Jason C. White, Chair

Full Faculty Listing  

The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and provides valuable skills for careers in a wide range of professions, including law, journalism, public service, and business. Embracing a range of topics as broad as the human experience (economics, politics, culture, society, business, war, race and gender), history examines change over time through a series of investigative, analytical and expository techniques that comprise the historical method. The teaching of history focuses on research in sources, analysis and synthesis of evidence, problem solving, critical thinking, and understanding social processes. Accordingly, the skills embodied in historical method have wide application in the world of professional work.

The History Department teaches general education, undergraduate, and graduate courses offering a broad curriculum in local, national, regional, and world history. It has particular strengths in American, European, Asian, Latin American, and public history. The diversity of offerings discourages parochialism and encourages history majors to develop a sophisticated, comparative approach to human problems. Specialization within the major promotes an appreciation of the depth and complexity of human history. Finally, the discipline of history provides an intellectual challenge as well as a stimulus to the imagination and to analytical thinking.

Undergraduate Advisement

Information about history department programs can be obtained from one of the Undergraduate Advising Coordinators. Please contact the Department of History to find out when the Coordinators are available to assist students with academic scheduling, explain departmental and University requirements, and provide descriptions of new and existing courses and information on career development.

All BS programs are to be planned in consultation with an undergraduate advisor in the Department of History and are subject to the advisor’s approval. Students are urged to plan their programs as early as possible in their academic careers, but not later than three semesters before anticipated graduation.

Honors Program in History

The Department of History offers honors courses by honors contract which are open to students who have distinguished themselves. Honors courses carry full credit toward the major or, for non-majors, full elective credit. Subject to the recommendation of the departmental honors committee, a student will be considered for graduation with “honors in history” upon successful completion of one three hour 3000 or 4000 level honors course or HIS 3510 , the senior honors research course (HIS 4509 ), the senior honors thesis (HIS 4510 ), and a defense of the honor thesis. The three thesis hours can be substituted for HIS 4100 - Senior Seminar (3) [CAP] . A grade of “B” or better is required to receive honors credit in any honors course.

Programs

• History - Applied and Public History Concentration, BS
• History - Multidisciplinary Concentration, BS
• History/Social Studies Education, BS

• History, BA

• History Minor

Courses

• HIS 3524 - World Economic History (3)
• HIS 3526 - Business History (3)
• HIS 3528 - Comparative Labor History (3)
• HIS 3530-3549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• HIS 3560 - Undergraduate Research (1-3)
• HIS 3575 - Public History: An Introduction to the Field (3)
• HIS 3576 - Education in Museums and Public History Sites (3)
• HIS 3580 - Introduction to Digital History (3)
• HIS 3600 - Selected Topics in Public History (3)
• HIS 3626 - Introduction to Secondary History/Social Studies Education (3)
• HIS 3630 - Teaching History with New Media (3)
• HIS 3632 - Methods for Secondary History/Social Studies Education (3)
• HIS 3634 - Teaching Controversy in History (3)
• HIS 3720 - History of the Old South (3)
• HIS 3722 - Post-Civil War South (3)
• HIS 3726 - History of the Appalachian Region (3) [GenEd: HS]
• HIS 3728 - History of North Carolina (3) [GenEd: HS]
• HIS 3820 - United States Foreign Policy (3)
• HIS 3822 - The Vietnam War (3)
• HIS 3823 - American Military History (3) [GenEd: HS]
• HIS 3824 - American Urban History (3)
• HIS 3922 - The Western Intellectual Tradition (3)
• HIS 4100 - Senior Seminar (3) [CAP]
• HIS 4509 - Senior Honors Research (3)
• HIS 4510 - Senior Honors Thesis (3) [CAP]
• HIS 4900 - Internship: Experiential Learning in Public and Applied History (3-12)