History Major, B.S.

Department Information

Department of History
PO Box 70672
Phone: (423) 439-4222
Web address: www.etsu.edu/cas/history/

History is the study of humans as revealed by the past. The study of history is an indispensable intellectual endeavor for students who desire to understand and appreciate the human condition in all its diversity, as well as the historical process that has shaped their personal lives. The Department of History offers a wide array of courses in the history of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the United States designed to acquaint students with the complexities of today’s multicultural “global village” and to deepen their understanding of the events, opinions, ideas, and facts they will need to make informed political, social, and personal judgments throughout their lives.

The study of history provides an appropriate background for almost any career. The History degree is particularly useful in preparation for professional and graduate studies, such as law and religion. The non-professional historian can find a rewarding career in teaching, archival work, museums, journalism, government, business, administration, and other occupations that call for strong critical thinking and communication skills

Students majoring in History are required to have a minor, preferably one that complements the major in regard to post-baccalaureate plans. History courses taken as part of the minor program cannot be double-counted as part of a History major, a second major, or another minor.

Advising

Contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Visit the CASE website www.etsu.edu/cas/case/ and call (423) 439-5602.

Transfer Students

Transfer students majoring in History should contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) for advising as soon as possible. This will ensure that the student’s previous work will be coordinated efficiently with ETSU requirements.

For general information about the department or courses, contact Dr. Doug Burgess, Professor and Chair at burgess@etsu.edu or (423) 439-6691.

Degree Requirements: 120 credits

Compass Core Curriculum	40-43 credits
Major Total Requirement	39 credits
Major Core	(9 credits)
Electives	(30 credits)
Minor	18-24 credits
Free Electives	14-23 credits
TOTAL	120 credits

Compass Core Curriculum

These requirements include earning 40-43 credits in Strengthening Foundations, Understanding Natural and Social Worlds, Exploring Connections, Cultivate Artistic Awareness, and Growing as an Individual and Global Citizen categories.

Total Requirements for History Major: 39 credits

GPA requirement: Must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 in all History courses taken in the major.

Course grade minimum: No grade less than a “C” in any History course will be accepted in the major. However, if not repeated for a higher grade, they will still be used in the calculation of the overall GPA.

History Major Core Courses: 9 credits

HIST 1110 - World History to 1500 (3 credits)
HIST 1120 - World History Since 1500 (3 credits)
HIST 3410 - Introduction to Historical Methods (3 credits) ¹
¹ Prerequisite for all 4000-level courses. Recommended that students completes during sophomore or junior year.

History Electives: 30 credits

Six (6) 3xxx courses required with two (2) courses from each Focus Area: U.S., European, and World (18 credits)
Three (3) 4xxx courses required from HIST 4xxx list (9 credits)
One (1) 3xxx or 4xxx course from any of the lists below (3 credits)

Focus Area: U.S.

HIST 3010 - Beginnings of America (3 credits)
HIST 3011 - The American Revolution (3 credits)
HIST 3012 - Women in Early Politics (3 credits)
HIST 3013 - Espionage and Treason in the Early US (3 credits)
HIST 3020 - American, Ethnic, and Cultural History (3 credits)
HIST 3030 - Antebellum America (3 credits)
HIST 3040 - The Old South, 1607-1860 (3 credits)
HIST 3041 - History of Southern Appalachians (3 credits)
HIST 3067 - The American Civil War Era (3 credits)
HIST 3042 - The West in the Life of the Nation (3 credits)
HIST 3070 - The Emergence of United States, 1865-1933 (3 credits)
HIST 3071 - The South Since 1865 (3 credits)
HIST 3072 - U.S. Presidents to 1900 (3 credits)
HIST 3080 - Recent United States 1933-Present (3 credits)
HIST 3090 - Social and Intellectual History of United States to 1877 (3 credits)
HIST 3091 - Social and Intellectual History of United States Since 1877 (3 credits)
HIST 3092 - American Popular Culture since World War II (3 credits)
HIST 3093 - Famous Trials in American History (3 credits)
HIST 3510 - Coal Mining in Appalachia: History and Current Issues (3 credits)
HIST 3801 - Environmental History (3 credits)
HIST 3810 - Introduction to Public History (3 credits)
HIST 3900 - African-American History to 1877 (3 credits)
HIST 3901 - African-American History Since 1877 (3 credits)
HIST 3902 - The Great Debates in African American History (3 credits)
HIST 3903 - African American Religious History (3 credits)
HIST 3915 - American Religious History (3 credits)
HIST 3926 - American Sexuality from Colonization to Reconstruction (3 credits)
HIST 3927 - American Sexuality: Reconstruction to the Present (3 credits)
HIST 3940 - War in the Modern World (3 credits)
HIST 3950 - Special Topics in History (3 credits)
HIST 3989 - Internship/Cooperative Education (1-3 credits)
HIST 3999 - Internship/Cooperative Education (1-3 credits)

