Mar 28, 2024  
2010-2011 General Catalog 
    
2010-2011 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

History, BS


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Bachelor of Science Mathematics and Science Track

For those interested in a BS degree, a significant amount of coursework in the College of Science is required. These courses must contribute significantly to an understanding of science and the scientific method. Therefore, students must complete 8 credits in one of the following course pairs: BIOL 1610 /BIOL 1620 , CHEM 1210 /CHEM 1220 , PHYS 2110 /PHYS 2120 , or PHYS 2210 /PHYS 2220 . Students cannot receive a BS in history unless they successfully complete one of these course pairs with grades of C- or better. Students must also complete at least 6 additional credits in math or science, 3 of which are required to be in either statistics (e.g. STAT 2000 , STAT 2300 , or STAT 3000 ) or social science statistics (e.g., PSY 2800 , POLS 3000 , or SOC 3120 ). The other 3 science credits may be chosen from any 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level math or science course having one of the following prefixes: BIOL, CHEM, CS, GEO, MATH, STAT, or PHYS. For these 3 science credits only, students may petition the department head of the History Department to substitute a course from outside the College of Science, if it has a demonstrable scientific or technical focus (e.g., ETE 3200 , PEP 4200 , WATS 3000 ). In all instances, a grade of C- or better is required for any math or science course to be applied toward a BS degree.

Students who minor in a science field will fulfill the BS requirement through their minor.

History Major


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.5, major; 2.5, Career
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major courses; 2.0, USU
Minimum Grade Accepted: C+ in major courses
Number of Required Credits: 36

History Major Lower-Division Requirements


Before entering the major, students must complete a minimum of one course from Section A and one course from Section B (shown below), and receive a grade of C+ or better in both courses, in order to qualify for admission to the major.

Pre-Major in History


Students desiring to become history majors must apply for admission to the major after completing at least 30 credits with an overall GPA of 2.5. They must have competed ENGL 2010 , Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode; STAT 1040 , Introduction to Statistics, or some other QL General Education course; and passed the Computer and Information Literacy (CIL) exams.

B. Modern History (3 credits)


Complete one of the following two courses:

C. American History (6 credits)


All History majors must complete both of the following courses with a grade of C+ or better.

Note:

HIST 1700  cannot be applied toward requirements for the history major or minor.

No student, including transfer students, may count more than 12 credits of lower-division coursework in History toward the history major.

Every senior must take HIST 4990  (Special Topics in History), the capstone course for the major. Students should complete their remaining 21-24 credits by taking 3000- and 4000-level history courses. Since new courses may be approved from time to time, any upper-division course having a HIST prefix is acceptable.

No more than 3 credits of HIST 4930  (Directed Readings) may be applied toward the major.

Since the study of history requires an understanding of many fields of human endeavor, students majoring in history must select a minor. Historians are encouraged to take electives in fields that will broaden their knowledge of the world and are closely allied to history, such as religious studies, literature, economics, geography, anthropology, political science, sociology, classics, philosophy, or foreign language.

Students wishing to undertake graduate work should pursue the BA degree. During their senior year, they should take the graduate record exam (GRE).

History Teaching Emphasis


Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, major; 2.75, Career
Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major courses; 2.75, Career
Minimum Grade Accepted: C+ in major courses
Number of Required Credits: 45, plus 35-credit Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP)

Other Requirements: Requires teaching minor in area where teacher licensure can be granted; requires 35-credit STEP; a minimum of two courses must be completed from each of the following areas: U.S. history, European history, and world history; no more than 3 credits of HIST 4930  can be applied toward the major.

Students desiring to become history teaching majors must apply for admission to the major after completing at least 30 credits with an overall GPA of 2.5. They must have competed ENGL 2010 , Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode; STAT 1040  Introduction to Statistics, or some other QL General Education course; and passed the Computer and Information Literacy (CIL) exams.

Thirty-nine credits, earned in history courses, are required. A grade of C+ or better must be earned for all history courses used for the emphasis.

Note:

No student, including transfer students, may count more than 21 credits of lower-division coursework toward the history teaching emphasis.

Every student in the history teaching emphasis must take one of the following three courses as a senior capstone course:


Note:

Students should complete their remaining 21 credits by taking 3000- and 4000-level history courses. A minimum of two courses must be taken from each of the following areas: U.S. history, European history, and world history. Since new courses may be approved from time to time, any upper-division course having a HIST prefix is acceptable. To become licensed to teach history, students must be admitted to the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP). A 2.75 GPA is required for admission, as well as a writing test, a speech and hearing test, and a criminal background check. Application should be made as soon as practical after the history teaching emphasis has begun. Applications for admission are available in the History Department Office. The STEP requires 35 credits of coursework, in addition to the 39 credits of history courses. For additional information about the STEP, contact Shelly Wiegand, secondary education undergraduate advisor, (435) 797-0383.

All teaching majors must also have a teaching minor in an area for which teaching licensure can be granted, unless they choose the Social Studies Composite Option.

Note:

Students who complete GEOG 4220 , International Regional Geography, in addition to the other Geography courses listed above, qualify to receive a Geography Teaching Minor (optional).

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