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Department of History

http://www.umsl.edu/~history/

Faculty

Louis Gerteis, Professor, Chairperson*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Richard H. Mitchell, Curators' Professor*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
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*
Dean of College of Arts and Sciences
Ph.D., Duke University
Jerry M. Cooper, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Walter Ehrlich, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., Washington University
Paul Corby Finney, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., Harvard University
John R. Gillingham, Professor*
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Steven C. Hause, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., Washington University
Andrew J. Hurley, Professor*
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Charles P. Korr, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
William S. Maltby, Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., Duke University
James Neal Primm, Curators' Professor Emeritus*,
Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia
Steven W. Rowan, Professor*
Ph.D., Harvard University
Blanche M. Touhill, Professor*, Chancellor Emeritus
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Robert M. Bliss, Associate Professor*
Dean of Pierre Laclede Honors College
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Priscilla Dowden, Associate Professor*
Ph.D., Indiana-Bloomington
J. Frederick Fausz, Associate Professor*
Ph.D., William and Mary
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
John A. Works Jr., Associate Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Deborah Cohen, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Kevin J. Fernlund, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of New Mexico  
Minsoo Kang, A ssistant Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Laura Westhoff, Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., Washington University
Robert Archibald, Adjunct Professor*
President, Missouri Historical Society
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Louise B. Robbert, Adjunct Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
John Hoover, Adjunct Professor*
Director of St. Louis Mercantile Library
M.A., UM-Columbia
Peter Acsay, Affiliate Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Michelle Rutledge, Adjunct Instructor
M.A., UM-St. Louis

*members of Graduate Faculty
 
General Information
 
Degrees and Areas of Concentration The department offers work in Asian, African, European, Latin American, Mexican, 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 European, Latin American, Mexican, East Asian, African, and United States history. 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:
History 1001, American Civilization
History 1002, American Civilization
History 1003, African-American History
History 1004, The History of Women in the United States
History 2007, The History of Missouri
History 3002, United States History: Revolution and the New Nation, 1763 to 1815
History 3041, Topics in American Constitutional History
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 take programs which combine breadth of coverage with intensity. Two of the following are required:
 
Courses 1001-1064
History 1001, American Civilization to 1865
History 1002, American Civilization 1865 to present
History 1003, African-American History
History 1004, The History of Women in the United States
 
Plus two of the following:
History 1030, The Ancient World
History 1031, Topics in European Civilization: The Emergence of Western Europe to 1715
History 1032, Topics in European Civilization: 1715 to the Present
Plus:
Non-Euro/American survey: One 3-hour course
 
Courses 2000-3004
One course in United States history
One course in European history
One course in Non-Euro-American history
History 4001, Special Readings (one credit hour)
History 4004, Senior Seminar
 
Three additional 2000 or 3000 level courses
 
Other
Majors must complete at least 39, but not more than 45, hours in history with no grade below C in major. Courses 4011 and 4012 do not count toward major. After fulfilling the general education and specific major degree requirements, students are to take the remaining 30 hours required to complete the B.A. or B.S. degrees from courses, which the appropriate department has evaluated as being of university-level quality, from one or more of the following are or their university-quality equivalents at other institutions: 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 3000 level History courses including History 4001 (1 credit hour) and History 4004) (5 credit hours) in residence.
 
Minor in History
Students may minor in history by taking 18 hours of history courses as follows:
1) One course numbered 1001-1064 in each of the following areas: United States history, European history, and Non-Euro-American history
2) One course numbered 2000-3304, except 4011 and 4012 in each of the following areas: United States history, European history, and Non-Euro-American history
 
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 with Teacher Certification
Students majoring in History can receive Social Studies Teacher Certification.
Social Studies Teacher certification students must complete the major and meet these minimum social science requirements: American history, 12 hours including History/Sec Ed 3257; European or world history, 9 hours including History/Sec/Ed 3258; United States and/or state government, 6 hours including Political Science/Sec Ed 3209; economics, 3 hours; geography, 3 hours; and 2 hours of elective social studies credit. For emphasis area advising, you must see a History/Social Studies advisor. You must also see an advisor in the College of Education for help with Education requirements.
For more information, refer to the College of Education section 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
 
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 5000-5304 for graduate readings courses numbered 6101-6115. 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 6 of which must be at the senior level (History 4001 and 4004) and 37 of which must be at the graduate level (courses numbered in the 5000-5304 range and in the 6101-6115 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 37 credit hours.
 
