professor in front of whiteboard talking to class

The History program offers a variety of courses that enable students to obtain a Bachelor of Arts with either a major or minor in History. The goals of the department curriculum are to encourage an informed, critical, and articulate sense of the past, an appreciation for the diversity of the human experience, and an awareness of how the past shapes the present. As a major, history develops and emphasizes practical research and communication skills and provides the foundation for graduate work, the study of law, teaching, archival sciences, civil service, and the private sector. A minimum of 21 hours must be taken at the 300 level or above.

Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs)

By the completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Evaluate various historical sources, including primary, secondary, scholarly and non-scholarly, attained through databases, publications, interviews, and/or other appropriate research.
  2. Synthesize information and data from multiple sources, perspectives, time periods, etc. to create a novel historical argument/thesis and/or critique an existing argument.
  3. Evaluate historical production and self-produced work according to the historical profession.
  4. Discuss the influence and relevance of history on current social, cultural, political, religious, etc. issues.
  5. Develops written and oral communication skills to succeed in graduate study and professional careers.

REACTING TO THE PAST

Programs on campus, especially history, utilize this innovative pedagogical technique to engage students. Reacting to the Past (RTTP) is an award-winning curriculum designed at Barnard College in the late 1990s. Students are assigned historical roles and run RTTP class sessions while instructors advise and guide students and grade their oral and written work. RTTP improves academic skills and intellect by drawing students into the past and challenging them through engagement. There is no fixed outcome or script, requiring students to create persuasive dialogue from their own knowledge and beliefs of historical figures.

GRADUATE OUTCOMES

Australian National University
Defiance High School
Grass Lake Community Schools
Riverside High School
Unifirst Corporation
Van Wert High School

HONOR SOCIETY

PHI ALPHA THETA

Honor society for history majors. Students must have a 3.1 GPA or higher in history courses, and a 3.0 GPA or higher in all other courses.

MEET THE FACULTY

Steven Bare, Ph.D.
 Jeremy Taylor, Ph.D.