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 and minors in History, African/African American History, Museum Studies, and Geography. Within the History major or minor, students may follow a program that focuses on American History, African American History, Diasporic History, or a program which emphasizes urban and regional studies. The department requires its majors to research and write a senior thesis, a capstone course for the program.
The History major is designed to facilitate students to pursue and complete certificates and/or minors in other disciplines.
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 for the major 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 21 credits
History Track Requirements 27 credits
Free Electives 23 credits
Total Credits 120
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