Students should apply to the Graduate Director of the Department of History for admission to the 2+3 combined degree program in History the semester they will complete 60 undergraduate credit hours. 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 30 credit hours in History with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After completion of the provisional period, and the recommendation of the Graduate Director, 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 applied to the graduate degree after they have earned 107 hours. 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
A. The following requirements must be completed prior to enrolling in the 2+3 Program:
 
Two of the following courses numbered 1001-1004:
History 1001, American Civilization
History 1002, American Civilization
History 1003, African American History
History 1004, The History of Women in the United States
Plus two of the following:
History 1030, The Ancient World
History 1031, Topics in European
Civilization: the Emergence of Western Europe to 1715
History 1032, Topics in European Civilization: 1715 to the Present
 
Plus
Non-Euro-American survey: One three hour course at the 1041-1064 level.
 
The following UNDERGRADUATE courses are
required for majors in the 2+3 program
History 4001, Special Readings (1)
History 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 at the 5000-5304 level
One course in United States History (3)
One course in European History (3)
One course in Non-Euro-American History (3)
Three additional courses (9 hours)

Courses 6101-6123 level (selected from the seven fields available). The prerequisite for each 6101-6123 level course for 2+3 program students is one or more 5000-5304 level courses in the field as part of the B.A. (or B.S. Ed.) Program.

1. Two 6101-6123 level courses (one of 3 credit hours, one of 5 credit hours) in the first field: total 8 hours
Prerequisite: two 5000-5304 level courses in the field (6 hours)

Two 6101-6123level courses (one of 3 credit hours), in the second field: total 8 hours
Prerequisite: one 5000-5304 level course in the field (3 hours)
3. One 6101-6123 level course of 3 credit hours in the third field: total of 3
Prerequisite: one 5000-5304 level course in the field 3 hours
To fulfill the 6101-6123 requirements, a student would enroll in 8-10 hours one semester and 9-11 hours the other
NOTE: With prior approval of the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, a student may write a M.A. thesis (6 credit hours). Students writing M.A. theses may substitute three-three-hour 5000-level courses for the two five-credit hour courses in 1 and 2.
 
Regular M.A. Degree Requirements  
The Department of History offers two regular 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 in separate sections.
 
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 department offers study in European history, United States history, East Asian history, Latin American history, African history, and African American history. Within these areas of study, students may specialize in the following fields:
 
Europe to 1715
Europe since 1715
Latin America
United States to 1865
United States since 1865
China and Japan since 1800
Africa and African American
 
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 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 sample may or may not be academic work, and length is not a consideration. Applicants for graduate teaching assistantships must take the GRE Aptitude Test; the Advanced Test is optional. The departmental Graduate Committee 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 3000 level (except History 4004). 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, 6100 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). Each field must include at least one 5100 level course.
 
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 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. That faculty member will choose the test for translation. Candidates shall demonstrate quantitative methods competence by satisfactory completion of either Psychological Statistics 2201 or Sociological Statistics 3220, 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 6100) 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.

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 Department of History, Department of Anthropology, and Department of Art and Art History, and the Missouri Historical Society. 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; 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 Curriculum--39 hours total
All candidates for the M. A. in History with a Concentration in Museum Studies must complete History 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 and Art History 5588 Museum Education and Visitor Research and Anthropology 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 History or Anthropology or Art and Art History 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 except History 4004. Museum Studies students will take courses distributed in any proportion between the fields of " United States to 1865" and " United States Since 1865." Exceptions to this requirement (e.g., selections of courses from another field, such as European or African history) must be approved in advance by both the director of the Museum Studies Program and the graduate coordinator of the History Department.
 
Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies (19 hours)
A very limited number of slots 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 History 6135, 6136, 6137, and 6138, Art and Art History 5588, and Anthropology 6139. Contact the director of the Museum Studies Program for availability of slots in this option and for 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.


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