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Department of History

Chair and Professor: Dr. Barnes, 450-5631
Professor: Dr. Foote
Associate Professors: Dr. Castro, Dr. Jones, Dr. O’Hara, Dr. Pauly, Dr. Welky
Assistant Professors: Dr. Craun, Dr. Green, Dr. Harper, Dr. Matkin-Rawn, Dr. Neilson, Dr. Rosenow, Dr. Toudji
Lecturers: Dr. Little, Dr. Ramsey
Visiting Assistant Professor: Dr. Foster, Dr. Watts
Instructors: Ms. Carter, Ms. Rushing

[1] Purposes

History is at the center of a liberal arts education. It provides us not only with a memory of the past–a sense of how people, groups, states, and nations arrived at where they are now–but also perspectives on other cultures and civilizations, past and present, and an appreciation for the varieties and ambiguities of the human experience. By educating students about their own past and the past of others, using evidence from different times and places, the Department of History seeks to prepare students for responsible citizenship at home and in the world community.

The department stresses the development of critical reading and thinking skills, reasoning, oral and written communication, and the analysis and interpretation of conflicting evidence. Above all, the history program emphasizes the cultivation of sensitivity to human differences and values. Historical study prepares students for careers in teaching, law, journalism, public history, local, state, and national service, business, and graduate study in history or in other disciplines.

[2] The Undergraduate Scholars Program in History

In the junior or senior year, students who are history or social studies majors may be invited to participate in the undergraduate scholars program. Requirements for graduation with honors are as follows:

  1. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and a 3.50 grade point average in the major
  2. Successful completion of HIST 3388 Tutorial Studies in American History or HIST 3389 Tutorial Studies in World History
  3. Submission and approval of an Honors Thesis

[3] Baccalaureate Degrees

The Department of History offers three baccalaureate degree programs: the Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) in Social Studies, History Emphasis; the Bachelor of Arts (BA) history  major; and the Bachelor of Science (BS) history major. The BSE program prepares students for careers in secondary education, and successful completion brings teacher licensure from the Arkansas Department of education to teach social studies. The BA and BS history majors prepare students for careers in history, public service, and other fields and graduate study. Given that history as a discipline straddles the humanities and social sciences, students whose study inclines toward the social sciences, such as environmental history, history of science, etc., are better served by the BS degree. Students whose interest goes towards the humanities would find a better fit with the BA degree which includes the study of languages. Students who plan to pursue graduate study in history find the BA advantageous, as many MA programs and most Ph.D. programs in history require competency in at least one foreign language.

[3.1] Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

The degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, with a major in history, requires successful completion of 120 hours, including (1) the general education component, (2) degree requirements, (3) history courses as indicated below, and (4) a minor as worked out with the student’s minor advisor.

        [3.1.1] Major in History (39 hours)

HIST 1310, 1320, 2301, 2302 (upper-division US history hours may be substituted with departmental approval); HIST 2320*; HIST 4300; history electives, 21 hours (must include at least 6 hours from US history and 6 hours from world history courses excluding HIST 4310). At least 15 hours must be upper-division.

* Concurrent enrollment or completion of 2320 Introduction to Historical Research will be a prerequisite for any history major to enroll in any 4000-level course that counts toward a major.

        [3.1.2] Minor in History (24 hours)

HIST 1310, 1320, 2301, 2302 (upper-division US history may be substituted with departmental approval); history electives, 12 hours excluding HIST 4310. At least 6 hours must be upper-division.

[3.2] Bachelor of Science in Education in Social Studies, History Emphasis

Persons wishing to pursue a BSE in social studies (history emphasis) must apply to the Office of Candidate Services and Field Experience and meet established criteria for admission to the teacher education program. The degree requires 47 hours of General Education, 21-23 hours of Professional Education, 51 hours of History/Social Studies, and 12 hours in Teacher Internship. A minimum of 40 hours must be at 3000 or 4000 level after a student has 45 hours with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Students should refer to the College of Education bulletin to determine specific requirements for admission to the professional education program. Contact the Chair of the Department of History (450-3158), the Chair of the Department of Middle and Secondary Education and Instructional Technologies (450-5466), or the Office of Candidate Services and Field Experience (450-3131).

[4] African and African-American Studies

Major/Minor requirements click here.

[5] Master’s Degree

See Graduate Bulletin.

[6] Courses in History (HIST)

[6.1] United States History

Follow this link for HIST – United States History course descriptions: course link.

[6.2] World History

Follow this link for HIST – World History course descriptions: course link.

[6.3] Special Topics Courses

Follow this link for HIST – Special Topics course descriptions (social studies, topics courses, internships): course link.