The two-year Honours program in History offers an excellent opportunity for outstanding and highly-motivated undergraduate students to acquire advanced training in historical methodology and research. Read on to learn more about what our exceptional program has to offer.
Program Overview
The Honours program is a small, rigorous, and highly rewarding course of study within the Department of History. Students take part in small seminars and receive close mentorship, both within and beyond the classrooms, by our world-class faculty. Since only a limited number of students are admitted each year, Honours students also become members of a close-knit intellectual and social community. The program is designed for students who enjoy learning in small-group settings and who are excited by the prospect of conducting independent historical research.
All Honours students are expected, in their final (second) year in the program, to work closely with a faculty supervisor to produce a substantial thesis based on original archival research. In researching and writing their individual graduating essay, Honours students become scholars in their own right. In fact, many of our graduates have published academic articles based on their Honours theses.
Our Honours graduates have gone onto a diverse range of stimulating and successful careers. Many would pursue graduate studies in history or in an adjacent field and become academics themselves. Others would make use of their advanced training in research, writing, and critical thinking to develop meaningful careers in business, education, government, journalism, law, among many other possibilities.
Degree Requirements
The Honours program of the Department of History offers two pathways:
- Honours in History
- Honours in History with International Relations
Interested students are encouraged to explore the options to see which one would better align with their interests and aspirations.
In addition to fulfilling other specific degree requirements for the Faculty of Arts (including those stipulated for Honours or Double Honours), students in Honours in History must complete at least 60 credits of History, 48 of which must be for courses numbered 300 or above. In particular, students are required to complete:
Lower-level requirements
- 6 credits of 100-level HIST_V or Arts One
- 6 credits of 200-level HIST_V
Third-year requirements
- HIST_V 333 (Third-Year Honours Seminar; 6 credits) and HIST_V 321 (Honours Tutorial; 6 credits)
Fourth-year requirements
- HIST_V 433 (Fourth-Year Honours Seminar; 6 credits) and HIST_V 421 (Honours Tutorial; 6 credits)
- HIST_V 449 = Honours/Graduating Essay (Thesis) (12 credits)
In addition to the requirements specific to the third and fourth years, students must complete:
- one of HIST_V 403, 466, 468 or 490 (3 credits)
- 9 credits of upper-level HIST_V, which must include a course in a field related to the thesis topic
In addition to fulfilling other specific degree requirements for the Faculty of Arts (including those stipulated for Honours or Double Honours), students in Honours in History with International Relations must complete at least 60 credits of History, 48 of which must be for courses numbered 300 or above. In particular, students are required to complete:
Lower-level requirements
- 6 credits of HIST_V 102 or 103 or Arts One
- 6 credits of 200-level HIST_V
- 3 credits of POLI_V 260
Third-year requirements
- HIST_V 333 (Third-Year Honours Seminar; 6 credits) and HIST_V 321 (Honours Tutorial; 6 credits)
- 6 credits of upper-level HIST_V
- in consultation with the Honours Chair, 12 credits from eligible upper-level courses listed in the International Relations program
Fourth-year requirements
- HIST_V 433 (Fourth-Year Honours Seminar; 6 credits) and HIST_V 421 (Honours Tutorial; 6 credits)
- HIST_V 449 = Honours/Graduating Essay (Thesis) (12 credits)
- HIST_V 403 or one of the IR seminars listed in the International Relations program
- 3 credits from eligible upper-level courses listed in the International Relations program
Supplementary Information
Entering the program meant extending my degree for another two years, for a total of five, but even now after I have finished my M.A., I consider those two years to have been the most transformative of my education. I became a better reader, writer and researcher because of it.
Admissions
The Honours program is an intellectually rigorous course of study that accepts about 15 outstanding students each year on the basis of their academic achievement and promise. Whether you are already excelling in your History courses at UBC or contemplating of continuing your journey here, we encourage you to consider becoming a member of this vibrant community.
