History reconstructs the past and attempts to discover what people thought and did. The study of history enables students to understand the past and the present, and to prepare for the future. It provides insight into the experiences of the diverse peoples of the world as well as an understanding of the process of recording, narrating, and interpreting these events by historians. In addition to advancing historical knowledge, the department teaches students to read with understanding, to analyze and interpret ideas, and to write clear and meaningful essays.
The history major provides excellent preparation for a variety of careers. The skills and knowledge gained through historical research are good preparations for careers in law; teaching, both at the pre-collegiate and collegiate levels; theology; library science; archival management and museum work; politics and government; banking; business and industry; and administration.
The Department offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in History (with tracks in General History, African/African-American History,and International History and Diplomacy) and minors in General History, African/African American History, Museum Studies, and Geography. Within the History major or minor, students may follow a program of cross-cultural or twentieth-century studies, or a program which emphasizes urban and regional studies. The department requires its majors to study six hours of a foreign language, three hours of intensive practice in writing and problem solving techniques in history, three hours of historiography or the study of the way history has been and is written, and three hours of senior thesis, a capstone course for the program.
The department sponsors a History Club and a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.
College-wide Requirements:
In addition to meeting the requirements in General Education and in the major, students must also complete six (6) credits in the Liberal Arts Core required of all majors in the College of Liberal Arts. Options for satisfying this requirement are outlined under the section on the College of Liberal Arts. In order to qualify for graduation, students must pass the Senior Research Seminar; must have taken two-thirds of their junior- and senior-level requirements in the major at Morgan (unless granted prior written permission by the Dean to take courses elsewhere); and must have earned a cumulative average of 2.0 or better and a major average of 2.0 or better, with no outstanding grades below “C” in the major (which includes all courses required for the major and required supporting courses).
Teacher Certification
Students interested in being certified to teach history in secondary schools should complete requirements in one of the concentrations outlined above and consult the School of Education and Urban Studies for courses needed to attain certification.
Requirements for the B.A. Degree in History
A minimum of 120 credit hours are required to graduate with a B.A. in History. These credit hours are distributed as follows:
General Education and University Requirements 43 credits
Liberal Arts Core Requirements 6 credits
Required Core Requirements for the History Major 24 credits
History Track Requirements 47 credits
Total Credits 120