History

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Department Head: Norman L. Jones
Location: Main 323
Phone: (435) 797-1290
FAX: (435) 797-3899
E-mail: monica.ingold@usu.edu
WWW: http://www.usu.edu/history

Associate Department Head: Daniel J. McInerney, Main 323H, (435) 797-1283, daniel.mcinerney@usu.edu

Associate Department Head for Regional Campuses and Distance Education: Robert Mueller, Uintah Basin Campus, (435) 722-1732; robert.mueller@usu.edu

Graduate Program Coordinator: Christopher A. Conte, Main 323G, (435) 797-1303, chris.conte@usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Arts (MA) in History; participates in Master of Social Sciences (MSS)

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

The Department of History offers a flexible program to accomplish the following objectives:

1. To train undergraduates to research, analyze, synthesize, and communicate reasonable conclusions about the past by using the historical method.
2. To teach cultural literacy and provide the knowledge necessary for informed decision-making by citizens of Utah, the United States, and the world. 
3. To provide students with crucial work skills in research, analysis, communication, and collaboration, while enriching their lives.
4. To contribute to the liberal arts curriculum of the University through general education, general interest courses, the history major, the history teaching emphasis, minors in history and classics, and the interdisciplinary programs of folklore, religious studies, American studies, and British and commonwealth studies. 

History is a reading- and writing-intensive program.

Admission to the History Department

Admission to the History Department is competitive and limited.

Students who have completed the requirements in the pre-major for history must apply for admission to upper-division standing. Admission is based on: (1) the student’s current GPA, and (2) completion of the pre-major requirements for history. The History Department may require that students submit additional materials to the History admissions committee.

1. Students may apply for major status upon completion of a minimum of 30 credits, including the pre-major requirements, while maintaining a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Majors must maintain a minimum 2.75 overall GPA in order to remain in good standing in the History Department. Students whose GPA drops below 2.75 will be placed on probation and may be dropped from the major if their grades do not improve.
2. New freshmen admitted to USU in good standing qualify for admission to the History Department as pre-majors.
3. Students transferring from other institutions may be accepted into the major, following completion of the pre-major requirements.

Requirements

Transfer Students

The History Department accepts all history courses taught by institutions within the Utah System of Higher Education. Students who are transferring may wish to consult the online Advisor Handbook for articulation information for the institution from which they are transferring. This information can be found at: http://www.usu.edu/advising/for_advisors/handbook/

AP Credit

The History Department does not accept AP credit for use toward its degrees. However, if a student has passed an AP exam with a score of 3 or better, the equivalent lower-division course will be waived, and the student can complete the equivalent number of credits in an upper-division course. This waiver does not apply to students enrolled in the History Teaching Emphasis.

Departmental Requirements

New freshmen accepted in good standing by the University may apply for admission to the History Department. Students transferring from another institution or another major will be admitted if they have a minimum 2.5 GPA in history courses and an overall minimum GPA of 2.5. A minimum 2.75 GPA is required for entry into the teacher education program.

Since history can be classified in both the humanities and the social sciences, majors may receive either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. However, because history primarily involves the study of written documents, the department encourages students to choose the BA, which requires proficiency in a foreign language.

Candidates for a degree must earn a grade of C+ or better in all history courses used to meet the requirements for a history major or minor, a history teaching emphasis or teaching minor, or a classics minor.

Sample Four-year Plans

Sample semester-by-semester four-year plans for students working toward a bachelor’s degree within the History Department can be found at: http://www.usu.edu/degreeplans/

Students should consult with their advisors to develop a plan of study tailored to their individual needs and interests.

Academic Opportunities

Departmental Honors in History

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school. Students in the department with a minimum GPA of 3.5 may apply to pursue an honors degree in history. Students may enter the Honors Program at almost any stage in their academic career, including at the junior (and sometimes senior) level. Those interested should consult the department honors coordinator. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Phi Alpha Theta

History students with a minimum GPA of 3.1 in history classes and an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 are eligible for membership in the national history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta. Those interested should consult the faculty advisor for Phi Alpha Theta.

