 1800 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 476 | Medieval Law and Society | 3 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 507 | Health, Disease and Healing I | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CLASSICS/RELIG ST 517 | Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean | 3 |
| ILS 201 | Western Culture: Science, Technology, Philosophy I | 3 |
Historical Research
Select one course. This course may also be counted toward the fulfillment of the other distribution requirements above. HISTORY 201 is specifically designed to be a research methods course and is strongly recommended. Multiple topics will be offered every fall and spring under this number.
Historical Research course options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 319 | The Vietnam Wars | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 354 | Women and Gender in the U.S. Since 1870 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 418 | History of Russia | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 458 | History of Southeast Asia Since 1800 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 519 | Sexuality, Modernity and Social Change | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 628 | History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States | 3 |
Electives
Complete additional coursework, if necessary, to reach the minimum of 24 credits. It is recommended that students completing the history minor take a one-year continuous course in American history (e.g., HISTORY 101 Amer Hist to the Civil War Era, the Origin & Growth of the U S and HISTORY 102 American History, Civil War Era to the Present).