For the student in search of a broad education rather than in training for a particular occupation, the History Department offers an exciting program of instruction. It is designed to provide a knowledge and understanding of the background and ramifications of present local, national, and world affairs. The program emphasizes understanding rather than the memorization of names and dates. Students are taught how to read critically, analyze thoughtfully, conduct research carefully, and write intelligently.
Toward this end, the department offers a wide variety of courses ranging in time, location, and subject. For those students interested in local history there are courses on Montana, the West and unique aspects of the frontier. Other classes stress the nature of early American society, the American Revolution, family and gender in America, the Civil War, and diplomacy in the Cold War. Still others emphasize European social, cultural, and intellectual history, European exploration, the French Revolution, Islamic civilization, Latin American history, Asian history, and Russian history. Topical courses concentrate upon documentary analysis, diplomacy, war and peace, terrorism, and environmental history.
The History Department helps to prepare men and women for many different kinds of occupations. Graduates are employed in federal, state or local government positions ranging from domestic to foreign service, from senators to research analysts. Many teach history in Montana or in other states while others pursue their educations at advanced graduate schools earning master or doctoral degrees. Several have been awarded Rhodes or Marshall Scholarships.
Lawyers, journalists and businessmen also are trained by the department; many combine history with political science, journalism, or business. History provides not only a basis for the pursuit of their chosen profession but also furnishes knowledge and perspective for intelligent leadership of citizens in community affairs.
The department offers the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.
Students selecting a major in history must complete the following requirements:
I. Courses and credits
A. A minimum of 40 credits in history, maximum of 60. Of the 40-credit total, 9 credits must be in European (EU) history, 9 in American (AM) history, and 9 in world (WRLD) history (Asian, Islamic, African, or Latin American, or international). History majors must complete at least 21 upper-division credits.
B. All history majors must take at least 2 or the following 8 courses: HSTR 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, (HIST 104, 105, 107, 108), HSTA 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H (HIST 151-154).
Note: Students scoring "5" on the American history and/or European history AP exams earn credit toward graduation but do not earn credit toward the history major.
C. History majors must complete HSTR 200 Introduction to Historical Methods. Students are advised to complete this course within two semesters of declaring the history major.
D. History majors must complete a 400-level approved history Upper-Division Writing (UDW) course. Speak to your advisor for a list of approved History UDW courses.
II. Languages
The Department requires competency in English and a proficiency in one foreign language. These requirements include:
A. WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) or its equivalent.
B. Foreign language requirements may be satisfied by completing anyone of the following options:
1. The 101-102 active skills sequence in any foreign language.
2. Any single course at or above the 102 or 112 level in any foreign language.
3. An equivalency test for (3) offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
The Department of History does not allow credit for foreign languages taken in high school but students with high school backgrounds in a foreign language may wish to pursue options (2) or (3) above.
Students selecting a minor in history must complete the following requirements:
AP Policy: Those majors scoring a "5" on either the American history or European history AP exam are excused from the above requirement. Nevertheless, the department urges all history majors to gain a solid foundation for upper-division coursework by taking some or all of the above "survey" courses. Note: Students scoring "5" on the American history and/or European history AP exams earn credit toward graduation but do not earn credit toward the history major.
Students may earn a teaching major in history by completing the requirements for the BA in history, to include the following: HSTA 101 or 102; HSTR 101 or 102; HSTR 200; HSTA 255; 9 credits in world history; 6 upper-division credits in American history; 6 upper-division credits in European history; 6 additional credits upper-division history electives; one HSTA/HSTR 400-level approved writing course; and EDU 497 (C&I 428). All requirements for the history major apply. Students with a teaching major in history must also complete a teaching major or minor in a second field. For the history teaching major, students must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and complete all of the professional education licensure requirements. Students may also earn a teaching minor in history. See the Department of Curriculum & Instruction for more information.
