History
Division V Chair: S. Gowler
Program Chair: R. Bates
Faculty: R. Bates, C. Berry, R. Cahill, K. Christensen, R. Foster, J. Guthman, and D. Mack
Website: http://www.berea.edu/his/
Courses: HIS Courses
Major/Minor Requirements: History B.A.; History Minor
A major in History provides a broad perspective on the human past with the view to understanding how persons behave and of what they are capable. The History Program requires that students majoring in History have a breadth of competence in the history of various areas of the world, and that they have an ability to research carefully and communicate clearly, using a variety of methods. Considerable attention is given to the philosophy of history and the various points of view with which scholars have approached the study of the past.
Such a background provides a useful foundation from which to move into a variety of fields, particularly those professions that require an understanding of human activity—the ministry, journalism, law, business, and teaching.
The Program offers one major—a B.A. Degree with a Major in History. Students interested in gaining certification to teach in the area of social studies (8-12) must double major in Education Studies with a concentration in Teaching and Curriculum with Certification and in either Sociology, Political Science or History. For more information, see the requirements for majoring in Teaching and Curriculum with Certification under the Education Studies section of this publication.
In addition to supporting students' achievement of the Aims of General Education, the History Program seeks to assist students in meeting the following learning goals:
Learning Goal 1: Identify, collect, organize, read and evaluate a wide variety of sources pertinent to historical inquiry (including texts, material objects, and electronic resources)
Learning Goal 2: Analyze and organize large amounts of unfamiliar, disparate, and fragmentary information
Learning Goal 3: Illustrate an awareness of chronological change and continuity and an ability to set evidence in historical context.
Learning Goal 4: Communicate historical analyses and arguments clearly both in writing and orally
Learning Goal 5: Articulate an understanding of history as a discipline (and not merely the study of the past) as demonstrated by the application of scholarship and historiography
Learning Goal 6: Demonstrate an understanding of “others” in their historical context, without imposing present values.
Learning Goal 7: Recognize and construct significant historical questions that illustrate empathy and the complexity of past experiences and events.
History Course Sequencing Table:
Please be aware that the Course Sequencing Table below represents current planning and is subject to change based on faculty availability and student interest. It is not meant to represent any guarantee to the student that the courses will be offered in the term in which they are currently planned.