2014-2015 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in History
- Requirements for a History Major (without Secondary Certification)
- Requirements for a History Major (with Secondary Teaching Certification)
- Suggested Order of Coursework for a History Major (without Secondary Teaching Certification)
- Suggested Order of Coursework for a History Major (with Secondary Teaching Certification)
Requirements for a History Major (without Secondary Certification)
Students majoring in history are required to complete at least 39 credit hours, including a course in writing history (HST 200 - Writing History), any three 200-level foundation courses, six 300-level electives, two junior seminars, and the Capstone.
Requirements for a History Major (with Secondary Teaching Certification)
Students majoring in history with secondary teaching certification are required to complete at least 39 credit hours, including a course in writing history (HST 200 - Writing History), the four World (HST 203 - World History to 1500 A.D. and HST 204 - World History since 1500) and American (HST 205 - American History to 1877 and HST 206 - American History since 1877) foundation courses, and the Capstone. Students pursuing teacher certification must also take SST 310 and six 300-level electives in history.
B.A. or B.S. Degree Requirements
Students planning to enter a program of graduate study in history should earn a B.A. degree. Candidates for the B.A. degree must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language, either by completing successfully a 201-level language course or by passing a proficiency examination in the language chosen.
History and social studies majors will have the opportunity to complete a B.S. degree. The B.S. option is designed to give students training in scientific analysis that they can apply to their careers in teaching and historical research. A B.S. in history can be fulfilled by taking the following courses. Please note that STA 215 is a prerequisite for HST 290 (or ED 370 if student is majoring in group social studies or fulfilling requirements for a Secondary Certification).
Students who choose to earn a B.S. degree must complete the following cognate sequence:
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- HST 290 - Research Methods in History (3 credits)
- HST 400 - Junior Seminar in History (3 credits)
Students who choose to earn a B.S. degree with Secondary Certification must complete the following cognate sequence:
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- EDT 370 - Technology in Education (3 credits)
- HST 290 - Research Methods in History (3 credits)
History Foundation Courses
- HST 200 - Writing History Credits: 3
- HST 203 - World History to 1500 A.D. Credits: 3
- HST 204 - World History since 1500 Credits: 3
- HST 205 - American History to 1877 Credits: 3
- HST 206 - American History since 1877 Credits: 3
- HST 207 - European Civilization to the Later Middle Ages Credits: 3
- HST 208 - European Civilization since the Later Middle Ages Credits: 3
- HST 211 - History of Islamic Civilization Credits: 3
- HST 212 - India: History and Civilization Credits: 3
- HST 230 - Latin America in World History Credits: 3
- HST 235 - Africa in World History Credits: 3
- HST 240 - A History of East Asia to 1800 Credits: 3
- HST 241 - A History of East Asia since 1800 Credits: 3
* Students seeking teacher certification are required to take:
History Electives
The electives in history for all majors must include at least one 300-level course in United States history, one 300-level course in European history, and one 300-level course in non-Western history. All students must also take three additional 300-level history courses. An Internship (HST 490) may be substituted for a 300-level elective. Each student will select those courses in consultation with his or her major advisor. Majors must maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 in courses in the department and must receive a grade of C or better in HST 200 and 495. Majors seeking teacher certification must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in the major.
Category 1: U.S. History
- HST 301 - Colonial America Credits: 3
- HST 302 - Revolutionary America Credits: 3
- HST 303 - Era of Sectional Conflict, Civil War, and Reconstruction Credits: 3
- HST 305 - America Confronts Modernity Credits: 3
- HST 306 - The 'American Century': From the Great Depression to Vietnam Credits: 3
- HST 307 - United States in the Age of Globalization Credits: 3
- HST 308 - Cultural and Social Topics in US History Credits: 3
- HST 311 - History of Religion in the United States Credits: 3
- HST 312 - History of American Women Credits: 3
- HST 314 - African American History Credits: 3
- HST 315 - Latinos: The Forging of Ethnic Identities Credits: 3
- HST 316 - U.S. Civil Rights Movement History Credits: 3
- HST 317 - History of American Foreign Relations Credits: 3
- HST 318 - History of Democracy in America Credits: 3
- HST 320 - American Indians Credits: 3
- HST 323 - Michigan History Credits: 3
- HST 327 - History of United States Urban Society Credits: 3
- HST 328 - U.S. Constitutional and Legal History Credits: 3
- HST 329 - Intellectual History of the United States Credits: 3
- HST 370 - History of Medicine and Health Credits: 3
Category 2: European History
- HST 309 - Cultural and Social Topics in European History Credits: 3
- HST 350 - Ancient Greece Credits: 3
- HST 351 - Ancient Rome Credits: 3
- HST 355 - Medieval Europe Credits: 3
- HST 360 - Tudor and Stuart England Credits: 3
- HST 361 - Modern Britain Credits: 3
- HST 362 - Modern France Credits: 3
- HST 364 - Renaissance and Reformation Europe Credits: 3
- HST 366 - Spain in the Age of Empire Credits: 3
- HST 370 - History of Medicine and Health Credits: 3
- HST 377 - History of Warfare Credits: 3
- HST 386 - Europe in the Age of Change and Global Integration Credits: 3
- HST 387 - Modern Germany Credits: 3
- HST 390 - Soviet History Credits: 3
Category 3: NonWestern History
- HST 310 - Cultural and Social Topics in Nonwestern History Credits: 3
- HST 330 - Colonial Latin America Credits: 3
- HST 331 - Modern Latin America Credits: 3
- HST 332 - Modern India Credits: 3
- HST 333 - Modern China Credits: 3
- HST 334 - The Making of the Caribbean Credits: 3
- HST 335 - Africa Before 1870 Credits: 3
- HST 336 - Africa After 1870 Credits: 3
- HST 337 - The Age of Islamic Empire Credits: 3
- HST 338 - Modern Middle East Credits: 3
- HST 339 - Modern Iran Credits: 3
- HST 342 - History of East Asian Religions Credits: 3
- HST 343 - History of South Africa Credits: 3
- HST 344 - Urban Africa Credits: 3
- HST 345 - Silk Roads Credits: 3
- HST 372 - From Slavery to Freedom Credits: 3
- HST 374 - Revolution in the Americas Credits: 3
- HST 375 - History of Mexico Credits: 3
- HST 389 - Russian History Credits: 3
- HST 391 - Russian Thought-Ninth to Twentieth Centuries Credits: 3
- HST 392 - Study Abroad: Egypt Credits: 1 to 6
- HST 393 - Study Abroad: Jamaica Credits: 1 to 6
- HST 394 - Study Abroad: Turkey Credits: 1 to 6
Course Option
Depending on the topic studied, these courses may be used for any of the three categories. Consult with your advisor.
