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History
History | Courses
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612 Herter Hall
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Contact: Gerald W. McFarland
Office: 611 Herter
Phone: 545-6757
Chair of Department:ÝProfessor David Glassberg. Professors Barton, Berkman,
Bowman, Cantor, Drake, Glassberg, Higginson, Jones, Laurie, McFarland, Minear,
Nissenbaum, Owens, Peiss, Pelz, Rausch, Rearick, Richards, Sarti, Shipley, Story,
Swartz, Tager, Wilson; Associate Professors Altstadt, Boyle, Gordon, Levy, Nightingale;
Assistant Professors Bliss, Broadbridge, Miller, Nash, Ogilvie; Adjunct Faculty
Berkowitz, Bracey, Hafertepe, Lester, O'Brien, Sinha, Shannon, Stern.
The Field
History is the study of the past based on finding, evaluating, and interpreting
recorded evidence. It is a discipline that seeks both to understand the past
in its own terms and to explain the present in light of the past. Historical
fields are usually defined by period, place, and themeófor example, modern American
cultural history. The history curriculum is intended to encourage the exploration
of the past in a variety of fields and to foster the skills necessary to discover
and express effectively an understanding of the past. Generally, courses of
greater breadth are offered at the 100 level and courses of greater depth are
offered at the upper levels. Often but not always, the higher the level the
smaller the class. The department offers honors courses at all levels and encourages
qualified majors to enroll in Commonwealth College. History honors courses are
generally taught as seminars.
The department offers a variety of prizes, internships, scholarships, and extracurricular
activities to reward academic achievement in history and to enrich classroom
learning. A history club, organized and run by students, is open to both majors
and non-majors. Club activities include trips to historic sites, lectures, and
social events. The national history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, has a chapter
at the University. Any undergraduate or graduate student with a GPA in history
of 3.1 or above, with at least 12 completed history credits and a general GPA
of at least 3.0, may apply. The department also encourages majors to take part
in study abroad programs.
The Major
History majors must complete 12 courses totalling at least 36 credits with
a minimum GPA of 2.0, distributed as follows:
A. Two to five 100-level courses.
1. One of the following pairs required:
100-101 Western Thought and Culture
102-103 Western Thought and Culture, Honors
140-141 European History
142-143 Western Thought and Culture, Honors
2. Optional: Up to three other 100-level
courses if one is a Third-World course.
B. Six to nine courses 200-499
C. One course numbered 591-595. This proseminar involves research and writing,
to be completed before the second semester of the senior year (normally in the
junior year)
D. A pre-1500 course from among the following: 100, 102, 110, 112, 114, 130,
160, 180, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 340 or the equivalent. (The list is updated
each semester by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.)
E. At least two non-western courses (100-level or upper-level, in any combination)
to be selected from the following areas: Africa, East Asia, Latin America, Middle
East. A fifth 100-level course may be taken to fulfill this requirement.
Restrictions
1. No upper-level history course may be taken elsewhere without prior approval
of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Majors, including transfer students,
must take a minimum of four upper-level courses in the department.
2. History courses taken Pass/Fail will not be counted toward requirements
for a major.
3. No history course in which a grade of D or lower has been earned will satisfy
requirements for the major.
4. If appropriate in subject matter and with prior approval of the Director
of Undergraduate Studies, the proseminar (591-595) may be used to satisfy requirements
D and E above.
5. Majors may count no more than 20 history courses toward the B.A. degree
(a total of no more than 60 credits, in lower- and upper-level work).
Career Opportunities
The study of history provides majors with the research, analytical, and communication
skills necessary to every type of career. These skills include the ability to
read quickly and pick out important points, to assimilate and synthesize information
from a variety of sources, to present information effectively in oral and written
form, and to make an informed judgment and to argue its merits. Students of
history learn how to ask pertinent questions and to find answers through research
and logical thought. In short, history is a particularly appropriate preparation
for careers in law, journalism, government service, diplomacy, business, resource
management, and teaching.
The Minor
Requirements
An undergraduate minor in history requires a minimum of six courses totalling
not less than 18 credits and distributed among the lower and upper level as
follows:
Any two introductory courses (100 level), and any four upper-level courses
(200 and above).
Guidelines
1. Transfer credits toward the minor will be granted only for introductory
courses.
2. The four upper-level courses must be taken at this University.
3. No history course taken on a Pass/Fail basis may count toward the minor.
4. No history course in which a grade of D or lower has been earned will satisfy
requirements for the minor.
History | Courses
| Faculty
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