Undergraduate Handbook
Table of Contents
| General Information | Requirements for Majors |
PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION Welcome to the Department of History! This handbook was prepared to help you get the most from your undergraduate days at WVU. The greatest burden is on you: understand the requirements; choose your classes carefully and register promptly; take the advice of your instructors in History--seek them out and keep in touch. Prepare yourself from the first semester for your life after graduation. Good luck!
Why study History? A major in History provides an excellent liberal arts education and a strong foundation for future studies. It is designed to give the student good skills in critical thinking, research, and writing.
What can you do with it? The degree in History is a fine background for teaching, graduate work in History or Law, or public service. With the growth of Public History, graduates have found positions in museums, historic preservation, and the administration of historic sites.
With the growth of specialized training at the university level, it is often wise for History majors to combine their studies in History with other fields of interest, for example, business or international studies. History is also an excellent preparation for teaching Social Studies in schools and can be taken simultaneously with an education major.
What History is taught at WVU? In the WVU Catalogue, you can see that the Department of History has a broad offering of courses in all periods of time, areas of the world, and topics. Thus, you can find classes on King Tut of Ancient Egypt, as well as France's Louis XIV; courses exist on the Civil War and on many topics in Women's History and Science and Technology, as well as on Russia, Germany, East Africa, Japan, or Colonial America. Check the Catalogue for a full listing of faculty and courses and look at the Schedule of Courses each semester for offerings.
How do I major in History? By declaring your interest in the freshman or sophomore years, you are advised as a Pre-History major by faculty of our department. If you have met a faculty member whom you wish to have as advisor, let the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. William Arnett know; if you have identified the area of your major interests in History, ask for an advisor in that area. Your advisor will have office hours and be happy to help you register each semester and change schedules as needed. When you reach junior status, you will be transferred as a major if you have: completed 58 hours of credit, earned an overall grade point average of 2.2, and attained an average of 2.2 in all History courses taken. When you are within a year of graduation, review all requirements with your advisor, the Advising Center, and Director of Undergraduate Studies. The advisor will help you with things such as Credit by Exam, Transient Credits (credits at other institutions), and overloads (mor e than 19 hours in one semester.)
How do I meet History instructors? The Department of History is located in Woodburn Hall. Its telephone number is 293-2421. Instructors are located on the second and third floors and ground (basement) level. On office doors will be posted their office hours. You can call and leave messages and your telephone number, or feel free to communicate with your advisor through e-mail.
What if I have special needs? Students with any sort of disability or handicap should speak to the Director of the Office for Disability Services in the Student Services Center. (Currently, this official is Gordon Kent, telephone 293-6700.) This official will notify instructors of the need to make all reasonable accommodations for your disability. Speak to your instructors at once at the beginning of each semester. Special accommodations cannot be made without the authorization of the Office for Disability Services.
Are there other services? For WVU students, there exist several services and programs that can be helpful in your education. The University has a Counseling Service in the Student Services Center, a Writing Lab in Stansbury Hall, and several locations on campus where computers and printers are available. In addition, there is a Center for Black Culture and Research and a Women's Studies Center. Student organizations are recognized for all areas of interests, including Phi Alpha Theta, for History majors. See Dr.Aaslestad for information on Phi Alpha Theta.
What about discrimination? WVU is committed to equal treatment for all students. Every department and unit, for example, has a Sexual Harassment Liaison Officer should any employee or student of the University behave wrongly. Dr. Fones-Wolf is the departmental Sexual Harassment Liaison Officer. You may also report problems to the Office of the Dean of Student Life in E. Moore Hall.
Student courtesy? Try to keep appointments that you make with instructors; always seek them out at their official office hours. Never enter an office where an instructor is speaking on the telephone or with another person. Avoid questions like: "I missed two weeks of class; did you cover anything important?"
Of course, in class, avoid talking during lectures, or reading non-course materials, or using your head-set. Try to organize your semester so that your creative energies are not expended inventing excuses for missed deadlines.
