The History Major |
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Required Courses Expected Student Learning Outcomes History Students: Success Stories About the Department History is the record and interpretation of past events. Historians study the past by examining the evidence that people leave behind – documents, buildings, and artifacts of all kinds. The names, dates, places and events of history must all be based on evidence. But history is more than names, dates and places. These “facts” must be interpreted. In other word, historians analyze not only what happened, but also why. Historians want to make sense of the past; they interpret the past in a manner that helps people to understand its relevance and meaning. But interpretation is a risky undertaking. The interpretation of past events involves making value judgments – saying which events were related to each other. Since historians often disagree with each other’s interpretations, history is a lively search for the truth of past events. The study of history has several purposes. It has a citizenship function – knowledge of history should make us better informed voters. Presumably, we may also learn lessons from the past and avoid earlier mistakes. Most importantly, history is our collective social memory. We must know our history in order to know who we are as a nation and what kind of people we are. A history major provides you with a solid liberal arts education on which many careers may be based. The history major is an option that leads to non-teaching careers, including, historical editing, museology, and historical preservation. Other opportunities for history majors may be found in federal and state governments and in such business fields as communications and publishing, and banking and market research. Most people who have an undergraduate degree in history teach history in the public schools. The comprehensive history and social studies major is designed for this specific career goal. The comprehensive program leads to certification in social studies (in Arkansas, “social studies” is the certification area rather than “history”) At UAM you as a history major will complete the general education program and take history courses concerning American, European and Third World countries. If you are planning to teach, you must also take the education sequence. As a history major, you will study both world and American history, from the beginnings of civilization through modern times. Our faculty are nationally recognized scholars in Arkansas history as well as the history of the Civil War, colonial America, Great Britain, and Africa. Contact us today at … History Department |
