Online Bachelor of Arts in HistoryOnline Bachelor of Arts in HistoryOnline Bachelor of Arts in History
Learn from the past to build your future with an online history degree
The past gives us the perspective to understand our present and boldly look toward the future. At Maryville, we offer a 100% online bachelor’s in history that equips you with the tools and techniques that modern history professionals use to research, communicate, analyze and educate.
You can tailor the coursework of your online history degree to fit your personal, educational and professional goals, so you can turn your love of history into a meaningful career. Earn your BA in history online at Maryville University, and learn history not simply as a discipline, but as an inquiry into what it means to be human — and as a public service in preserving the past and educating the public.
Access coursework 100% online
Choose to start in the fall, spring or summer
Connect to our faculty of history experts
Apply with no application fee or entrance exams
Explore financial aid and eligible transfer credit options
Gain Early Access eligibility — get a head start on your graduate degree
Why earn your BA in History online?
When you earn your online history degree, you will deepen your understanding of historical events, societies and cultures — and put them in context with today’s headlines. You’ll also learn essential career skills in areas like research, writing, oral communication, critical analysis and digital literacy, which you can apply in almost any professional field, from education to tech.
Our program helps you leverage your natural curiosity to develop skills that help you contextualize and analyze history, from the local to the global. Get real-world experience by choosing to complete an optional internship, which may help you expand your professional connections while practicing in the field. You will also participate in a local history seminar to give your education a personal, meaningful slant.
Your online BA in history degree culminates in your portfolio project, which you can tailor with the help of our expert faculty to prepare you for graduate studies or to impress prospective employers. All this serves to build critical thinking skills and a knowledge base that you can apply to your career, wherever it takes you.
Flexible, affordable, adaptable
100% online coursework.
No campus visits required.
Practical, experiential learning.
Gain relevant, career-oriented experience from your local history seminar and internship.
Engage with our supportive faculty.
Discuss your goals with our dedicated faculty, who help you connect the curriculum to your career vision.
What can you do with a history major?
History is always relevant, everywhere. At Maryville University, we designed our online history degree to focus on broad, career-focused competencies with global application. Your online history degree can be personalized to focus on your personal, educational and professional goals.
You can pursue a career in a variety of settings, including:
- Historical societies
- Museums
- Schools/universities
- Community centers
- Nonprofit organizations
- Research centers
- Public archives
- Private enterprises
- Technology companies
- Government agencies
- Consulting firms
- Libraries
- Government agencies
- Consulting firms
- Libraries
Titles and career opportunities for online history degree grads include:
- Government historian
- Teacher
- Archives director
- Curator
- Records manager
- University archivist
- Journalist/commentator
- Docent
- Lecturer
- Communications specialist
- Researcher
- Museum educator
- Analyst
What’s the market outlook for Bachelor of Arts in History graduates?
Spike in public interest.
An overall increase in public interest in history has led to higher-than-average projected growth in jobs for curators, archivists and museum workers (10%), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1
Potential for higher earnings.
Earning your online history degree can help you qualify for jobs with competitive pay. While salaries vary depending on factors like experience level and location, there are attractive median salaries for jobs like historian (US$72,890)2 and curator (US$61,750),3 according to the BLS. Salaries tend to be higher on average in education and government roles.
Why choose Maryville University’s online history degree program?
History majors find employment through a specialized set of archival skills, analytical and contextual knowledge, strong communication and storytelling, cultural understanding, resourcefulness, and the ability to forge connections. Your online history degree can lead to careers in private, public and nonprofit organizations in virtually any sector.
In Maryville’s online BA in history program, you’ll engage history on a deeper level with an optional internship, a local history seminar and a personalized portfolio project to prepare you for graduate studies or to impress prospective employers.
Maryville University was founded in 1872 and has been dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education ever since. We have a demonstrated history of caring for and service to our students, and we judge our success by yours. Ninety percent of our full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field. We’re proud of our reputation for quality academics and affordability, because it shows our devotion to helping students like you advance.
Online BA in history curriculum
The online Bachelor of Arts in History is designed with an eye toward flexibility, so you can tailor your program to fit your career goals or help prepare you to pursue further education. The program comprises 128 credit hours, including general education (42 credits), your history major (36 credits), and general electives (50 credits).
Our career-focused program is designed to help you develop skills to succeed in graduate school, or to excel in the field of history — and beyond. It features relevant coursework that explores current events and the world today through the lens of our cultural and social history and heritage.
As you earn your online history degree, you’ll participate in two world history survey courses and an experiential, professional learning component. You’ll also have the flexibility to tailor your educational experience by choosing courses that align with your personal, educational, and professional goals and interests.
Coursework includes the following:
History Survey Courses
Get an overview of world history through two required survey courses, then add context with an in-depth study of American history. Choose from topics like pre- and post-Reconstruction American history, women in American history, post-war foreign policy, and government.
History Elective Courses
Build your breadth of history knowledge with five elective courses focused on world culture and science. Choose from classes like From Samurai to Sima Qian: East Asian Peoples, Politics, and Cultures; The History of Western Medicine: From Plague to Penicillin; Conquest, Resistance, Independence: Latin American History, Politics, and Culture; and more.
Experiential Component
Get direct and relevant professional experience with this nine-credit sequence. Learn about your community’s history through a local history seminar, and study historical methods and digital humanities. Your experience culminates in the creation of a history portfolio that can help prepare you for grad school or to begin your career.
Maryville’s online history degree program aligns with the American Historical Association’s History Discipline Core, which means you study history with the intent to preserve the past and keep the public informed. It’s a flexible program that gives you options to explore areas of history that interest you most. Here, you can learn to challenge accepted knowledge by analyzing texts, artifacts and images, then develop skills to connect people to a deeper human story.
Get started on your graduate education with Early Access
At Maryville University, you can get a head start on your graduate degree while earning your bachelor’s in history through our Early Access program.
With Early Access, you can earn up to 12 credits that count toward your master’s degree and your bachelor’s. Credits you earn through Early Access are charged at the undergraduate tuition rate, meaning you can save time and money on your graduate education.
To qualify for Early Access, you must be a current Maryville undergraduate student, and you must have completed at least 75 credit hours with a GPA of 3.25 or better.
If you qualify and you have not yet completed your elective requirements, we invite you to contact your academic advisor to explore Early Access and learn more about some of our exciting online graduate programs.
You can get more out of your online bachelor’s degree in history by pairing it with one of the following master’s degrees:
Master of Science in Data Science: This program features high-level courses in machine learning, data mining, big data and deep learning to help you build proficiency in the most in-demand areas of the modern data science world.
Master’s in Business Administration (MBA): Tailor this program to align with your career goals. Select from 12 concentrations, including Health Administration and General Management.
Master of Arts in Management and Leadership (MAML): This program is designed to help you prepare for a senior-level management position in your desired field.
Apply to the online bachelor’s in history degree program at Maryville University.
Be Brave
Bring us your ambition and we’ll guide you along a personalized path to a quality education that’s designed to change your life.
- Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers. (2024). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 22, 2024. ↩︎
- Historians. (2024). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 22, 2024. ↩︎
- Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers: Pay. (2024). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 22, 2024. ↩︎