History Major

Sarah S. Malino, Professor, Chair

Timothy Kircher, Professor
Damon Akins, Instructor
Anore Horton, Assistant Professor
Philip Slaby, Assistant Professor
Alvis Dunn, Visiting Assistant Professor

Katherine McGinnis, Visiting Assistant Professor

 

History is the study of the complex forces of the past that precipitate change in the human environment. These forces include ideas, political and economic developments, and social and cultural conditions. Historical investigation demands logical thinking and critical analysis as well as imagination and intuition. Students of history learn to recognize the significance of the sequential nature of events and to bring order to apparently random facts. Historical knowledge fosters an appreciation of human diversity, a global perspective, and a rich comprehension of the contemporary world and one's own experience.

The History major challenges students to understand the present by knowing its short- and long-term causes that have brought it into existence. All events, students learn, are the result of a complex interaction of forces. Students learn to differentiate between major and minor causes of events. This major is an excellent foundation for careers in teaching, research of all varieties, law, community service and business, among others.

Degrees Offered

The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in history.

Major Requirements

  • The major consists of 8 courses (32 credit hours). Six of these courses must be above the 100-level and two at the 300 level, including HIST 300. An Historical Perspectives course taught by the History Department faculty counts toward the major requirements.
  • Students may choose an area of historical specialization but must take at least one course in each of the following three geographical areas: United States, Europe, and non-Western (e.g., Asia, Africa, or Latin America). In addition they must take one course focusing on history before 1800 and one course focusing on history after 1800, in order to ensure a breadth of chronological knowledge.
  • The capstone course for the major is HIST 300: Research Seminar, normally taken in the junior year. It is required of all students majoring in history and is taught only in the spring semester. As preparation for this research, students must take at least two courses at the 200 level prior to taking the seminar.
  • To develop their understanding of how historical knowledge relates to other academic disciplines, students may take one course taught by a faculty member outside the History Department, provided that the course has been approved for the major by the Department in advance (e.g., ECON 302: Economic History of the U.S.).

History majors should select related courses in disciplines consistent with their career interests. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, history fits well with most disciplines and a carefully conceived curriculum can give the history major strength in pursuing very challenging career goals. For example, history majors intending to pursue graduate study or an international career should acquire a proficiency in one or more foreign languages. It is strongly recommended that pre-law students take courses in English history, accounting, and logic. A related field in management or economics prepares a student for positions in business, applied history, management or governmental planning agencies.

Students seeking licensure to teach history and social studies in high school need to double-major in history and education studies. In addition, one course in economics (ECON 221) and two courses in political science (PSCI 101 and 103) are required for the social studies licensure.

Students may "test out" of most basic courses and enroll in intermediate and advanced courses or independent study to satisfy the major requirements. Senior history majors with a 3.50 grade-point average in history are encouraged to write a thesis and to pursue departmental honors.

To encourage superior work in history, the department offers first-year and senior history awards every year, as well as the Algie I. Newlin and the Thomas Thompson scholarships. The Algie I. and Eva M. Newlin lectures and the Rembert W. Patrick lectures bring recognized historians to campus to present scholarly papers. The department also inducts qualifies students into the Guilford College chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international history honor society.