History

Professors B. Berglund, J. Carpenter, K. Du Mez, D. Howard, W. Katerberg, K. Maag, F. van Liere, K. van Liere (chair), W. Van Vugt
Associate Professors R. Schoone-Jongen, E. Washington

Students majoring in history will design programs of study in consultation with their departmental advisor. Such programs will reflect the students’ interests within the field of history and in related departments, their anticipated vocational goals, and the demands of the historical discipline. Students are asked to consult with departmental advisors early in their college careers concerning their choice of a foreign language and, if secondary teaching is their goal, concerning the various types of programs leading to certification.

The History major prepares students for a wide range of pursuits. Graduates pursue careers in teaching, public service, graduate or professional school (e.g., law and medicine), media, ministry, and business. The major offers rigorous training in writing, research, critical thinking, and public speaking, and it promotes engagement with a broad range of cultures and eras.

History can readily be combined with a minor or second major, or with a pre-professional or professional track such as pre-law, pre-medicine, public health, or business.

Students pursuing certification for secondary education must earn either a double major in History and Social Studies, or a major in one of these two disciplines with a minor in a different discipline. Those who choose to major in Social Studies alone must choose a minor in one of the following disciplines: Economics, Geography, or Political Science. Those who choose to major in History alone may minor in any other discipline they wish.
Students intending to pursue graduate studies are advised to take HIST 390  (independent research project) or HIST 390H -HIST 391H  (Honors thesis), and to take at least two semesters of a foreign language even if they have already met the college language requirement.

Students desiring a high-impact experience in a non-academic setting are advised to apply for the History internship (HIST 393 ) in the spring of their junior or senior year.

Programs

• History Major
• History Major: Secondary Education

• History Minor
• History Minor: Elementary, Secondary Education

• Social Studies Group Major: Elementary Education
• Social Studies Group Major: Secondary Education

Courses

• HIST 151 - History of the West and the World I
• HIST 151H - Honors Cluster West and the World I
• HIST 152 - History of the West and the World II
• HIST 152H - Honors West and the World II
• HIST 153 - Explorations in World History

• HIST 233 - Modern Middle East
• HIST 235 - India and Its World
• HIST 238 - Latin American History
• HIST 242 - Africa and the World
• HIST 245 - East Asia to 1800

• HIST 229 - U.S.A.
• HIST 251 - Early America
• HIST 252 - America from Republic to Empire
• HIST 253 - Recent America
• HIST 255 - African-American History
• HIST 258 - U.S. Military History
• HIST 259 - American Economic & Business History

• HIST 225 - England
• HIST 261 - Ancient Mediterranean
• HIST 262 - Early Medieval Worlds, 300-1000
• HIST 263 - Medieval and Renaissance Europe, 1000-1500
• HIST 264 - Reformation and Revolution: Europe 1500-1800
• HIST 267 - Modern Europe

• HIST 271 - War and Society
• HIST 274 - Environmental History

• HIST 293 - Public History
• HIST 294 - Research Methods of History

Enrollment in all 300-level courses presupposes two courses in history or permission of the instructor.

• HIST 331 - Studies in Middle Eastern History
• HIST 338 - Mexico and the Americas
• HIST 346 - Modern China

• HIST 353 - Studies in U.S. Religious and Intellectual History
• HIST 356 - American Social and Cultural History
• HIST 358 - Native American History

• HIST 362 - Studies in Ancient and Medieval Europe
• HIST 364 - Studies in Early Modern and Modern Europe

• HIST 372 - Studies of Modern Empires
• HIST 376 - Studies in the History of Women and Gender

• HIST 359 - Seminar in the Teaching of Secondary Social Studies
• HIST 390 - Independent Study
• HIST 390H - Honors Tutorial in History
• HIST 391H - Honors Senior Thesis
• HIST 393 - History Internship
• HIST 395 - Historiographical Perspectives