Oct 31, 2024  
2013-2014 Academic Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of History


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Faculty

David Ballew, Chair
Dean Lawson
Danny Moore
Gregory S. Taylor

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of History is to provide quality instruction, a variety of courses, and challenging educational experiences to diverse student learners. The program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the practicing historian, who actively studies and interprets the past. Graduates will be prepared to study history in graduate school, to participate in professional activities, and to succeed in a career. As a key part of the liberal arts curriculum, historical studies shape citizens who can think broadly and critically about themselves and the world.

Educational Outcomes

  1. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate the ability to identify, explain, and assess the impact of major historical events, developments, issues, concepts, individuals, and problems.
  2. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret the meaning of past events, using the principles of critical thinking, and evaluate various historiographical viewpoints.
  3. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate the ability to perform effective research, ask appropriate questions, and collect and organize research in a coherent, meaningful way.
  4. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate the ability to construct thorough, well organized essays that clearly present significant conclusions and analysis, supported by relevant evidence, and to communicate their findings in formal and informal oral presentations.
  5. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate the desire for greater historical understanding and appreciate diverse historical perspectives, the complexity of history, and the importance of the study of the past.
  6. Students completing a baccalaureate degree in history will demonstrate active involvement in the discipline and will be prepared for graduate school, for teaching, and for work in a wide range of non-academic careers, including the law, libraries, museums, business, and public service.

The History Honors Project

Each year the department invites meritorious junior history majors to participate in a two-year honors project. During their junior year, students choose a faculty member with whom they want to work on a research project. The project may involve a major paper based on primary source materials or an extensive review and evaluation of the secondary literature in a particular subject area. Students present the project to the history faculty during their senior year. Following an oral examination, the history faculty determines whether to grant honors.

Programs

    MajorMinor

    Courses

      GeographyHistoryPractice of HistoryAmericanEuropeanDeveloping WorldPolitical ScienceSocial Studies Education

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