The Department of History
Dr. Keith Edgerton, Chairperson
LA 819, (406) 657-2896
Professors: Edgerton, Redinger
Associate Professor: Rust
Assistant Professor: Lynn
Emeritus: Fargo, Friguglietti, Moses, Rollins, Ziegler
Undergraduate Degrees and Majors
Teaching Minor: History
Licensure: Social Science (Broadfield) Endorsement
Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester to confirm that their Plan of Study is accurate and complete. If necessary, changes and updates should be made in order to ensure that program requirements can be completed in a timely manner. Faculty advisors work with students to explore appropriate internships, cooperative education placements and/or experiential learning opportunities which will enhance the student’s academic program. In addition, advisors provide assistance in selecting elective courses which support the student’s interests, career plans and Plan of Study.
Academic advising services for all freshmen Arts and Sciences majors are provided through the Advising Center on McMullen Hall first floor west. Upon declaring a specific major, Arts and Science majors will be assigned to a faculty advisor in their department for upper-division advising. Advising files for all upper-division students are maintained in the departmental office of the program in which the student is majoring.
Although advisors are available to assist students in designing their Plans of Study, students are ultimately responsible for meeting degree requirements.
The Department of History has a four-year program in History which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Identify primary sources and secondary sources and assess their validity and applicability to a project.
- Use primary and secondary sources to construct historical knowledge through analysis and interpretation.
- Compose a persuasive and clearly written essay that maintains and supports a historical thesis.
- Prepare a paper that meets the format and citation expectations of the discipline.
Requires proficiency in a language other than English, equivalent to satisfactory completion of second-year college-level work or the 101-102 active skills sequence in one foreign language plus 6 credit hours of foreign culture courses selected from the following:
HSTR 330 History of Mexico
HSTR 332 Pre-Columbian & Colonial Latin America
HSTR 336 Modern Latin America
HSTR 366 Middle East in the 20th Century
HSTR 439 Colonial and Independent Africa since 1884
HSTR 440 Topics in Southern Asia since 1750
HSTR 447 Modern Asia
HSTR 466 Islamic Civilization
HSTR 491 Special Topics: Modern European History
*PHL 271 Philosophy and Religion of India
*PHL 272 Philosophy and Religion of China, Tibet, and Japan
*SPNS 150 The Hispanic Tradition
*May satisfy General Education requirements.
Transfer students may use other foreign cultural courses they may have taken in another institution to fulfill this requirement upon approval by the department. History majors and extended majors in history who choose history courses from the above options will still have to fulfill the required number of credit hours of upper-division courses in history in addition to the 6 credit hours chosen from the list.
In lieu of obtaining a minor in another discipline, history majors may choose the “extended major” option in history. To fulfill the extended major option students are required to complete an additional twelve upper-division (300-400 level) credits in history courses. These courses can be in any combination chosen from among the restricted electives offered by the history program. These credits are in addition to the other general education, language requirements, history major requirements, and minimum credits required for a degree. Students who seek this option do not have to obtain a minor in another discipline.
The history program provides a broad general education, an intensive study of History, proficiency in a foreign language, and courses in a selected minor field of study.
Students focus their study in the following two areas: United States History and Global History.
History helps one to learn to read critically, to write carefully and to think problems through to a logical conclusion. History courses offer a basic background of knowledge essential to many professions.
Pre-law students can put their study of the past to good use in their legal work since it entails an examination of past events and the reasons how and why they happened. Business and industry are interested in hiring individuals who have an interest and knowledge in international affairs and cultures. A degree in history serves as preparation and background for management, sales and public relations.
In the area of journalism it is good to remember that newspapers and magazines have backup staffs and research oriented jobs. History provides a perspective and discipline necessary in the world of communication through the printed word, television, radio, films and the theatre. History also provides artists with the understanding of forces and conflicts that molded and influenced the arts.
Government is still the largest employer of all, and since many positions require no specific major, history is a good choice. Whatever students choose as occupations, an interest in the world around them, past and present, is very essential.