Department of History

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Faculty

Andrew J. Hurley, Professor, Chairperson
Ph.D., Northwestern University
John R. Gillingham, Curators' Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Jay Rounds, E. Desmond Lee Professor of Museum Studies and Community History
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Carlos A. Schwantes, Saint Louis Mercantile Library Professor of Transportation Studies
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Mark A. Burkholder, Professor
Ph.D., Duke University
Louis Gerteis, Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Steven W. Rowan,Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
Robert M. Bliss, Associate Professor, Dean of Pierre Laclede Honors College
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Priscilla Dowden-White, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Indiana-Bloomington
J. Frederick Fausz, Associate Professor
Ph.D., William and Mary
Kevin J. Fernlund, Associate Professor, Executive Director of Western History Association
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Winston Hsieh, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
Adell Patton Jr., Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Gerda W. Ray, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Laura Westhoff, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Washington University
Deborah Cohen, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Minsoo Kang, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Peter Acsay, Associate Teaching Professor
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Robert Archibald, Adjunct Professor President, Missouri Historical Society
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
John Hoover, Adjunct Professor Director of St. Louis Mercantile Library
M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia
Robert D. Ubriaco, Adjunct Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Illinois
Richard H. Mitchell, Curators' Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Jerry M. Cooper, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Paul Corby Finney, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Harvard University
Steven C. Hause, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Washington University
Charles P. Korr, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
William S. Maltby, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Duke University
Blanche M. Touhill, Professor, Chancellor Emerita
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
John A. Works Jr., Associate Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

General Information

Degrees and Areas of Concentration
The department offers work in Asian, African, and African American, European, Latin American, Mexican, World, and United States history from ancient to modern times. At the bachelor's level, the department offers the B.A. in history, and, in cooperation with the College of Education, the B.A. in history with teacher certification and the B.S. in education with an emphasis in social studies.

At the graduate level, the department offers an M.A. in history with work in Metropolitan, Regional, National, and Transnational history. A collaborative program with Missouri Southern State University allows full-time K-12 teachers in the state of Missouri to earn their MA degree online with minimal required visits to either campus.  The department also offers the option of an M.A. in history with a concentration in museum studies.

Departmental Honors
Students majoring in history may be awarded departmental honors upon graduation if they have achieved the following: a) at least a 3.2 overall GPA; b) at least a 3.5 GPA for all hours attempted in history courses; and c) an outstanding research paper in the Senior Seminar as certified by the faculty member responsible for directing it.

Undergraduate Studies

General Education Requirements
History majors must meet the university and college general education requirements. History courses that will satisfy the university's state requirement are:
HIST 1001, American Civilization
HIST 1002, American Civilization
HIST 1003, African-American History
HIST 1004, The History of Women in the United States
HIST 2007, The History of Missouri
HIST 2041, Topics in American Constitutional History
HIST 3002, United States History: Revolution and the New Nation, 1763 to 1815

Students may take any language that fulfills the college's foreign language requirement. Majors may not take required history courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students enrolled in variable credit reading courses for 5 credit hours must complete a seminar paper.

Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in History
Students are encouraged to move from introductory courses at the 1000 to more advanced content-oriented courses at the 2000 level then to skill oriented courses at the 3000 and 4000 levels.

All the 1000 level, majors must take one course in U.S. History:

HIST 1001, American Civilization to 1865
HIST 1002, American Civilization 1865 to present
HIST 1003, African-American History
HIST 1004, The History of Women in the United States

Plus one course in European History:

HIST 1030, The Ancient World
HIST 1031, Topics in European Civilization: The Emergence of Western Europe to 1715
HIST 1032, Topics in European Civilization: 1715 to the Present

Plus One course in African, Asian, or Latin American History:

HIST 1041, East Asian Civilization
HIST 1042, East Asian civilization
HIST 1051, Latin American Civilization
HIST 1061, African Civilization to 1800
HIST 1062, African Civilization Since 1800
HIST 1064, The African Diaspora Since 1800

Plus two additional courses at the 1000 level on any subject

2000 level courses offer in-depth historical content. At the 2000-level, students may count between one and three 3-credit courses toward their major. At least one of the course at this level must be in the fields of African, Asian, or Latin American History

In addition, all students must take: 2999 Introduction to Historical Inquiry (4 credit hours)

3000 level courses are designed primarily for majors and focus on developing historical writing and thinking skills. At the 3000 level, students may count between two and four 3-credit courses toward their major.