Undergraduate Teaching Fellows

The UTF program is designed to provide students, particularly potential teachers, with the opportunity to assist professors and, thereby, learn first-hand about the nature of the profession. UTFs must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be sponsored by a professor. Application forms are available in the History Department office and on the History Department website: http://www.usu.edu/history

Additional Information

For updated information concerning programs and courses offered by the Department of History, visit the departmental web page at: http://www.usu.edu/history

Major requirement sheets, which provide detailed information about requirements for the History major, can be obtained from the department, or can be accessed online at: http://www.usu.edu/majorsheets/

Financial Support

Scholarships, grants-in-aid, and work-study programs are available through the University. The History Department offers scholarships to outstanding students. In addition, undergraduates may be employed as research assistants and clerical assistants within the department. For current information on scholarships and employment opportunities, consult the department head.

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

Graduate applicants may be admitted to the program for either the master of arts or master of science in history if they meet the following qualifications: (1) hold a baccalaureate degree; (2) have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA over the last 60 credits of undergraduate work, with a 3.5 GPA in history courses recommended; (3) submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores, with a required minimum score at the 40th percentile on the verbal section, and a recommended minimum score at the 40th percentile on both the quantitative and written portions of the exam; (4) submit three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with the applicant’s academic performance and potential; and (5) submit a brief statement of proposed fields of interest and career goals.

The Department of History also strongly recommends that applicants have either an undergraduate major or minor in history or a closely related field. Familiarity with one or more foreign languages is highly desirable and is required for the master of arts degree and for master’s level research in many fields of history. Applications will be strengthened by the submission of an example of the student’s historical writing, such as a paper (about 15 pages in length) written for a seminar or upper-division course.

The final recommendation for admission will be made upon consideration of all the above factors by the department to the School of Graduate Studies.

Financial Assistance

The primary financial assistance offered by the Department of History is through graduate assistantships. Each year, the History Department offers to qualified students, on a competitive basis, a total of seven graduate assistantships. These assistantships entail approximately 20 hours of work per week, assisting faculty members with departmental introductory survey courses. The award carries a stipend and an out-of-state tuition waiver. To keep their assistantships, graduate assistants must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (or a B average) and be a full-time student, as noted in the School of Graduate Studies  section. While enrolled in the MA or MS program, graduate assistants may hold graduate assistantships for a maximum of two years. Applications for graduate assistantships should be postmarked no later than February 1, for the upcoming academic year.

Graduate students may be eligible for Carr Scholarships to supplement their graduate assistantships. Competitive grants to support travel and research are also available to history graduate students.

In addition, financial assistance is available through the Western Historical Quarterly, a journal published at USU. The editors of the journal offer, during alternate years, the S. George Ellsworth Editorial Fellowship and the Robert M. Utley Editorial Fellowship. These fellowships are awarded to highly qualified students working as editorial assistants in that office. These fellowships are nationally competitive and allow graduate students to learn all aspects of journal production. They carry a stipend (with additional funding possible during the summer) and a waiver of the out-of-state portion of the tuition. Materials should be postmarked no later than February 1, for the upcoming academic year. Applicants will be notified in early April.

Funding for the S. George Ellsworth Fellowship is provided by the Western Historical Quarterly; the School of Graduate Studies; and the college containing the humanities and social sciences. The S. George Ellsworth Fellowship is being offered for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Funding for the Robert M. Utley Fellowship is provided by the Western Historical Quarterly and the School of Graduate Studies. The Robert M. Utley Fellowship is being offered for the 2010-2011 academic year. For further information about Western Historical Quarterly fellowships, write to: Western Historical Quarterly, Utah State University, 0740 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-0740; or send e-mail to: carolyn.doyle@usu.edu.

The application deadline for both fellowships is February 1, for the upcoming academic year.

