Executing searches with no text in the Search Terms entry field will render no results.
print page

History

History (B.A.)

History (B.S.)

History Minor

History Graduate Degree Programs

Richard B. Spence, Dept. Chair (315 Admin. Bldg. 83844-3175; phone 208/885-6253). Faculty: Katherine G. Aiken, Ian D.Chambers, Dale T. Graden, Ellen E. Kittell, Sean M. Quinlan, Adam Sowards, Richard B. Spence, Pingchao Zhu. Affiliate Faculty: William L. Smith.

History is not the memorization of names and dates; it is the study of human experience in all aspects. An understanding of the past is essential to interpreting the present and envisioning the future. History is by nature interdisciplinary and multi-cultural. Each course trains the student to think, to evaluate problems, and to reach logical conclusions. Special attention is given to the development of analytical and writing skills through essay examinations and research projects.

A degree in history provides excellent preparation for careers in international business, government/military service, law, education, library science, communications/media, and tourism/recreation.

The Department of History offers courses of study leading to the B.A. or the B.S. degree and has a staff of eight full-time professors who hold the Ph.D. degree. Currently there are 150 undergraduate history majors. Double majors can be arranged easily.

History faculty members also advise and participate in courses for majors in American studies, environmental science, international studies, interdisciplinary studies, and Latin American studies and for minors in religious studies, women's studies and American Indian studies.

Graduate study is offered in American, English, European (medieval through modern), and Latin American history. The degree programs include Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy, for which dissertation topics are limited to the fields of the North American West, U.S. since 1877, historical archaeology, and Europe since 1750.

Students applying for admission to graduate study in history must be approved by the majority of the history faculty. Students seeking graduate degrees in history must present recent GRE scores, an undergraduate transcript with at least a 3.00 average in all history courses and a 2.80 overall average that shows at least 12 credits earned in a foreign language. The language requirement is waived for those seeking the M.A.T.

Courses

See the course description section for courses in History (Hist).