4000 level courses allow history majors to demonstrate mastery over historical thinking, writing, and research skills. Courses at this level should be taken once students have completed all other requirements for the major. Students must take:

4004, Senior Seminar (five credit hours)

Majors must complete at least 39, but not more than 45, hours in history with no grade below C. Courses 4011 and 4012 do not count toward the major. After fulfilling the general education and specific major degree requirements, students take the remaining 30 hours required to complete the B.A. or B.S. degrees from courses, from one or more of the following or their-quality equivalents at other institutions, if the appropriate department has evaluated them as being of university-level quality: anthropology/archaeology, art (appreciation, history, studio), biology, chemistry, communication, criminology and criminal justice, economics, English, foreign languages/literatures, history , mathematics/computer science, music (appreciation, history, performance), philosophy, physics and astronomy/geology, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, business, education, engineering, and interdisciplinary.

Undergraduate majors must complete a residency minimum of 15 hours of 2000/3000 level History courses including History 4004) (5 credit hours) at UMSL.

Learning Outcomes

The following learning outcomes are anticipated in the successful completion of a Bachelor of Arts in History

Communication: Write clearly and coherently and listen to oral presentations, summarize the arguments made and discuss them in the context of other oral presentations or conversations.

Valuing/Ethics/Integrity: Understand and articulate the diversity of identities and political and social systems that have shaped human behavior over time. Understand and articulate one's own identity in terms of race, gender and class, and to locate that identity in the wider world, both past and present.

Critical Thinking: Listen to oral presentations, summarize the arguments made and discuss them in the context of other oral presentations or conversations.  Accurately summarize an argument and discuss it in the context of other arguments.

Content Knowledge: Embedded in Other Outcomes

Minor in History
Students may minor in history by taking 19 hours of history courses as follows:
1) One course numbered 1001-1099 in each of the following areas: United States history, European history, and either Asian, African, Latin American or World history (9 credits)
2) Two courses numbered 2000-2998 (6 credits)
3) History 2999 (4 credits)

No course in which a grade below a C is received shall count toward a minor.

Related Areas
Since history is a broad discipline, it can be combined with serious work in any other discipline. Courses in the humanities, social sciences, languages, and the natural sciences may complement the history program. Students should consult with faculty advisers to select courses suited to their individual interests.

Bachelor of Arts in History with Teacher Certification
Students majoring in History may earn Social Studies Teacher Certification as follows:

Social Studies
Teacher certification students must complete the major and meet these minimum social science requirements:

Social science methods courses are HIST/SEC ED 4011

For emphasis area advising, you must see a History/Social Studies advisor. You must also see an advisor in the College of Education regarding Education requirements.
For more information, refer to the Secondary Education in this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Science in Education: Emphasis in Social Studies The history requirements are the same as for the B.A. degree except students fulfill the College of Education general education requirements rather than those of the College of Arts and Sciences. For information, refer to the College of Education section in this Bulletin.

Graduate Studies

The department offers the MA in History and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. Qualified students may enter the MA through two different routes, either as graduates with a baccalaureate degree or as exceptional undergraduates via the 2 + 3 program.

The M.A. Degree
The Department of History offers two options for graduate study, the Master of Arts in History and the Master of Arts in History with Concentration in Museum Studies. These options are described below.

Master of Arts in History
The Department of History offers students two ways of completing the Master of Arts degree: one path of study emphasizes depth of knowledge and research competence acquired through writing a substantial master's thesis; the second emphasizes breadth of historical knowledge acquired through graduate course work and the writing of research papers. Both paths include a core of substantive courses in history (see Core) to which the student adds either a thesis (see Thesis) or additional research papers and seminars (see Research Papers).

The M.A. program offers all students intermediate training preparatory to doctoral programs, advanced training leading to teaching and other careers, and disciplined advanced work.

The History M.A. program offers study in Metropolitan History, Regional History, National History and Transnational History. Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to be sure that they have properly selected their fields of study.

Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet several departmental admission requirements in addition to the general criteria of the Graduate School. The applicant's undergraduate studies need not have been in history, but they must demonstrate high academic potential.Normally, only students with a 3.2 grade point average (3.35 for the online degree) in their undergraduate major are admitted; most successful applicants have higher grades.

Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, preferably from former teachers, and a sample of their written work. The History Department bases its admission decisions upon the undergraduate transcript, the letters of recommendation, and the sample of written work.

