History, Bachelor of Arts

History is:

Inquiry into Human Experience History majors will consider the diversity of human experience across time and place. The study of History at Wilson College is situated in a global context, with classes that provide the opportunity to understand the way that the world has been interconnected in the past and is now in the present.

A Public Pursuit History majors will develop the effective communication skills necessary to make the past accessible, inform and preserve collective memory, and be active citizens.

A Discipline The study of history is a particular way of approaching the world. History majors will gain a historical perspective that is vital to a comprehensive understanding of contemporary social and political issues. History majors will also acquire a deliberative stance towards the past; they will develop the skills to evaluate and use information, evidence, and argumentation, as well as the ability to identify and explain continuity and change over time.

For the history major, the world – past, present, and future – is their playground. History provides the opportunity to understand and analyze virtually any element of human existence while framing it in the skills of historical thinking.

History majors will build valuable skills that are transferable to many careers as well as graduate study. Through the construction and interpretation of history using human artifacts, written evidence, and oral traditions, students will develop empathy, respect for interpretive debate and differing opinions, effective communication skills, and the skillful use of an evolving set of practices and tool.

The History Major at Wilson College is an interdisciplinary liberal arts major:

• Through the classes in the History Core, students will develop a breadth of knowledge of the past as well as the skills used by the historian to understand the past.
• In upper-level history courses, students will study particular historical periods and events in depth, applying the skills learned in the History Core. These classes include the opportunity to engage in the study of women and minorities, as well as to situate the history of the United States and Western Europe in a global context.
• Historical thinking does not happen only in the history classroom; students will also be required to take courses that engage in historical thinking from outside the History Program. This interdisciplinary approach will aid students in understanding the interconnectedness of the past, allowing them to deepen their engagement with big questions.

Career Choices for History Majors Include:

• Politics or government service
• Social services
• Publishing
• Library Science
• Teaching
• Museum and Archival Work
• Journalism
• Business
• Criminal Justice

The study of History is also excellent preparation for law school or other graduate studies.

Degree requirements

Required Courses

HIS 100	Contemporary Issues in History	3
HIS 228	Archaeology of Pennsylvania	3
HIS 330	Ancient World in Film/Popular Culture	3
	OR
HIS 332	Museums and Material Culture	3
HIS 400	Assessment Portfolio - History	1

Complete one History Survey Sequence:

HIS 101	World History I (Pre-1492)	3
	AND
HIS 102	World History II (post-1492)	3
	OR
HIS 124	American History to 1877	3
	AND
HIS 125	American History Since 1877	3

History Electives (12 semester hours):

Choose four additional courses in HIS at the 2xx or 3xx level. At least two must be at the 3xx level.

Diverse Approaches to the Past (9 semester hours):

Choose three additional courses with the liberal studies designation FWC or HWC or from the following list. Only one may be at the 100 level.

ENG 204	Women Writers	3
ENG 239	African-American Literature	3
ENG 317	American Literature Since 1945	3
ENG 339	African-American Literature	3
GS210	Explorations in Global Culture	3
GS212	Cultural Geography	3
RLS 108	Religions of the World	3
WS 222	Feminist Theories & Perspectives	3