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., University of Indiana-Bloomington
J. Frederick Fausz, Associate Professor*
Ph.D., William and Mary
Kevin J. Fernlund, Associate Professor*
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
John A. Works Jr., Associate Professor Emeritus*
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Deborah Cohen, Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Minsoo Kang, Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Laura Westhoff, Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., Washington University
Peter Acsay, Affiliate Assistant Professor*
Ph.D., Saint Louis 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.,
University of Missouri
-Columbia
Michelle Rutledge, Adjunct Instructor
M.A.,
University of Missouri
-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 6101-6123 level 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 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 AH 5588 Museum Education and Visitor Research and Anth
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 Anth or AH 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 Hist 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 Hist 6135,
6136, 6137, and 6138, AH 5588, and Anth 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.