Core
All candidates for the M.A. degree in history must complete a core of 26 hours of course work (excluding thesis credit), with no more than nine hours of history and related fields at the 5000 level. This 26-hour core must include seven courses at 3 credit hours each (21 hours in all), and one 5-credit-hour writing seminar consisting of a 2-credit-hour research paper supplement to a 3-credit-hour, 6000-level history readings course.

To earn the 26-hour core, candidates select three fields of study, the first with a minimum of four courses (each at 3 credit hours or more), the second and third with a minimum of two courses each (at 3 credit hours or more).
In addition to this core, each candidate must select one of the two following degree options:

1) Thesis Option--32 hours total
In addition to the core, the candidate choosing this option must enroll for 6 hours of thesis credit and submit an acceptable thesis. The thesis is based on original research in primary sources. Normally, theses do not exceed 100 pages of text. Candidates receive a grade for the thesis upon its approval by an advisory committee. The committee consists of professors selected by the candidate after consultation with the major professor. One member of the committee must be from the department but outside the candidate's general area of study, and one may be outside the history department.

The advisory committee conducts an oral examination on the thesis during the candidate's last semester of residence.

The committee decides whether the candidate shall pass, fail, or fail with the option to repeat the oral examination at a later date. Students may not take the oral examination more than twice. The second examination must be held no less than one and no more than two semesters following the date of the first examination. Summer session may be counted as a semester under this procedure, but students should be aware of the difficulties involved in assembling faculty committees during the summer.

Thesis candidates must demonstrate competence in one foreign language or in quantitative methods as applied to historical study. Candidates shall demonstrate foreign language competence by translating, with the use of a dictionary, 500 words in one hour. A member of the history faculty will conduct this examination and choose the test for translation. Candidates shall demonstrate quantitative methods competence by satisfactory completion of either PSYCH 2201 Psychological Statistics or SOC 3220 Sociological Statistics, or their equivalent.

2) Research Paper Option-36 hours total
To complete this option, the candidate must complete two 5-credit-hour seminars (each consisting of a 6000-level reading seminar plus 2 credit hours of supplementary work on a substantial research paper), in addition to the core. The candidate may choose a fourth field in addition to the three already represented in the core to complete this option.

Online Masters Program

In conjunction with Missouri Southern State University, the department of History at UMSL offers a route to the MA degree through online coursework.  The requirements for the degree remain the same as in the conventional program.  Students who wish to pursue the online Master’s degree must apply specifically for this option by way of a note to that effect in the Comments section on the graduate application form.  Students pursuing this path are expected to take one course per semester.  Missouri K-12 teachers are given preference in the admission process. Some online courses may require students to visit either the UMSL or Missouri Southern State campus once per semester.  At least one-third of total credit hours must be taken with instructors at each institution. Normally, only students with a 3.35 grade point average in their undergraduate major are admitted to this track.  Deadlines for admission are June 1 for the fall semester and October 15 for the winter semester.

The 2+3 B.A. and M.A. in History

The 2+3 B.A./B.S. – Ed and M.A. in History enables students of demonstrated academic ability and educational maturity to complete the requirements for both degrees in five years of full-time study. Because of its accelerated nature, the program requires the completion of lower-division requirements (15 hours) before entry into the three-year portion of the program. It also has prerequisites numbered 5000-5999 for graduate readings courses numbered 6000-6999. When all the requirements of the B.A/B.S. – Ed. and M.A. program have been completed, students will be awarded both the baccalaureate and master’s degrees. A carefully designed program can permit a student to earn both degrees within as few as ten semesters.

The combined program requires a minimum of 137 hours, at least 5 of which must be at the senior level (HIST 4004) and at least 32 of which must be at the graduate level (courses numbered in the 5000 and 6000 range). In qualifying for the B.A. or B.S. – Ed., students must meet all university and college requirements, including the requirements of the undergraduate major. In qualifying for the M.A., students must meet all university and Graduate School requirements, including satisfactory completion of at least 32 credit hours at the graduate level.

The semester they will complete 62 undergraduate credit hours, (including 15 credit hours of appropriate 1000-level coursework in the History Department and History 2999) interested students should apply to the Graduate Director of the Department of History for admission to the 2+3 combined degree program in History. A cumulative grade point average of 3.1 or higher and three letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration. Students will be admitted to the 2+3 program under provisional status until they have completed 33 credit hours in History with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After completion of the provisional period, and with the recommendation of the graduate director, and approval of the graduate dean, students can be granted full admission into the program. Students in the 2+3 program begin to pay graduate credit hour fees for all courses at the 5000 or 6000 level. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher throughout the combined program. Students who officially withdraw from the 2+3 combined degree program will be awarded the B.A. or B.S. – Ed. Degree when they have successfully completed all the requirements for the degree.

