About this Program

The Department of History offers a Bachelor of Arts degree that prepares students broadly for modern careers in business, government, and teaching, or for graduate study in history, law, library science, business, or education. The Department's academic offerings reflect the diversity of the faculty, and students are encouraged to sample broadly the course offerings.

Program Highlights

  • The degree offers you many varied options to expand your horizons beyond the required number of classroom courses. The department offers study abroad courses over the spring break. A very popular study abroad course is the Holocaust in France. Students travel to Paris and trace the route of French Jews to Auschwitz. There are also possibilities for an entire study abroad semester in universities around the world. Internships in museums, at historical and archaeological sites, and libraries give you hands-on practical experience and offer networking possibilities for later employment.

  • A bachelor’s degree in history will give you invaluable research and analytic skills that will prepare you to enter into several professional fields. Teaching at the secondary level of education is a major career field. You can work as a historian in many large government and commercial organizations. You can use your research skills working in archives. You can also work as a curator in a museum. A very important professional field is serving in the military. A degree in history is also great preparation for a career as a lawyer.

AT A GLANCE
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Degree Earned
Bachelor of Arts
Delivery Modes
On-Campus

Careers

Check out these ideas from ODU Career Development Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is a midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

History Teachers, Postsecondary

$82,900 Median Salary

Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Lawyers

$141,890 Median Salary

Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.

Archivists

$55,470 Median Salary

Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.

Historians

$64,220 Median Salary

Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.

Requirements

What are the requirements to apply for History at ODU?
Students entering the Bachelor of Arts program in History should meet the minimum university admission requirements Undergraduate Admission.

Transfer

At ODU, we understand that as a transfer student you have unique needs that require a wide array of campus resources. The Center for Advising Administration and Academic Partnerships aims to create a transfer inclusive culture that supports the successful...

Cost

Estimated rates for the 2023-24 academic year. Rates are subject to change. Anyone that is not a current Virginia resident will be charged non-resident rates. That includes international students.

Active Duty Military Rate
Cost Per-Credit $250
Virginia Resident
Cost Per-Credit $393
Technology Delivered Courses Outside Virginia and/or the United States
Cost Per-Credit $407
Non-Resident
Cost Per-Credit $1,073

Ways to Save

Here are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending ODU. For more information visit University Student Financial aid

Contact

Senior Lecturer

8042 BATTEN ARTS & LETTERS
NORFOLK, 23529