2003 History Department Senior Dinner

        HISTORY MAJOR

In addition to intensive examination of a wide range of historical periods and subjects, the history majors allow room for students to pursue other studies.  For example, some take a second major, and many complete minors, in areas from English, economics, and journalism to communication, business and political science.  Students are encouraged to seek experiental learning, through many kinds of study abroad or internship experiences.  At Messiah College, students can choose from a variety of offering in American, Europe an, and Non-Western history.  Thus history majors are well prepared for careers and graduate study in both history as well as in a wide variety of history-related fields.  A minor in history is also available.

        HISTORY-SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING CERTIFICATE

History majors wishing to be certified for history-social studies teaching on the secondary level (grades 7-12) may do so by admission into the Teacher Education Program.  In addition to the history major, students take supporting courses in economics, politics, geography, sociology, and education.

        HUMANITIES MAJOR WITH A HISTORY CONCENTRATION

This is an interdisciplinary major allowing great flexibility for students to structure their own program in consultation with the curriculum advisor.  In addition to history, students select courses in art, music, literature, and philosophy as well as in a wide range of other electives.  Students are also encouraged to seek experiential learning, either through study abroad or through an internship experience.

 
History courses fall into four categories (See History Curriculum for complete course descriptions).

    1. LOWER DIVISION SURVEYS
        HIS 103: US Survey to 1865
        HIS 104: US Survey since 1865
        HIS 105: Western Civilization: Bronze Age to 1500
        HIS 106: Western Civilization: 1500 to the Present
        HIS 233: World Civilizations: Bronze Age to 1500
        HIS 236: World Civilization: 1500 to the Present

    2.  LOWER DIVISION TOPICS COURSES
        HIS 134: Knights, Peasants, and Bandits: A Social History of Medieval England
        HIS 152: The Wild, Wild West: Battles Over the American West and the Western Image
        HIS 154: Vietnam War America
        HIS 156: Social Movements in Twentieth-Century America
        HIS 261: Public History

    3.  UPPER DIVISION SEMINARS FOR HISTORY MAJORS
        HIS 258: Historical Methods (Sophomore Seminar)
        HIS 420: Historiography and Philosophy of History (Senior Seminar)

    4.  UPPER DIVISION HISTORY COURSES
        HIS 312: History of Women in America
        HIS 315: United States Foreign Policy
        HIS 324: Civil War America
        HIS 327: African-American History Since 1865
        HIS 333: Native American History
        HIS 335: Age of Jefferson and Jackson
        HIS 336: From Omaha to Hiroshima: US History, 1890-1945
        HIS 337: Colonial America
        HIS 338: Modern America: US History, 1945-Present
        HIS 339: Immigrant America
        HIS 341: Greco-Roman Society and Culture
        HIS 342: Premodern Civilizations of Asia
        HIS 343: Medieval Europe
        HIS 344: History of India before 1500
        HIS 346: History of Modern India and Pakistan
        HIS 347: US Urban History
        HIS 348: Renaissance and Reformation Europe
        HIS 349: Modern Civilizations of Asia
        HIS 351: The Age of Monarchy: 17th-and 18th-Century Europe
        HIS 352: Modern Euorope: 1799-1918
        HIS 353: Europe in the 20th Century
        HIS 354: Gandhi's India (1869-1948)
        HIS 357: Colonial Encounters: European Imperialism and World Cultures
        HIS 359: Tudor-Stuart England: 1400-1700
        HIS 360: Special Topics in History
        HIS 361: Modern Britain
        HIS 368: Modern Germany
        HIS 491: Independent Study
        HIS 495: Internship in Historical Research
        HIS 497, 498: Major Honors

DEPARTMENT HONORS

A special opportunity is offered for senior students interested in Department Honors.  Messiah College requires a minimum GPA of 3.5 on all courses completed at the college by the middle of the junior year.  In addition departmental approval by the departmental chair and department faculty is required.  This approval is based on the quality of the honors project proposal.

GUIDELINES FOR HONORS PROJECTS

Past Honors Project Topics:

• Jeffrey Erbig, Performative Mapping:  Land and Cartographic Culture in Lumbisi, 1762-1824 (2004-2005)

• Nathan Tillman, The New Democratic Conspiracy: The Agrarians' & Simple Livers' Benevolent Ambition to Take Over the World (2004-2005)

• Sarah Mackin,  A History of Messiah College's Philadelphia Campus  (2003-2004)

• Megan Jones, Republicanism and American First Ladies from Martha Washington to Dolly Madison (2002-2003)

• Janet Kraft, Two Hundred Years of American Dining Rooms (2003-2003)

• Mac Brodt, Anti-Semites or Patriots? The American Response to the Holocaust (2001-2002)