History Undergraduate Programme

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General Information

The Department of History shares in the primary mission of the college's academic wing, to provide university-level education to officer cadets as one of the essential elements of their professional development. To this end, the programme in history is designed to meet the specific needs of two types of students, those who major in history and those taking degrees in other departments who have an interest in the discipline.

The Department of History has four primary teaching goals:

1. to teach the essential elements of historical analysis so that students acquire the historical background required to understand the fundamental issues of our time;
2. to provide survey and specialist courses that cover Canadian history, military history and strategic thought, Canadian military history, the history of international relations, and the history of the United States, and Europe, as well as several other courses on more specialized themes and topics;
3. to explain the different historiographic schools of thought and apply the different methods; and
4. to develop students’ intellectual rigor so that they can present their thoughts in the form of sound arguments, both orally and in writing.

Structure

All students pursuing a degree in history are required to complete the core curriculum. Students are not normally allowed to register for 300 or 400 level course without having completed one junior course.

All the HIE400-level courses are designed as seminar courses. If enrolment in one of these exceeds 18, priority will be given to those students who require them to fulfill mandatory degree requirements. Authority to authorize exceeding this cap rests with the head of the history department.

Core curriculum courses

The department offers a number of courses that are required as part of the core curriculum. In many instances, these courses can also be counted towards requirements for B.A. (Honours) History, B.A. History or Minor in History.

Core history courses for students in the arts:

• HIE101: The Historical Origins of the Contemporary World
• HIE103: History of Canada
• HIE203: Introduction to Canadian Military History
• HIE271: Introduction to Military History and Thought
• (For students in History or Military and Strategic Studies HIE270 replaces HIE271. It is highly recommended that those wishing a minor in History take HIE270).

Core history courses for students in science and engineering:

• HIE203: Introduction to Canadian Military History
• HIE207: History of Canada
• HIE271: Introduction to Military History and Thought
• HIE289: The Impact of Science and Technology on Society and the Environment (an engineering degree requirement only).

General programme requirements

Students enrolled in a B.A. History, who wish to pursue a B.A. (Honours) History, will apply to the department in the second term of their third year. Eligibility to enter the honours programme includes; a B- average in the third year, maintaining a B average in all history courses to date and, the permission of the department.

Physical Conditioning and Second Language Courses

• ATE101: Foundations of Fitness, Health and Sports
• ATE301: Unarmed Combatives, Military Skills and Individual Sports
• LCF100 : Compétence de base – partie I
• LCF200 : Compétence de base – partie II
• LCF301 : Compétence intermédiaire – partie I
• LCF302 : Compétence intermédiaire – partie II
• LCF400 : Compétence intermédiaire - partie III

B.A. (Honours) History

Completion of a 40-credit programme in the arts, including the core courses for arts programmes. A minimum of 20 credits in history, approved by the department, including all of the following:

Mandatory courses

The following ten credits are mandatory:

• HIE101: The Historical Origins of the Contemporary World (1 credit)
• HIE103: History of Canada (1 credit)
• HIE203: Introduction to Canadian Military History (1credit)
• HIE206: What is History? Methods of Historical Inquiry (1credit)
• HIE270: An Introduction to Military History (2 credits)
• HIE284: A History of Europe since the 15th Century (2 credits)
• HIE424: Thesis or HIE426: Advanced Directed Studies (2 credits)

Optional courses

The following ten credits are optional:

• four history credits at the 400 level (4 credits)
• six other history credits (6 credits)

B.A. History

Completion of a 40-credit programme in the arts, including the core courses for arts programmes. A minimum of 16 credits in history, approved by the department, including all of the following:

Mandatory courses

The following eight credits are mandatory:

• HIE101: The Historical Origins of the Contemporary World (1 credit)
• HIE103: History of Canada (1 credit)
• HIE203: Introduction to Canadian Military History (1 credit)
• HIE206: What is History? Methods of Historical Inquiry (1 credit)
• HIE270: An Introduction to Military History (2 credits)
• HIE284: A History of Europe since the 15th Century (2 credits)

Optional courses

The following eight credits are optional:

• four history credits at the 400 level (4 credits)
• four other history credits (4 credits)

Programme Outline Tables

The following tables are examples of a typical outline, by year, of a B.A. (Honours) History programme of study or a B.A. History programme of study that would cover the required courses.

B.A. (Honours) History

B.A. History

Double Major 

Students wishing to complete a double major, one of which is in History, are required to complete the 16 credits as above, and meet the requirements for a major as set out in the second discipline.

Minor in History

Requirements:

• 8 credits in history