This major is intended solely for students who want to be licensed to teach history, government, and one additional social science at the middle and high school levels. Requirements for the combined history/political science major are as follows: in history, a minimum of 31 credits, including: HSTR 101 or 102, HSTA 101 and 102, HSTR 200, HSTA 255, one elective course in world history, three upper-division elective courses to include at least one American and one European course, and one HSTA/HSTR 400-level approved writing course; in political science, a minimum of 30 credits, including: PSCI 210, 220, 230, 250, three upper-division elective courses in American government or public law, and three upper-division elective courses in comparative or international relations; in one additional social science, a minimum of 9 elective credits in economics or geography or psychology or sociology; and EDU 497 (C&I 428). Students must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and complete all of the professional education licensure requirements. Students are eligible for a teaching license in social studies broadfield. See the Department of Curriculum & Instruction for more information.
| First Year | A | S |
|---|---|---|
| HSTR 101H, 102H (HIST 104-105) Western Civilization I & II or HSTA 101H, 102H American History I & II (HIST 151-152) | 4 | 4 |
| HSTR 200 Introduction to Historical Methods | 1 | - |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) Composition | 3 | - |
| Foreign language | 5 | 5 |
| Electives and General Education | 3 | 6 |
| 16 | 15 | |
| Second Year | A | S |
| HSTR 240 (HIST 201) East Asia, HSTA 255 (HIST 269) Montana, HSTR 262, 264 Islamic, or HSTR 230H, 231H Latin America | 6 | 6 |
| Electives and General Education | 9 | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | |
| Third Year | A | S |
| 400-level approved history upper-division writing course. | (3) | (3) |
| HSTA OR HSTR upper division history courses | 3-6 | 3-6 |
| Electives and General Education | 9 | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | A | S |
| HSTA OR HSTR upper division history courses | 6 | 3 |
| Electives, General Education, Broadfield Social Sciences and C&I courses (if applicable) | 9 | 12 |
| 15 | 15 |
R- before the course description indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
History: American (HSTA) - Course Descriptions
101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, 141H, 191, 198, 225, 255, 262, 291, 311, 314, 315, 316, 320, 322, 323, 324, 327, 333, 335, 342H, 345, 347, 354X, 358, 361, 370H, 371H, 372, 380, 382, 385, 387, 391, 415, 417, 418, 419, 420, 422, 455, 461, 462, 469, 471, 478, 491, 494, 501, 502, 550, 551, 552, 553, 562, 564, 566, 567, 570, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 699
History: World (HSTR) - Course Descriptions
101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, 146H, 191, 198, 200, 230H, 231H, 240H, 241H, 242, 250, 262H, 264, 272E, 291, 302, 306, 307, 312, 315, 317, 320, 323, 325, 326, 334, 335, 343, 345, 348, 349, 350, 352, 353, 355, 357, 358, 361, 363, 364, 367, 369, 374, 377, 378, 380H, 384, 386, 391, 392, 398, 400, 401, 418, 435, 437, 441, 442, 448, 449, 455, 457, 458, 470, 472, 481, 491, 492, 494, 500, 511, 512, 514, 516, 531, 540, 550, 552, 553, 564, 566, 567, 585, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 696, 699
Richard R. Drake, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1976
John A. Eglin, Ph.D., Yale University, 1996
Dan Flores, Ph.D., Texas A & M University, 1978 (A.B. Hammond Professor of Western History)
Linda S. Frey, Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1971
Anya Jabour, Ph.D., Rice University, 1995
Mehrdad Kia, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1986
Michael S. Mayer, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1984
Associate Professors
Robert H. Greene, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2004 (Chair)
Jody Pavilack, Ph.D., Duke University, 2003
Tobin Miller Shearer, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2008
Kyle G. Volk, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2008
Jeff Wiltse, Ph.D., Brandeis University, 2002
Christopher L. Pastore, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire, 2011
George M. Dennison, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1968
David M. Emmons, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1969
William E. Farr, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1971
Harry W. Fritz, Ph.D., Washington University at St. Louis, 1971
Paul Gordon Lauren, Ph.D., Stanford University, 1973 (Regents Professor)
Kenneth A. Lockridge, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1965
Frederick W. Skinner, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1973
Bradley Naranch, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 2007