When and how do I study? Successful students find regular periods of time when they can be undisturbed in studying. Instructors expect that students spend two hours studying for each class hour each week. For History courses, you must read in advance of lectures in order to get the most out of lectures. Ask instructors for study questions for exams or guidelines for papers; don't be afraid of making an appointment early in the semester to get their advice on how you can best progress in the course. Make notes as you read texts and assignments; have them on hand when you take lecture notes. See AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF HISTORY for tips on preparing papers, using the library, and studying for exams.
What about my future? In an increasingly tight job market, competition in the future must be a consideration for each entering student. You probably cannot afford to "blow off" a semester. Good habits and a good record should be priorities from the start. Some day, you will need recommendations from your instructors. Advance preparation will help you with the Graduate Record Exam (taken in October of your senior year) or the Law School Aptitude Test. Notices about graduate studies in History are posted outside Woodburn 220. Professor Steven Zdatny serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of History. Your History 494 research paper will be kept should you need to send a sample of your work to graduate schools or potential employers. Your future requires work today!
What about cheating? The WVU policy on cheating is spelled out in the Student Code and is discussed in the undergraduate catalogue. Simply put: do your own work. Cheating in the classroom is a tragic mistake. Prepare for your exams, and guard against others who try to use your work. Plagiarism is the use of someone else's work that is presented as your own. You must learn to quote others correctly; learn how to paraphrase in your own words. The Department of History is severe in cheating cases. You may earn an "F" on the assignment, or in the entire course; an unforgivable "F" will be so marked on your transcript and follow you for life. Potential employers can read transcripts; security or background investigations are now routine for many employers. Any hint of dishonesty can have tragic consequences.
May I have further information? Of course. Telephone the Department for appointments at 304-293-2421. On your computer, go to Netscape, then WVU home page, and then simply type in http://www.as.wvu.edu/history/.
PART II: HISTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS ENTERING Aug. 2001 and after (see appended Check List)
GENERAL: In their freshman and sophomore years, those selecting a major in the Department of History are classified as Pre-History. They may be admitted to the major upon completion of 58 hours with an overall average of 2.2. Majors should also have attained at least a 2.2 average in History courses. To graduate, majors must meet University and College requirements for the bachelor of arts degree and earn a total of 128 credit hours. The department requires 33 hours of History courses; one course should be in African, Asian, or Latin American History. Should a student take more than 42 hours in History, these additional hours will not count toward the college requirement of 128 hours for the degree. Courses should be distributed as follows.
A. SURVEYS: 12 hours, four courses, below 300 Should a major plan to concentrate on American History, it would be wise to take History 152 followed by History 153, and then two additional surveys, according to the student's interests. A preference for European History might best be served by taking History 101 and 102 among the options. Advisors, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, or faculty in the areas of students' interests should be consulted on the best choice.
History 101: Western Civilization: Antiquity to 1600
History 102: Western Civilization: 1600 to the Present
History 104: Latin America: Past and Present
History 105: Modern Middle East
History 106: East Asia: An Introduction
History 108: North America: Past and Present
History 271: Science, Magic and Religion
History 272: Modern Science: Forces, Energy, Order
History 152: Growth of the American Nation to 1865
History 153: Making of Modern America, 1865 to Present
History 179: World History to 1500 (still H. 179)
History 180: World History Since 1500 (still H. 180)
B. UPPER DIVISION COURSES:18 hours (six courses) must be chosen from courses numbered 200 and above. In addition, students must take at least two 400-level lecture courses [not including the Capstone Course, History 494]. Three courses must be chosen from each of two of the below three groups.
1) United States and Latin America
2) Africa, Asia and Europe
3) History of Science and Technology (Note that this is a major change in our previous requirements. The greatest number of advising errors occur with the distribution of upper division History courses.)
C. NON-WESTERN COURSE: One course should be taken on Asia, Africa, or Latin America. (This course might be one taken for either the lower division or upper division requirement discussed above.)
D. HISTORY SEMINAR: All majors must take History 494, Introduction to Historical Research. During most semesters, at least two sections are offered; none is offered in the summer. Students should try to take this seminar in the second semester, junior year, or first semester, senior year.