- HST 325 - Topics in the History of Sport Credits: 3
- HST 371 - Historical Perspectives on Gender and Sexualities Credits: 3
- HST 376 - History of Witches Credits: 3
- HST 378 - Contesting Human Rights Credits: 3
- HST 380 - Special Topics in History Credits: 1 to 4
- HST 399 - Independent Study Credits: 1 to 3
- HST 490 - History Internship Credits: 1 to 3
Junior Seminar in History
History majors (non-teaching certification) are required to take two junior seminars or one junior seminar plus completion of a senior thesis.
- HST 400 - Junior Seminar in History Credits: 3
- HST 498 - Senior Thesis Credits: 3
Capstone
All history majors are required to take the Capstone:
- HST 495 - Varieties of History (Capstone) Credits: 3
Transfer Students
Transfer students seeking a major in history must complete at least 12 credits in history at Grand Valley, including a minimum of two upper-level courses. Ordinarily, transfer students will complete the Capstone course (HST 495) at Grand Valley.
Suggested Order of Coursework for a History Major (without Secondary Teaching Certification)
First Year
- MTH 110 - Algebra (4 credits)
- WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits)
- Three general education Foundation courses
- Two foreign language courses (B.A. candidates) OR
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits) AND HST 290 - Research Methods in History (3 credits) (B.S. candidates)
- HST 200 - Writing History (3 credits)
- Any 200-level history course
Second Year
- Four general education Foundations courses
- Any two 200-level history courses
- Three 300-level history elective courses
- One foreign language course (B.A. candidates)
Third Year
- Three 300-level history courses
- One history junior seminar
- Four elective courses
- Two general education Issues courses
Fourth Year
- Three 300-level history courses
- One general education Issues course
- One history junior seminar or senior thesis
- Five elective courses
- HST 495 - Varieties of History (Capstone) (3 credits)
Suggested Order of Coursework for a History Major (with Secondary Teaching Certification)
First Year
- MTH 110 - Algebra (4 credits)
- WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits)
- Two General Education Foundation Courses
- Two foreign language courses (B.A. candidates) OR
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits) AND HST 290 - Research Methods in History (3 credits) (B.S. candidates)
- HST 200 - Writing History (3 credits)
- HST 203 - World History to 1500 A.D. (3 credits)
- HST 204 - World History since 1500 (3 credits)
Second Year
- Five General Education Foundation courses
- HST 205 - American History to 1877 (3 credits)
- HST 206 - American History since 1877 (3 credits)
- Two elective courses
- One foreign language course (B.A. candidates)
Third Year
- Three 300-level history courses
- Five elective courses
- SST 310 - Strategies for Social Studies Teachers (3 credits)
- Four elective courses
- Two General Education Issues courses
Fourth Year
- Three 300-level history courses
- One General Education Issues course
- Six elective courses
- HST 495 - Varieties of History (Capstone) (3 credits)
Teacher Certification
Postgraduate students seeking teacher certification with a major in history must present a history major that includes courses in American, European, and world history and must have obtained a major GPA of at least 3.0 in previous work. Postgraduate students whose degree in history was completed more than three years prior to Grand Valley admission must demonstrate currency by completing at least two upper-level history courses at Grand Valley; such students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in those courses. Students should also consult the chair or the assistant chair for an evaluation of their previous work and to discuss appropriate courses.
Additional Course Information
Courses in the 100-level are introductory courses designed to fulfill the general education requirement in historical perspectives. Courses in the 200-level are introductory courses designed to prepare students for advanced study in history; HST 203 also fulfills the general education requirement in Historical Perspectives. Courses in the 300-level focus on particular regions, eras or themes; they are intended for history majors and minors, social studies majors, and other interested students. All 300- and 400-level courses have prerequisites; 600 level courses are intended for graduate students and very well-qualified seniors.
We strongly encourage students to serious contemplate taking advantage of the various semester and year-long study abroad opportunities offered by Grand Valley State University. History courses taken abroad may count toward the major or minor if granted prior permission by the Department of History chairperson.