Undergraduate History Requirements For Students in the 2+3 Program
The following requirements must be completed prior to enrolling in the 2+3 Program:

At the 1000 level, majors must take one course in U.S. History:
HIST 1001, American Civilization to 1865
HIST 1002, American Civilization 1865 to present
HIST 1003, African American History
HIST 1004, The History of Women in the United States

Plus one course in European History
HIST 1030, The Ancient World
HIST 1031, Topics in European Civilization: the Emergence of Western Europe to 1715
HIST 1032, Topics in European Civilization: 1715 to the Present

Plus: One course in African, Asian, or Latin American History
HIST 1041, East Asian Civilization
HIST 1042, East Asian Civilization
HIST 1051, Latin American Civilization
HIST 1061, African Civilization to 1800
HIST 1062, African Civilization Since 1800
HIST 1064, The African Diaspora Since 1800

Plus two additional courses at the 1000 level on any subject.

The following UNDERGRADUATE courses are required for majors in the 2+3 program
HIST 2999, Introduction to Historical Inquiry (4)
HIST 4004, Senior Seminar (5)
NOTE: B.S.-Ed. students must also take History 4012, 4013 and 4014.

Graduate History Requirements For Students in the 2+3 Program
The following GRADUATE courses are required

Courses 5000 level
Three courses in three of the following fields: Metropolitan History; Regional History; National History, Transnational History (9 hours)

Courses 6000 level (selected from the Metropolitan History; Regional History; National History, Transnational History):

The prerequisite for each 6000 level course for 2+3 program students is one or more 5000-5999 level courses in the field as part of the B.A. (or B.S. Ed.) program.

1) Three 6000 level courses (two of 3 credit hours, one of 5 credit hours) in the first field: total 11 hours.
Prerequisite: one 5000 level courses in the same field

2) One 6000 level course (one of 3 credit hours), in the second field: total 3 hours.
Prerequisite: one 5000 level course in the second field

3) One 6000 level course of 3 credit hours in the third field: total 3 hours
Prerequisite: one 5000 level course in the third field

In addition to this core, each candidate must select one of the two following degree options:

1. Thesis Option –32 hours total

In addition to the fulfilling the requirements listed above, the candidate choosing this option must enroll for 6 hours of thesis credit and submit an acceptable thesis. The thesis is based on original research in primary sources. Normally, theses do not exceed 100 pages of text. Candidates receive a grade for the thesis upon its approval by an advisory committee. The committee consists of professors selected by the candidate after consultation with the major professor. One member of the committee must be from the department but outside the candidate’s general area of study, and one may be outside the history department.

The advisory committee conducts an oral examination on the thesis during the candidate’s last semester of residence.

The committee decides whether the candidate shall pass, fail or fail with the option to repeat the oral examination at a later date. Students may not take the oral examination more than twice. The second examination must be held no less than one and no more than two semesters following the date of the first examination. Summer session may be counted as a semester under this procedure, but students should be aware of the difficulties involved in assembling faculty committees during the summer.

Thesis candidates must demonstrate competence in one foreign language or in quantitative methods as applied to historical study. Candidates shall demonstrate foreign language competence by translating, with the use of a dictionary, 500 words in one hour. A member of the history faculty will conduct this examination and choose the test for translation. Candidates shall demonstrate quantitative methods competence by satisfactory completion of either PSYCH 2201, Psychological Statistics or SOC 3220, Sociological Statistics, or their equivalent.

2. Research Paper Option

To complete this option, the candidate must complete two additional 5-credit hour seminars (each consisting of a 6000-level reading seminar plus 2 credit hours of supplementary work on a substantial research paper.) The candidate may choose a fourth field in addition to the three already represented in the core to complete this option.

Museum Studies

Master of Arts in History (Museum Studies) and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies
These options are intended for students planning to pursue professional careers in museums. In addition to the core requirement of substantive courses in history, the Museum Studies program includes intensive training in the theory and practice of museology. This innovative program is a collaboration between the Departments of History, Anthropology, and Art and Art History, the Missouri Historical Society and the St. Louis Mercantile Library. It is taught by a combination of professors and practicing professionals from St. Louis-area museums. Recognizing that the museums field is in a period of rapid change, the program is designed to train students for leadership in the emergence of a new paradigm of museology that focuses on relationships between museums and the people and communities that they serve.

