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History Major

Description

The study of History promotes the knowledge, breadth of perspective, intellectual growth, and skills essential to achieving career success, leading a purposeful life, and exercising responsible citizenship. History majors develop strong critical thinking, research, communication and problem-solving skills that prepare them to succeed in a wide range of rewarding careers, including law, teaching, business, entrepreneurship, public administration, journalism, information technology/library science, publishing, urban and regional planning, social work, and government.

The Department of History offers students a comprehensive range of courses that covers the world across all time periods and features a diverse array of topics. In addition, it offers professional development courses that help students reflect on how the study of history can help serve their personal and professional goals after graduation. The History major is flexible, allowing students to select classes that match their interests, and at 37-39 credits enables students to complete other majors or minors that complement the History degree. This flexibility also allows majors the opportunity to broaden their horizons through study abroad and to explore future career paths through internships coordinated through the Department of History.

Students who want to teach history at the middle or high school level should enroll in the Social Studies Inclusive Education (SSI) major, which leads to certification as both a Social Studies and Special Education teacher, or the Social Studies Education (SSE) major, which leads to certification solely as a Social Studies teacher.

Admission to the Program

Any undergraduate student can declare a major in history.

Program Requirements

Academic Planning Seminar (0-3 credits)

General Education Requirements (19-31 credits)

History majors will fulfill their US History & Civic Engagement (3 credits), World History & Global Awareness (3 credits), and Oral Communication (3 credits) requirements through required courses in the major. They may also fulfill the Contemporary Issues (3 credits), Perspectives on Gender (3 credits), Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Social Justice (3 credits), and Humanities (3 credits) requirements with history courses depending on their course selections.

Major Department Requirements (37-39 credits)

Program Requirements

Students in the history major pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree, and must complete the corresponding degree’s requirements.

The history major consists of 37-39 credits of history courses, 18 of which must be 300/400-level courses taken at Brockport. Only courses in which a student earns a grade of “C” or higher will fulfill these requirements. Students entering the University as transfers should talk to their advisor regarding appropriate course credit if they took Western Civilization courses at another institution. All other requirements are the same.

History Major

This course of study applies to those students who are pursuing a History major without teacher certification. Students who want to teach Social Studies at the middle or high school level should enroll in the History and Social Studies Inclusive Education (SSI) major or the History and Social Studies Education (SSE) major.

* Students may apply to substitute one of the required 200-level seminars with a 100-level survey as follows: HST 110 Survey in Early America (Can replace HST 211); HST 120 Survey in Modern America (Can replace HST 212); HST 130 Ancient World Survey (Can replace HST 201); HST 140 Modern World Survey (Can replace HST 202). Students wishing to do so should see their advisor.

**Students must complete three of the following four course (HST 201, HST 202, HST 211, and HST 212) with a C or better prior to taking HST 390. Students must complete HST 390 with a C or better prior to taking their Research Intensive 400-level elective.

Electives (47-64 credits)

Total Credits (120 credits)

Additional Degree Requirements

  • History majors must earn a grade of C or better in all required History courses and their experiential or career development course.
  • Completion of all university-wide degree requirements

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

    1. Evaluate historical sources so as to work through conflicting explanations, appreciate multiple perspectives, cultivate empathy, and hone research and analytical skills.
    2. Identify the relevant contexts of historical events, trends, ideas, and/or interpretations so as to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the past and their ability to draw relevant connections between past events.
    3. Analyze the causes of change and continuity among historical events, trends, ideas, and/or interpretations to develop a more sophisticated understanding of past and present societies.
    4. Create logical, organized arguments supported by relevant evidence from sources that enable them to advance an informed, persuasive analysis.
    5. Produce clear written communication so as to enable them to effectively present arguments, evidence, explanations, and analysis.
    6. Produce a synthesis of historical content that draws meaningful conclusions so as to enable them to evaluate and integrate information as well as build a more informed vision of the past and how it shapes the present.