BA in History

Requirements for Major

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.

History Studies

Students of history learn, above all, the skills of the historian — to read, analyze and express themselves well. They study the past to learn from it and to prepare for a variety of future careers. While students focus on a variety of subjects (culture, military, gender, race, politics) or a specific geographic region in their major, they leave here with a broad, international perspective on history. The major is flexible and works well with other majors and minors. It also offers students the ability to study abroad.

Requirements for the History Major

Requirements for the History major reflect the commitment to history as a way of knowing and thinking about the world.

2 Geographical Surveys at the 100-level that focus on larger civilizations and longer timeframes. These courses nevertheless teach students to think like historians and develop their analytical and communication skills.

2 Specialized Thematic Surveys at the 200-level that dig deeper into a particular place or theme. Like the 100-level courses, these classes emphasize analytical and communication skills.

3 Upper-Division Courses at the 300-level, one of which must be in non-U.S. or -European history. These classes focus on more specific topics in a specific area or smaller thematic framework and ask students to compare historical material and the arguments of other historians in order to craft their own conclusions about the past.

3 Majors Courses that represent the “backbone” of the History Major:

• History Methods, a methodology course taken in the sophomore year, which teaches students the specific skills of the historian. This class then helps students learn to explain their analyses better in verbal and written form, with an eye toward the senior thesis.
• Collective Inquiry in History, taken in the junior year, continues to teach students the skills of the historian and prepares them for their senior thesis.
• Finally, in Senior Seminar, majors carry out detailed research on a topic of their choice and work one-on-one with a faculty adviser to write their senior thesis, which is the capstone of their work as history majors.

In all three of these courses for majors, students spend time working on career plans (creating resumes, interviewing, discussing various career paths) and learning to explain the value of their history major.

Total: 40 semester hours. Students must maintain a 2.00 GPA in their major courses.

Transfer, AP, or study abroad classes may apply to the major.

Honors

Students may earn departmental honors by obtaining at least a 3.50 overall GPA and completing a senior research project deemed outstanding by members of the department.

Teacher Certification

Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytical Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship.

Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC- 479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).

In addition to completing the history major and the courses listed above, secondary education history students must complete certification in either social studies or citizenship. The requirements for certification in social studies are EDUC-425 Methods of Curriculum Instruction and Assessment in Teaching Social Studies, SOCI-101 Principles of Sociology, ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology, ECON-105 Elements of Economics, POLI-111 American Government and Politics, POLI-121 Comparative Government and Politics, PSYC-101 Principles of Psychology, HIST-322 Pennsylvania History or HIST-324 Pennsylvania’s Pasts and Their Publics, 1 course in U. S. history (HIST-111, HIST-112 or HIST-115), 1 course in European history (HIST-131 or HIST-132), and 1 course in non- Western history (HIST-151, HIST-152, HIST-171, HIST-172, HIST-180, or HIST-181). The requirements for certification in citizenship are EDUC-427 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Teaching Citizenship, ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology, ECON-105 Elements of Economics, POLI-111 American Government and Politics, POLI-121 Comparative Government and Politics, HIST-322 Pennsylvania History or HIST- 324 Pennsylvania’s Pasts and Their Publics, 1 course in U. S. history (HIST-111 or HIST-112), 1 course in European history (HIST-131 or HIST-132), and 1 course in non-Western history (HIST-151, HIST-152, HIST-171, HIST-172, HIST-180, or HIST-181).

Requirements for Minor

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.

The Minor in History

The minor in history is designed to enhance nonmajors’ interest in history; it consists of 20 hours or five classes. Students take two Geographic Based Surveys (100 level) courses from different geographical areas, one 200- level Specialized Thematic Survey course and two 300-level courses of their choice. Students must earn a grade of at least C- in courses for the minor. Transfer, AP, or study abroad classes may apply to the minor.

Courses Options

• HIST 099 Introduction to Historical Studies, Credits: 4
• HIST 111 United States History to 1877, Credits: 4
• HIST 112 United States History Since 1877, Credits: 4
• HIST 115 African-American History, Credits: 4
• HIST 131 Europe, 800 - 1648, Credits: 4
• HIST 132 Europe, 1648 - Present, Credits: 4
• HIST 151 Traditional East Asia, Credits: 4
• HIST 152 Modern East Asia, Credits: 4
• HIST 171 African Civilization, Credits: 4
• HIST 172 Early Modern Africa, Credits: 4
• HIST 180 Latin America, 1492 - 1825, Credits: 4
• HIST 181 Latin American History, 1825 - Present, Credits: 4
• HIST 206 American Dream$, Credits: 4
• HIST 215 The Civil War in American Experience, Credits: 4
• HIST 217 History of Medicine, Credits: 4
• HIST 218 Work and Play in the USA, Credits: 4
• HIST 300 History Methods, Credits: 4
• HIST 313 Social History of the United States, Credits: 4
• HIST 314 The Long Civil Rights Movement, Credits: 4
• HIST 316 Making a Multicultural United States, Credits: 4
• HIST 322 Pennsylvania History, Credits: 4
• HIST 323 History of American Medicine, Credits: 4
• HIST 324 Pennsylvania’s Pasts & Their Publics, Credits: 4
• HIST 330 The Middle Ages, Credits: 4
• HIST 338 The Holocaust, Credits: 4
• HIST 350 Violence and Race, Credits: 4
• HIST 370 American Women, Credits: 4
• HIST 381 Film and History, Credits: 4
• HIST 383 Popular Music & History in the 20th Century, Credits: 4
• HIST 389 Enlightenment & Revolution, Credits: 4
• HIST 390 Topics in History, Credits: 1–4
• HIST 401 Collective Inquiry in History, Credits: 3–4
• HIST 410 Seminar in History, Credits: 4
• HIST 420 Internship in History, Credits: 1–8
• HIST 501 Independent Study, Credits: 1–4
• HIST 502 Honors Conference, Credits: 1–4

Learning Goals:

• Research, write and present a senior project following professional guidelines.
• Present and defend a historical argument in a public setting.
• Prepare for multiple career opportunities.
• Participate in at least one off-campus co-curricular activity in which students demonstrate connections to their study of history.

Recent graduates have worked at:

• Americorps
• The Hershey Story Museum
• Johns Hopkins University
• LeggMason Asset Management
• Library of Congress
• Lockheed Martin
• National Park Service
• New York Yankees
• Peace Corps
• Pennsylvania Department of State
• U.S. Court of Appeals
• White House Historical Association
• Who Do You Think You Are?

Recent graduates have been enrolled in programs at:

• Boston University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• The Catholic University of America
• The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
• New York University
• The Ohio State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• The University of Chicago
• The Univerity of Delaware
• The University of Maine
• The University of Texas