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Bachelor of Arts in History

Callouts

LEVEL

Undergraduate

DEGREE

Bachelor of Arts in History (B.A.)

COLLEGE

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

LOCATION

On campus, online and hybrid

Bachelor of Arts in History

Study history where it happened at Alabama State University.

The birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and an important location in the early days of the U.S. Civil War, Montgomery, Alabama is your backdrop when you pursue a history degree at ASU.

Learn from our distinguished and diverse faculty, many of whom were born during or in the wake of the Civil Rights movement. Study history from those who were there.

When you complete your bachelor’s degree in history at Alabama State, you will leave a well-rounded person ready to make your communities more fair, more equitable and caring.

Why Study History at Alabama State University?

Few universities offer a history major with the kind of consequential historical events and landmarks located in the city of Montgomery, AL. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederate States of America and is home to the Dexter King Memorial Baptist Church, the Holt Street Baptist Church, Alabama State University itself, the Montgomery Interpretive Center and the Alabama State Capitol, to name a few.

Many historic figures called Montgomery home during their lives, including Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and you can visit the houses lived in by monumental figures like these plus those of Ralph Abernathy, Nat King Cole, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and others. Study and immerse yourself in history at Alabama State.

Explore History Degree Courses at ASU

Our program is accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Students pursuing an undergraduate history degree at Alabama State won’t be just a number, as our class sizes average between 15–20 students.

During your courses, you will examine societal discrimination and disparities to prepare you to bring positive change in your chosen career.

What Can You Do With a History Degree?

Within a year of graduation, 80% of our students who graduate with a history degree are employed or in graduate school. Many go on to be public servants, teachers, researchers or civil employees.

Some have chosen to pursue law degrees and become public defenders or establish their own private practices.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 50% of people who obtain a bachelor’s degree in history go on to pursue an advanced degree. The median salary for those who major in history is $60,000.

Places Alumni Work

 

Why Study History?

History comes alive at Alabama State University. Some of the most influential historical events took place in Montgomery, and you will have direct access to those events when you pursue your bachelor’s degree in history at ASU.

Hallowed halls.

Our program is housed in the former university library, the very library where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. finished his dissertation.

History next door.

Just a quarter of a mile from campus is the Dexter Baptist Church parsonage, the home of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King from 1954 to 1960.

Hands on experience.

If you decide to pursue a graduate degree at Alabama State after earning your bachelor’s with a major in history, our partnership with the Equal Rights Initiative means our graduate students have the chance to work with the staff of the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. We also have a partnership with the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University, which gives our students the opportunity to study the history of Black health care to contextualize the current health care disparities in Black and Brown communities.

Program Callouts

80

Percentage of our students who graduate with a history degree and are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation

$60,000

Median salary for someone with a major in history, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

15–20

Average number of students in our undergraduate classes

22

Alabama State University’s ranking among HBCUs according to U.S. News & World Report

What Our Bachelor’s in History Alumni Say

 

It’s been an incredible experience, and I would highly recommend it to any student who is interested in pursuing a career in History

Alumni S.
’21, B.A. in History
 

Related Programs and Additional Resources

Connect with ASU

Department of History and Political Science

Still have questions about whether Alabama State is the best university to major in history? Let us know! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the program.