Department of History

Bachelor of Arts

Zenon Wasyliw, Professor and Chair

History is the study of the successes and failures of humanity. It is the study of the political, economic, philosophical, theological, diplomatic, sociological, scientific, and military activity of humanity and of individual men and women, from the dawn of civilization to the present. For this reason, the study of history is the best method by which to comprehend the complexities of the modern world. Students who major in other disciplines find history an invaluable field in which to minor. Both history majors and history minors have gone into a variety of professional and graduate careers, such as law, business, international business, governmental service, politics, radio-television and performing arts, archaeological and museum work, teaching, and the helping professions.

History, B.A.
Social Studies, B.A.
Social Studies, B.A. with Teaching Option
Minor in History

Requirements for Honors in History

All students have the opportunity to graduate with honors in history. History majors must have at least a 3.50 GPA in the history major and a 3.00 GPA or better overall. They must also complete and defend an honors thesis. Non-history majors must have taken 21 credits of history with a GPA of at least 3.50 and have an overall GPA of at least 3.00. Students may enter this program in the junior year, but not later than the first two weeks of the senior year.

All honors candidates must have a sponsor and complete, to the satisfaction of the sponsor and the department chairperson, a department honors form giving the title and nature of the project. Two additional faculty members shall serve with the faculty sponsor as an examining committee. The project may be a new study or it may reflect substantial extension or reworking of topics developed in a course. The finished thesis must be defended and receive the favorable recommendation of the examining committee by the 10th week of the candidate's final semester and be presented in open session before the history faculty. Honors are awarded only upon recommendation of the history department faculty.

Advanced Placement

Advanced placement (AP) credit is accepted under the following conditions:

1. A student must have an AP test score of 4 or higher to receive course-specific credit (e.g., HIST 11100, HIST 11200, or HIST 10200). If a student receives course-specific AP credit, he or she cannot also receive credit for taking the course.
2. A student with an AP test score of 3 may receive unspecified history credit (i.e., general credit without a particular designation), which may be used to fulfill distribution requirements. AP test scores below 3 receive no credit.
3. AP credit does not reduce the number of credits required by the major or minor (including social studies and social studies with teaching option -- see below).

Recommendations

The Department of History strongly recommends that each history major, in consultation with his or her adviser, develop a course of study providing a balance between the various historical eras.

It also recommends that history majors take a minimum of three related courses in another humanities department (e.g., English, philosophy, art history) and in a social science department (e.g., economics, anthropology, politics) that serve to complement the student's historical studies and provide insights from another discipline.

The history department encourages its majors to declare a minor in another discipline as a means of broadening their historical understanding and general educational background.

Students may take up to 18 credits a semester at no extra expense, allowing even greater variety within the major, double majors, and major-minor combinations.

Requirements for the Major in History -- B.A.

Credits in the department

History majors must complete a minimum of 39 credits (i.e., 13 courses) in history, including the following:

Of these 27 history elective credits, 15 must be at level 3 or above; of these 15 credits, 6 credits must be either tutorials (HIST 49100, HIST 49200, HIST 49300) or seminars (HIST 48100, HIST 48200, HIST 48300).

* Under unusual circumstances and with the consent of the student's adviser and the department chair, appropriate substitutions for HIST 10100-HIST 10200, HIST 11100-HIST 11200, or HIST 18100-HIST 18200 may be made. Substitution is made only when the student demonstrates sufficient mastery of history to enter an upper-level course.

Electives

No more than 3 credits at the grade of C- or below may be counted toward meeting the 39-credit requirement of the history major.

Note: Tutorials and seminars required in all history department programs must be taken at the Ithaca College campus.

Requirements for Other Majors Offered by the History Department

In addition to the history major, the department offers two other majors -- social studies and social studies with a teaching option. The department perceives the social studies major as useful for the student seeking a solid foundation in history integrated with relevant courses in the social sciences. The social studies with teaching option major leads to initial certification in the teaching of social studies on the secondary school level.

Requirements for the Major in Social Studies -- B.A.

Requirements for Social Studies -- B.A. with Teaching Option

Credits in the department

Credits from social science departments

In addition to the social studies requirements listed above, social studies with teaching option majors must complete the following courses for certification.

Core education requirements

Additional core requirements

• All teaching-option students must successfully complete a year of college-level study in a language other than English. Students may test out of this requirement by taking the language placement test and placing at level 2.
• All teaching-option students must successfully complete a writing course numbered WRTG 10600 or above.
• All social studies teaching-option students must successfully complete the second-year review and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 overall and in history courses. If a student receives an unsuccessful review or a review with stipulations, the student must participate in and successfully pass a second review the following year. Unsuccessful reviews and reviews with stipulations will be accompanied by a written statement outlining what must be done before the next review is completed.
• No more than 3 credits at the grade of C- or below may be counted toward meeting the 36-credit requirement of the B.A. in social studies with teaching option.
• Students must earn a grade of B or better in EDUC 40810 and EDUC 41210 to qualify for student teaching. A grade of B- does not qualify.
• To qualify for student teaching, students must have a 3.00 GPA in history courses and a 3.00 overall GPA.
• EDUC 49810 Professional Semester in Education and EDUC 41210 Seminar in Reflective Practice constitute a full course load during the student-teaching semester. No additional courses may be taken.
• All candidates for initial certification must successfully complete all three sections of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations: the liberal arts and sciences test, the assessment of teaching skills (written), and the content area exam.
• The student's department chair and the coordinator of teacher education must approve any exceptions to the above requirements.

Requirements for the Minor in History

The Department of History offers a minor requiring the completion of 21 credits in history, of which three courses, including one tutorial or seminar, must be level 3 or above. Students who wish to earn a minor in history must fill out and submit a registration for a minor form. The chair will assign the student to a history adviser who will coordinate his or her advising with the student's major adviser.