Focus Area: Europe

HIST 3310 - Ancient History (3 credits)
HIST 3311 - History of Ancient Greece (3 credits)
HIST 3312 - History of Rome (3 credits)
HIST 3313 - Women in the Ancient World (3 credits)
HIST 3320 - Early Medieval and Carolingian History (3 credits)
HIST 3321 - History of Byzantium (3 credits)
HIST 3322 - The Middle Ages (3 credits)
HIST 3323 - The Renaissance (3 credits)
HIST 3330 - Early Modern Europe, 1500-1650 (3 credits)
HIST 3331 - The Enlightenment (3 credits)
HIST 3340 - Modern Europe (3 credits)
HIST 3342 - Topics in Comparative European History (3 credits)
HIST 3350 - England to 1714 (3 credits)
HIST 3351 - England, 1714-Present (3 credits)
HIST 3352 - History of Scotland (3 credits)
HIST 3380 - Modern Germany (3 credits)

Focus Area: World

HIST 3101 - History of Russia to 1917 (3 credits)
HIST 3102 - History of Russia Since 1917 (3 credits)
HIST 3103 - East Asia Since 1900 (3 credits)
HIST 3710 - A Survey of the Middle East (3 credits)
HIST 3720 - History of Africa (3 credits)
HIST 3730 - Colonial Latin America (3 credits)
HIST 3740 - History of Asia (3 credits)
HIST 3910 - History of Christianity (3 credits)
HIST 3911 - Ancient Religions (3 credits)
HIST 3912 - Ancient Israel and Modern Scholarship (3 credits)
HIST 3913 - The History of Buddhism (3 credits)
HIST 3914 - The Historical Jesus and the Early Church (3 credits)
HIST 3920 - History of Islam (3 credits)
HIST 3922 - Islamic Empire (3 credits)
HIST 3923 - The Ottoman Empire (3 credits)
HIST 3924 - Women in the Middle East (3 credits)
HIST 3931 - History of Medicine (3 credits)
HIST 3731 - Modern Latin America (3 credits)
HIST 3732 - History of Mexico (3 credits)
HIST 3735 - The Modern Caribbean (3 credits)

HIST 4xxx

HIST 4027 - The Social and Cultural History of Rock and Roll (3 credits)
HIST 4047 - The Early Republic (3 credits)
HIST 4077 - American History through Film (3 credits)
HIST 4087 - Current Issues in US History (3 credits)
HIST 4117 - Topics in European History (3 credits)
HIST 4187 - Colloquium in World History (3-9 credits)
HIST 4197 - China Summer Abroad (6 credits)
HIST 4247 - History of Women in U.S., Settlement to 1945 (3 credits)
HIST 4257 - History of Women in Appalachia (3 credits)
HIST 4267 - Constitutional History: Congress, the Law and Slavery (3 credits)
HIST 4277 - Foreign Policy in the Early Republic (3 credits)
HIST 4287 - Topics in American History (3 credits)
HIST 4297 - Topics in World History (3 credits)
HIST 4317 - Topics in Comparative American History (3 credits)
HIST 4327 - Expansion of Europe Overseas, Since 1492 (3 credits)
HIST 4337 - Topics in Comparative European (3 credits)
HIST 4347 - Topics in Comparative World History (3 credits)
HIST 4357 - Colloquium in American History (3 credits)
HIST 4367 - Colloquium in European History (3 credits)
HIST 4387 - History of the Holocaust (3 credits)
HIST 4717 - Modern Middle East, 1800 - Present (3 credits)
HIST 4740 - Seminar in China Studies (3 credits)
HIST 4827 - America in the 1960s (3 credits)
HIST 4837 - American Women Since World War II (3 credits)
HIST 4847 - American Sports, 20th Century to Present (3 credits)
HIST 4900 - Independent Study (1-3 credits)
HIST 4910 - Survey of the Modern World (3 credits)
HIST 4927 - World War II in Europe (3 credits)
HIST 4937 - World War II in the Pacific (3 credits)
HIST 4957 - Topics in History (1-6 credits)

Minor: 18-24 credits

Free Electives: 14-23 credits

Additional Information

Click here to view Degree and Graduation Requirements for all ETSU students.

CSCI 1100 or Proficiency Exam: Must be completed to meet Bachelor’s Degree Requirements.

Most minors range from 18-24 credits. Those few minors with more than 24 credits may affect the number of free electives allowed.

Licensure Certification: Students interested in pursuing a teacher licensure program for certification should contact the advisor in the Office of Student Services, 321 Warf-Pickel Hall, College of Education. Students will major in the subject they wish to teach and minor in Secondary Education.