Understanding Modules

Overview

History modules are designed to give you a broad base of historical knowledge and skills in Years 1 and 2, and the flexibility to study topics in depth that interest you most in Years 3 and 4.

There are three kinds of requirements to keep in mind:

    • Geographic Breadth (United States, Europe, World, as well as Canadian history) – see I. below
    • Chronological Depth (pre-modern as well as modern history) – see II. below
    • Level (Introductory to Advanced) – see III. below

You will need a certain number of courses in each of these categories, but how many depends on whether you are specializing, majoring, or minoring in History. Students earn 1.0 credit for a year-long course, 0.5 credit for a half-year course. All modules begin with a 1.0 first-year course (with a course grade of 60% or better for admission to all modules). After that:

  • The History Minor requires an additional 4.0 courses
  • The History Major requires an additional 6.0 courses
  • The History Specialization and the Honours Specialization require an additional 9.0 courses

                                                                                                                                                                

Helpful Tips!

  • The first number refers to how advanced the course is: a 1000-level course is introductory and designed for first-year students, while a 4000-level course is quite advanced, usually specialized, and aimed at students in Year 4. The department distinguishes between 2100-level courses, which are non-essay elective courses aimed at students from all programs and disciplines, and 2200-level courses, which are second-year courses, usually essay courses, open to all students but designed for those in History modules.

    The second number (in the hundreds place) refers to the geographic focus of each course (for all courses except those at the 2100 level). Courses that focus on the history of Canada, for example, have a two (2) in the hundreds place (for example, History 2201E). Here’s a list of all these geographic/topical numbers:

  • 2 = Canada
  • 3  = USA
  • 4 = Europe
  • 5 = Latin America
  • 6 = Asia, Middle East, and Africa
  • 7 = International/Comparative
  • 8 = historiographical, methodological, or thematic approaches
  • At the 2100 level, the third number (in the tens place) designates the geographic focus of the class, so for example History 2131 is a 2100-level U.S. history course.

I. Geographic Distribution Requirement

The History Department requires all students majoring or specializing in history to take at least 1.0 History courses that must be drawn from two different geographic and/or thematic and international areas.

US: History 2300-2399; History 3300-3399; History 4300-4399
Europe: History 2400-2499; History 3400-3499; History 4400-4499
World: History 2500-2699; History 3500-3699; History 4500-4699
Thematic and International: History 2700-2899; History 3700-3899; History 4700-4899

II. Chronological Depth Requirement

The History Department requires all students majoring or specializing in history to take at least one 0.5 course at the 2200 level or higher that focuses on history before 1800. period. Courses that satisfy the pre-1800 requirement are identified on the Course Offerings page of the Department website and in the module descriptions in the Academic Calendar.

III. Courses at Different Levels

Courses in years 1 and 2 are typically lectures with enrollment between 50 to 200 students. In most first-year courses, students also meet weekly in small tutorials to analyze documents and debate historical arguments. Most third- and fourth-year courses are seminars focused on group discussion.

A. 1000 - Level Courses – Introductory courses aimed at first-year students

All students who plan to pursue any module in History must take one of these courses and earn 60% or higher in the course.

B. 2100-Level Courses – Open to students from across the campus, with no priority given to students in History modules

All students, including those from other departments and faculties at Western, may enroll in 2100-level classes without seeking any form of special permission. They are aimed at students who are not enrolled in a History module, but students in History modules may take them. All 2100-level courses are non-essay courses. Students in a History major, specialization, or honours specialization should keep in mind that they can count a maximum of 1.0 non-essay courses towards their module. 2100-level classes do not satisfy the Geographic Distribution Requirement or the Chronological Depth (Pre-1800) Requirement.

C. 2200 - Level Courses – Open to students from across the campus, aimed at students in History modules

The History Department offers a broad range of upper-level lectures and seminars to permit students to pursue their interests in a more intensive fashion. All students, including those from other departments and faculties at Western, may enroll in classes numbered from 2200 to 2999 without seeking any form of special permission or having taken the Department’s introductory classes. These classes can also be used to satisfy the Geographic and Pre-1800 requirements.

D. 3000- and 4000-Level Courses – Open to students from across the campus in third year or above, aimed at students in History modules

Many 3000-level classes and all 4000-level classes are seminars (capped at 30 and 18 students respectively) that require active engagement by all participants. In these classes professors grade all student assignments. The coursework is generally more demanding than at the 2000 level. These classes can also be used to satisfy the Geographic and Pre-1800 requirements. In most cases, the only prerequisite for 3000- and 4000-level courses is registration in third year or above, but students should know that 4000-level courses almost always involve significant research projects.