The deadline for the 2025W admission cycle is 15 May 2025. To be considered for the Honours program, students are expected to have:
- completed 6 credits of 100-level History courses (or the equivalent) with an average of at least 80%
- completed 6 credits of 200-level History courses (or the equivalent) with an average of at least 80%
- by the start of the Program in September, attained third-year standing in the Faculty of Arts at UBC
In addition, students are expected to provide, as part of their application:
- transcript(s) of their academic record
- letters of recommendation
- a writing sample
- two short application statements
Students who are unsure whether they will have met the requirements are encouraged to consult the Honours Chair early in the process. Those who intend to pursue the option of Honours in History with International Relations should have a plan in place to fulfill the pathway’s additional lower and upper-level requirements.
The 2024W admission cycle has concluded. Please check back here in mid-February for updated instructions for application for 2025W.
Frequently Asked Questions
May I pursue my History Honours in conjunction with another Major, Minor, or Honours program?
Yes. It would require careful planning, and it might take more than four years to complete your degrees. Interested students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the requirements of the individual programs and to consult with Arts Academic Advising as early as possible.
May I participate in Arts Co-op or Go Global as an Honours student?
Yes, with careful planning. Although it is best to take the third-year Honours seminar (HIST_V 333) as a year-long course, we allow it to be split up into two parts for students who would like to participate in co-op or study abroad. In such cases, students would leave in the second term of their third year and take the second half of 333 in the second term of their fourth year (while also taking 433 and 449). Students interested in taking part in co-op are encouraged to complete a co-op term prior to the start of the Honours program. Those who would like to study abroad are strongly advised to make sure that their foreign credits can be transferred back to UBC.
May I apply if I will not be able to attain third-year standing by the start of the Program?
Yes. But it might be difficult for us to assess your academic record if you are missing too many credits.
May I apply if I have not completed the lower-level requirements?
Yes. But we do expect successful applicants to complete the requirements as soon as possible. Also, while we will do our best to assess your academic record, the absence of the requisite History credits may make our task more challenging.
May I use my AP/IB results to satisfy the 100-level requirement for admissions?
Yes, for the 2025W admission cycle. But do consult the conversion chart for first-year credits to confirm that your AP/IB results are eligible for first-year History credits. In reviewing your application, we will not calculate your average based on your AP/IB results; instead, we will take into account your 200-level History courses as well as your overall academic record.
Please note that, starting with the 2026W admission cycle, we will no longer be accepting AP/IB results for the 100-level requirement.
May I apply if my average for my 100- or 200-level History courses is below what is stipulated?
Yes. But while we do take into consideration your overall academic record, many of our applicants do have averages that exceed our requirements.
As a transfer student, how would I satisfy the lower-level requirements for admissions?
If you have completed (with the stipulated minimum averages) the equivalents of 6 credits of 100-level and 6 credits of 200-level History courses at your original institution(s), you will have met our admission requirements. But do reach out to the Honours Chair if you have specific questions.
In my application, do I need to indicate which of the two Honours pathways I would like to pursue?
You will be asked, but you are allowed to change your plan.
Would my choice of pathway affect my chance of acceptance?
No, we do not have a quota for either pathway.
May I use my AP/IB results to satisfy the 102/103 requirement?
Because of the nature of this pathway, we do not accept AP/IB results for this purpose.
Do I have to have completed POLI_V 260 when I apply?
No. But we do expect successful applicants to complete this requirement as soon as possible.
Must the thesis of a student pursuing the History with International Relations pathway have an IR focus?
It is not required, but we strongly encourage students to take advantage of the thesis requirement to conduct original research on some dimensions of international relations.
Is Honours in History with International Relations a Combined Major, Double Major, or Double Honours program?
No, it is a History Honours program with a focus on international relations.
What then are the differences between the Honours program in History with International Relations and the Major program in International Relations?
In addition to being able to satisfy their interests by taking many of the courses listed in the International Relations program, students in the Honours program in History with International Relations would enjoy all the benefits of being an Honours student in the Department of History, including the opportunity to produce a substantial thesis under the close mentorship of a History faculty member. So if you are excited by the prospect of being a member of a close-knit cohort as well as of conducting a major research project, you would find the Honours in History with International Relations a fulfilling academic pathway.
Contact Us
Choosing an academic path is an important decision, and it is never too early to start planning. So, whether you are already a student or considering continuing your studies at UBC, do reach out to the Honours Chair or the History Undergraduate Advisor if you have any questions about degree or admission requirements. We are here to help.