BA in History (Honors) in West Lafayette United States | Purdue University

The History Department's Honors Program provides students with access to rigorous coursework, in-depth research opportunities, and extended historical writing projects.

This 6-credit program begins in fall with HIST 42100 - Honors Historical Methods, where students learn essential historical research techniques. The course explores diverse analytical frameworks in history while analyzing works by prominent historians - studying their methodologies, source materials, and scholarly impacts. During this semester, participants also select their thesis topic, identify a faculty advisor, and initiate their research.

In spring, students take HIST 42200 - Honors Thesis In Historical Research (3 credits), which involves independent work under faculty guidance to produce a 45-50 page historical paper. The program culminates with an oral thesis defense and a presentation at the History Honors Forum, where students share their findings with faculty and family members.