History - Major

The Department of History and Political Science is committed to developing in students an understanding of the importance of the past in human experience. This past serves as a foundation and frame of reference for their pursuit of knowledge in the classroom and in the wider world. Students gain a sophisticated awareness of the discipline of history, discovering that it is more than mere fact gathering; it involves multiple methods and interpretations of the past. Finally, the department’s goal is that all majors will engage in the dynamic study of history by developing their own insights and interpretations of the past.

The History Program can be combined with Inclusive Childhood/Middle Childhood or Adolescence teacher certification for students pursuing careers in education. Students from a variety of majors may also wish to pursue a minor in history.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required for student teaching.

History Core

The History Core provides the foundation for all of our programs. Students are required to take 12 credits from the following:

Six credits from the following Western Civilization and Asian Civilization Courses:
HIS 101 - PI Western Civilization I Credits: 3
HIS 102 - PI Western Civilization II Credits: 3
HIS 103 - PI Western Civilization III Credits: 3
HIS 106G - PI Asian Civilization I Credits: 3
HIS 107G - PI Asian Civilization II Credits: 3
HIS 108G - PI Atlantic World I Credits: 3
Six credits in American History:
HIS 205 - PI American Republic I: Exploration Through Reconstruction Credits: 3
HIS 206 - PI American Republic II: Gilded Age to the Present Credits: 3

History Requirements

In addition to 12 credits of lower division survey work, all majors must take Historical Methodology, Historical Methodology Lab, History and Historians and submit a comprehensive portfolio in their last semester.

HIS 381 - Historical Methodology Credits: 3
HIS 381L - Historical Methodology Lab Credits: 0
HIS 481 - Senior Seminar: History and Historians Credits: 3
HIS 499 - History Comprehensive Credits: 0

History Electives

Students must select six elective courses (18 credits) in upper division history. Some upper division Political Science courses may be substituted with the approval of the department chairperson.

HIS 301 - Ancient Greece Credits: 3
HIS 302 - Ancient Rome Credits: 3
HIS 305 - PII The American Presidency Credits: 3
HIS 306 - Colonial Latin America Credits: 3
HIS 308 - PII United States Constitutional History Credits: 3
HIS 309G - PII Arabs, Turks and Israelis: History and Politics of the Mediterranean Middle East Credits: 3
HIS 310 - PII African American Experience Credits: 3
HIS 311G - PII Latin America, The National Period Credits: 3
HIS 312G - PII Politics of Sub-Sahara Africa Credits: 3
HIS 314G - PII Imperial Russia Credits: 3
HIS 315G - PII Russia in the 20th Century Credits: 3
HIS 316 - PII History of Science in America Credits: 3
HIS 318 - PII Medieval Europe I Credits: 3
HIS 319 - PII Medieval Europe II Credits: 3
HIS 320 - PII American Women’s History Credits: 3
HIS 322 - PII Renaissance and Reformation Europe Credits: 3
HIS 323G - PII Native American I: Pre-Columbian Credits: 3
HIS 324G - PII Native American II: Removal-Present Credits: 3
HIS 328G - PII China in the Twentieth Century Credits: 3
HIS 329G - PII Imperial China Credits: 3
HIS 330G - PII Women and Family in East Asia Credits: 3
HIS 333G - PII Vietnam War Credits: 3
HIS 335G - PII Persian Gulf - History and Politics Credits: 3
HIS 336G - PII Modern Japan Credits: 3
HIS 342 - PII Civil War and Reconstruction Credits: 3
HIS 346 - PII American People in the 20th Century Credits: 3
HIS 347G - Social History of Medicine and Disease In the Americas, 1780-1960S Credits: 3
HIS 401 - PII Modern Revolutions Credits: 3
HIS 402 - Europe and the World Since 1914 Credits: 3
HIS 407 - Early American National Period - 1789- 1848 Credits: 3
HIS 408 - PII The American Colonies Credits: 3
HIS 409 - The American Revolution, 1765-1789 Credits: 3
HIS 410 - PII American Ethnic History Credits: 3
HIS 411 - PII People, Issues and Ideas in America Credits: 3
HIS 412 - PII United States Foreign Policy Credits: 3
HIS 421 - PII Tudor and Stuart England Credits: 3
HIS 483 - History Internship Credits: 3
HIS 484 - History Internship Credits: 3
HIS 485 - Independent Study Credits: 3
HIS 486 - Independent Study Credits: 3

History Senior Experience

Seniors will take a writing-intense research seminar. The purpose of the course will be to apply their skills as serious students of history to a research project of their own design. The seminar’s topic will be based on the participating faculty member’s current research interest, but will be sufficiently broad to allow students to develop research projects in their own fields of interest. Students will engage in an extensive search for sources, including both primary and secondary documents. These sources will serve as the foundation of a formal research paper, which will be the culmination of the students’ efforts in the course, and which will represent the students’ efforts at historical interpretation.

Writings from the seminar will be included within the portfolio format of the Senior History Comprehensive.

HIS 481 - Senior Seminar: History and Historians Credits: 3
HIS 499 - History Comprehensive Credits: 0

Sample Program for History - Major

Freshman Year

Perspectives I Credits: 3
Math and Science Perspectives I Credits: 7
Modern Foreign Language Credits: 6

As well as:

ENGW 101 - College Writing I: Exposition Credits: 3
ENGW 102 - College Writing II: Argument & Research Credits: 3
FRS 101 - Freshman Seminar Credits: 3
HIS 101 - PI Western Civilization I Credits: 3
6 credits of history from the following:
HIS 102 - PI Western Civilization II Credits: 3
HIS 103 - PI Western Civilization III Credits: 3
HIS 106G - PI Asian Civilization I Credits: 3
HIS 107G - PI Asian Civilization II Credits: 3

Sophomore Year

Perspectives I Credits: 12
Math or Science Perspectives II Credits: 3
Electives Credits: 6

As well as:

HIS 205 - PI American Republic I: Exploration Through Reconstruction Credits: 3
HIS 206 - PI American Republic II: Gilded Age to the Present Credits: 3
HIS 381 - Historical Methodology Credits: 3
HIS 381L - Historical Methodology Lab Credits: 0

Junior Year

Perspectives II Credits: 9
Upper Division History Credits: 9
Electives Credits: 6
Liberal Arts Electives Credits: 6

Senior Year

Upper Division History Credits: 9
Electives Credits: 18

As well as:

HIS 481 - Senior Seminar: History and Historians Credits: 3
HIS 499 - History Comprehensive Credits: 0