For most students this will be a terminal master of arts degree, fully preparing graduates for immediate entry into museum careers in a variety of positions. While the core requirement focuses on history studies, the museological training is applicable to employment in any type of museum.

Admission Requirements
Applicants wishing to enter the Museum Studies concentration must apply specifically for that concentration on the graduate application; successful application for the general M.A. program in history does not automatically provide access to the Museum Studies program. Applications for the Museum Studies concentration will be accepted only for the fall semester. Because of the prescribed sequence of course work, no midyear entry into the program will be allowed.

In addition to the general criteria of the Graduate School, applicants for the Museum Studies concentration must meet several additional criteria of the Department of History and the museum studies program. Applicants' undergraduate studies need not have been in history, but they must demonstrate high academic potential. Normally, the history department admits only students with a 3.2 grade point average in their undergraduate major; most successful applicants have higher grades. Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, preferably from former teachers and/or employers, and a sample of their written work. The sample may or may not be academic work, and length is not a consideration. Besides these departmental requirements, applicants must submit the Museum Studies Supplemental Application. The supplemental application includes a statement of intent for pursuit of a museum career.

The departmental Graduate Committee and the director of the museum studies program will base their admissions decisions upon the undergraduate transcript, the letters of recommendation and the sample of written work.

Applications for the museum studies program must be received by the university no later than March 1.

Museum Studies Concentration--39 hours total
All candidates for the M. A. in History with a Concentration in Museum Studies must complete HIST 6134, 6135, 6136, and 6137. These courses are cross listed under the same numbers in the Anthropology Department and the Art and Art History Department. Students may enroll through the department of their choice. All candidates must also complete ART HIS 5588 Museum Education and Visitor Research and ANTHRO 6139 Practicum in Exhibit and Program Development. Together, these courses provide a solid foundation in the theory and history of museology and in practical skills for museum work. As a final requirement, candidates must complete HIST or ANTHRO or ART HIS 6138. This exit project will be the capstone demonstration of competence in museum studies. The specific nature of this demonstration will be customized to the interests and career aspirations of each student. It may take the form of a traditional thesis, an exhibit project, or some other appropriate form, as approved in advance by the candidate's advisory committee.

In addition to these requirements, all candidates must complete 15 hours of elective history course work, with no more than 6 hours of history at the 3000 level. Museum Studies students will take courses distributed in any proportion between the fields of "United States to 1865" and "United States Since 1865." Both the director of the Museum Studies Program and the graduate director of the History Department must approve in advance any exceptions to this requirement (e.g., selections of courses from another field, such as European or African history).

Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies (19 hours)
A very limited number of positions may be available for students who wish to pursue only the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies without seeking the M.A. in History. In most cases, these will be students who already hold an advanced degree and are currently working or planning to work in a museum but who have had no formal training in museum studies. Candidates for the Graduate Certificate must complete HIST 6135, 6136, 6137, and 6138, ART HIS 5588, and ANTHRO 6139. Contact the director of the Museum Studies Program for availability and special application procedures.

Career Outlook for B. A. and M. A. graduates
An important rationale for the discipline of history is its centrality to the university curriculum and to the life experience. The ability to put events or developments into the context of the past is useful as well as pleasurable. Responses to a questionnaire sent to history graduates have indicated that alumni in a wide variety of fields are as conscious of and appreciative of their training in history as those who have chosen it as a profession. Men and women in business, lawyers, bankers, librarians, and foreign service officers have all found it relevant to their careers. Study and research in history sharpens organizational and writing skills important to success in business and the legal profession. A growing interest in local history has created employment opportunities in museum, archival, and preservation work.

Career Outlook for M. A. with Concentration in Museum Studies
There are more than 8,000 museums in the United States. History museums constitute more than half of that total and employ approximately one-third of the 150,000 paid staff working in U. S. museums. While job requirements vary widely among individual museums and specific professional roles, the M.A. degree offered by this program qualifies graduates for a wide range of career opportunities, in history museums and in other types of museums as well. The Museum Studies Program provides students with placement assistance and counseling and with access to a wide range of information on career opportunities in the field, and program faculty use their extensive networks in the field to help identify opportunities and to place students.