Additional Funding

In addition to graduate assistantships and the Western Historical Quarterly editorial assistantships, the School of Graduate Studies awards a limited number of scholarships. To be eligible for these awards, all students should complete the application for admission and send it, along with GRE scores and letters of recommendation, to the School of Graduate Studies by February 1. A financial aid application form (which may be obtained from the History Department) should be returned to the History Department by February 1.

Students interested in establishing eligibility for federal loans and work-study will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit it to: Financial Aid Office, Utah State University, 1800 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-1800. Questions about eligibility should be directed to the Financial Aid Office, tel. (435) 797-0173.

Career Opportunities

Some graduates of USU’s master’s program continue their formal education in PhD programs or law schools. Others find employment in the two-year college or secondary school systems, as teachers or administrators. Still others work for historical societies, museums, publishing firms, and a variety of enterprises in the private sector.

Additional Information

Current announcements and other information are posted to the History Department website: http://www.usu.edu/history

History Faculty

Professors
Philip L. Barlow, Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, religious studies, American religion, Mormon history
C. Robert Cole, England, modern European history
Mark L. Damen, ancient world, theatre history, Latin, Greek
Norman L. Jones, medieval, early modern Europe, Britain, Christianity
David R. Lewis, American Indian, environmental, Utah, editor of Western Historical Quarterly
Daniel J. McInerney, American intellectual history, Nineteenth Century, reform
Charles S. Prebish, Charles Redd Endowed Chair in Religious Studies, Buddhist studies and religion
Leonard N. Rosenband, France, European economic and labor history
Stephen C. Siporin, folklore, oral narrative folklore, folk art
Frances B. Titchener, ancient Greece and Rome, Latin, Greek, editor of Ploutarchos

Associate Professors
Christopher A. Conte, Africa, world, and environmental history
R. Edward Glatfelter, Russia and East Asia
Robert Mueller, medieval Europe, renaissance and reformation Europe, Tudor England, American popular culture; Uintah Basin Regional Campus
Colleen O’Neill, West, Native American, labor, associate editor of Western Historical Quarterly
Jennifer Ritterhouse, U.S. history, African-American history, U.S. South, women’s history
James Sanders, Latin America, Atlantic world
Susan O. Shapiro, Greek intellectual history, ancient Greek and Latin language
Timothy S. Wolters, science and technology, American history

Assistant Professors
M. Lawrence Culver, U.S. Southwest Borderlands; U.S. West, cultural, environmental, and urban history
Victoria M. Grieve, modern American cultural and intellectual history, art and culture of the West
Eric Kimball, early American history, slavery and abolition, Atlantic history
Steven Heath Mitton, nineteenth-century American history, Atlantic world, slavery, foreign relations; Brigham City Regional Campus
Bruce Nye, modern Europe, French Revolution and Napoleon, nineteenth-century France, merchants and trade; Tooele Regional Campus

Adjunct Professors
Doran J. Baker, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, history of science
Richard W. Clement, Dean of Libraries; history of the book
Barry M. Franklin, Secondary Education Program, history of education
Christopher B. R. Pelling, Regius Professor of Greek, Oxford University: Classics

Senior Lecturers
John Barton, U.S. history, Utah history; Uintah Basin Regional Campus
Denise O. Conover, American diplomatic history, U.S. military, American civilization

Adjunct Assistant Professors
Daniel M. Davis, photograph curator, U.S. West
H. Bert Jenson, associate librarian
Stephen C. Sturgeon, manuscript curator, Twentieth Century U.S. West, political, environmental history

Adjunct Instructor
Robert E. Parson, University Archivist, Special Collections and Archives

Trustee Professor Emeritus
Anne M. Butler, U.S. West, U.S. Women

Professors Emeritus
Jay Anderson, folklore, folklife, film studies
William F. Lye, Africa, India, Canada
Michael L. Nicholls, early American history
F. Ross Peterson, U.S. modern political history, Black history

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