E. FORMAL MINOR: All majors must select a minor field and take fifteen hours of credit in it. Departments in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences have requirements established for minors (Please see the Undergraduate Catalog for the year you entered ex. 2005). Departments outside of the college may not have formal programs for minors. In that case, the student must work out a minor with an advisor. The formal minor appears on the student's transcript.
Part III: History requirements for students who entered the University August 1995 until July 2001. ( See the appended Check list).
PART IV: UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJORS. The University has a Liberal Studies Program which is designed to give each student the preparation for a lifetime of learning and growth. Below are the University requirements. In addition, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has some common demands upon all students.
A. English 101 and 102. The University requires two courses in English grammar and composition. These two courses may not be used for further requirements listed below. These should be taken as soon as possible. As with many other courses, they may be taken at the high school level as advanced placement courses, or they may be taken as Credit by Examination Courses. The Department strongly recommends that they be taken at the University unless a student is an unusually strong student in writing. The University requires a "W" or Writing Course for all students. History 494 satisfies this requirement.
B. Foreign Language. Four semesters of the same language are required. Should a student have a sufficient background, only the third and fourth semesters may be taken to satisfy this requirement.
C. Fine Arts. The College requires a course, which may NOT be offered to fulfill other Cluster requirements. A list appears on the Check List and an up-to-date list appears each semester in the Schedule of Courses. (See the appended Fine Arts Requirement.)
D. International Studies. The College requires this courses, which may be used to fulfill Cluster requirements as well. Note on the Check List that some courses can also meet the Foreign/Minority Cultures/Gender Studies requirement (see below), and if History courses appear, they may additionally be counted for the major. A careful choice in this area can give the student far more flexibility in scheduling. The list divides courses into Cluster A and Cluster B groups. (See the appended International Studies Requirement.)
E. Foreign/Minority Cultures/Gender Studies. The University requires a course that will help each student understand others in a complex world. See the comment above. A list of courses appears in each Schedule of Courses. (See the appended International Studies Requirement for courses that count for D and E)
F. Mathematics/Statistics. The University requires one course, Math 126 or higher, or Economics 225 or Statistics 211. This course may NOT be used for Cluster C requirements.
Cluster A. Cluster A includes the Arts and Humanities. History is located within Cluster A. Students must take two courses in one department and one course in two other departments. A number of History courses are listed in Cluster A and may be selected for this requirement, other University and College requirements, as well as for the History major requirements.
Cluster B. This group includes the social sciences. Two courses must be taken in one department and one from two other departments. Note that some History courses are listed in Cluster B.
Cluster C. Math and Sciences. Eleven to twelve hours must be taken in at least two disciplines. One four-hour lab science course is required. The course taken for the University math requirement can NOT be offered in Cluster C. By taking two four-hour science courses, the student need take only one additional three hour course for a total of 11 hours.
HISTORY HONORS THESIS
The History Honors Thesis is an option consisting of three hours of credit (History 498; Honors). History 498 is separate from the WVU Honors Program. Furthermore, the three hours must be in addition to the thirty-three hours of history required for the completion of the History major. Majors can take up to 42 hours in the department as part of their 128 hours required for the B.A. degree.
To qualify for this program, students must have a 3.3 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in History courses. Students eligible for the History Honors Thesis will be identified and given a written invitation either by the Department Chairperson or the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This is an independent study option. Once admitted, students will need to work with a faculty member of their choice. Of course, the faculty member must be willing to work with the student.
The Honors Thesis will consist of a major research paper, building upon the skills learned in History 494; Introduction to Historical Research. As a result, it will be necessary for those students who are qualified for the Honors Thesis to arrange to take History 494 in the second semester of their Junior year so they will have two semesters to allow adequate time to finish their thesis while finishing all of the required course work for graduation. Under this scenario, students will begin working on their paper in the fall semester and continue into the spring term. There will be an informal "defense" or presentation of the paper in the spring semester to a committee of faculty. It is hoped that this experience will provide excellent preparation for students planning to enter graduate school or who are preparing for careers that will involve extensive writing and research skills, as writing and defending one's work is key to being a historian.
Further information about this program may be gotten by contacting Dr. William S. Arnett, Director of Undergraduate Studies William.Arnett@mai.wvu.edu or(293-2421 ext. 5224).
