Department of History

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SIUC offers two degrees in history:  the bachelor of arts degree through the College of Liberal Arts and the bachelor of science degree through the College of Education.  The former degree prepares students for a wide range of careers and the latter specifically for a secondary-school teaching career.  For either degree, you will devote about a third of your time to fulfilling the university core curriculum, a third to courses in the Department of History, and a third to electives that will help you meet your career objectives. For assistance in planning out your course of study, make an appointment with History Department Advisement Office.

 

 

Courses in the history department span all the chronological and geographical areas of historical study and are taught by full-time professors in classes small enough for dialogue between students and professors.  A major in history consists of thirty-six semester hours of history courses.  Core Curriculum history courses do not count toward the major.  Normally course selection should represent three areas of history (United States history, European history, and either Asian, African or Latin American history) and be distributed chronologically as well as geographically.  Students must also complete a minimum of four courses at the 400 level and they must write two research papers in history.  The first paper is completed in History 392, and the second paper is in a History 499 senior seminar.  History 499 counts as one of the four required 400-level courses.  Both papers meet the College of Liberal Arts Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) requirement.

 

All history majors should meet with the department's and the college-level undergraduate advisers each semester to keep up to date the records of their progress toward the degree and to receive advance approval of their courses.  It is especially important that students meet with the departmental adviser upon entering SIUC, and the semester before graduation.  A C average in the major is required for graduation.  A 2.75 average in the major is required before student teaching will be approved by the department.

 

Transfer students should report to the department prior to their first semester of attendance.  Normally the department will accept a substantial part of the credits in history taken in other accredited institutions.  In every case, transfer students must take at least 18 semester hours in history at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

 

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Bachelor of Art Degree (Collge of Liberal Arts)

 

University Core Curriculum Requirements............................................41 
College of Liberal Arts Requirements..................................................11 
Requirements for History Major..........................................................36 
             History 205a or 207a, or equivalent............................3 
             History 205b or 207b, or equivalent............................3 
             History 300 and 301 or equivalent............................. 6 
             History 392 or equivalent..........................................3 
             History 499.............................................................3 
             History electives (3 must be at the 400 level).............18 
Electives.........................................................................................33 
             These may include courses required for teacher certification in social sciences 
              (see below under Bachelor of Science Degree requirements) 
Total..................................................................................................121

 

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Bachelor of Science Degree (College of Education)

 

This degree is appropriate for all those interested in teaching history and other social sciences in secondary schools.  It offers a history designation for the Illinois Social Sciences Teaching Certificate.  The state of Illinois no longer certifies teachers in history, but rather in social sciences.  Students seeking the Social Sciences teaching certificate with a History Designation from the State of Illinois should choose their University Core Curriculum courses, major history courses and electives carefully to address the knowledge and performance standards required by the State of Illinois.  The course of study described below provides the knowledge and skills required to master the State's social science/history standards.
 

University Core Curriculum Requirements..............................................41               To include: ENGL 101, 102, SPCM 101, MATH 113 or                approved substitute; any Core Fine Arts (HIST 201 reco-                mmended); any Core Human Health; HIST 101a or 207a                and HIST 101b or 207b; PSYC 102 and one course from                ECON 113, POLS 114, or SOC 108; any Core Science -                Group 1, and any Core Science - Group 2; POLS 278;                and one of ECON 302i, GEOG 303i, SOC 304i, or SOC                306i.  Requirements for History Major............................................................36       (Note: At least 4 courses must be at the 400 level, and        one of them must be HIST 499)               History 205a or 207a; 205b or 207b; and two additional                       world history courses (at least 3 hours must be other                       than European and U.S. history).........................12               History 300 and 301 and 2 additional U.S. history                       courses..............................................................12               History 367................................................................ 3               History 392 or equivalent........................................ .....3               History 499.................................................................3               History electives.................................................... .....3  Additional Requirements for Social Science Teaching  Certificate............................................................................................. 9      Students must complete three additional courses from the social      science disciplines of economics, geography, political science,      or sociology to include GEOG 300.  Two additional courses      must be chosen from ECON 113, POLS 114, or SOC 108.  Education Requirements........................................................................34       Professional Education Requirements....................................28              (see Teacher Education Program)       Additional Certification Requirements.....................................6              Curriculum and Instruction 469 and 461  Electives................................................................................................0  Total..................................................................................................120

 

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The Minor in History

 

A minor in history consists of 18 semester hours.  The student is advised to balance courses between at least two of the three fields of American, European, or Third World history.  Transfer students, in order to have a minor in history, must have taken at least nine semester hours in history at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Core Curriculum history courses do count toward the minor.

 

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