History Course Listings

A major and a minor in history are available, as well as social studies teacher education for grades 5-12. See also the minors in political studies, pre-law studies, social policy, and Anabaptist-Mennonite studies.

Major in history

41-52 credit hours (core and one concentration area)

Core requirements (32 credit hours)

• Comm/Engl 204, Expository Writing 3
• Hist 212, Thinking About the Dead 3
• Hist 409, Internship (or student teaching for education majors) 2
• Hist 410, History Seminar: Historical Thinking 3
• Hist 411, History Seminar: Thesis 3
• U.S. and world history courses, at least 15 credit hours upper level (300 and above) 18

Social science concentration (9 credit hours)

One course selected from each of three fields below:

• Economics
• Political science
• Sociology
• Peace, justice and conflict studies

Humanities concentration (9 credit hours)

One course selected from each of three fields below:

• Literature
• Philosophy
• Bible or religion
• Art, Music or Theater history

Social research concentration (9 credit hours)

Three courses selected from the list below:

• PoSc 210, Introduction to Public Policy
• Soc 200, Principles of Sociology
• Soc 230, Ethnography and Culture
• Soc 380, Statistics in Research
• Soc 391, Methods of Social Research
• Soc 392, Junior Seminar in Social Research

Planning and advising notes

Internship and senior seminar work should utilize various research skills. The student’s faculty advisor will encourage taking additional elective courses in economics, sociology and political science. This concentration is designed to provide the student with library, statistical and field-research skills useful in business, public administration, law and other practical pursuits. A variety of history courses provides a broad perspective rather than merely a technical orientation.

Public history concentration (9 credit hours)

Three courses selected from the list below:

• Hist 351, Representations in Public History
• Hist 353, Public History
• Art 255, Photography
• Art 108, Digital Design
• Bus 121, Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• Bus 315, Human Capital Management

Planning and advising notes

Internship and senior seminar work should be tailored around public history skills and experience. The student’s faculty advisor will encourage taking additional elective courses to round out the skill set. This concentration is designed to provide the student with a background for working in museums, libraries, archives, heritage sites, historic preservation, and graduate school programs in public history.

Social studies education concentration (22 credit hours)

The following are distinct courses needed for teacher licensure.  These credits will also count towards the History elective courses in the major.

• Biol 207, Roots of Environmental Crisis OR Phys 215, Climate Change
• Econ 200, Principles of Economics
• Hist 101, Ancient Roots of Cultures
• Hist 211, Revolution
• Hist 315, War, Peace 20th Century Europe
• Hist 323, Colonial and Revolutionary History
• Hist 326, Recent American History
• Hist 327, Immigration and Ethnic History
• Hist 400, Indiana History
• PoSc 200, Introduction to Political Science
• PoSc 210, Introduction to Public Policy
• PoSc 305, U.S. Constitutional Law
• Soc 200, Principles of Sociology

Planning and advising notes for social studies teacher education

Upon completing this course plan and passing the state licensure exams, students may be licensed in Social Studies: Historical Perspectives (5-12) and Social Studies: Government and Citizenship (5-12). In addition, 36 credits of education courses are required, including a fall semester of student teaching. The first education class, Educ 201, should be taken in May term of the first year or fall of the sophomore year. See the education major pages and website for more details about requirements.

Student learning outcomes

Graduates in history will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of basic historical patterns, principles and theories.
2. Skillfully communicate historical arguments in both written and oral form.
3. Identify and interpret both primary and secondary sources effectively as evidence.
4. Analyze, construct and support historical arguments from a variety of perspectives.
5. Interpret the moral responsibilities of the historian’s work for his/her own future.

Planning guide

First year	Goshen Core 100 or 200-level history courses
Second year	Goshen Core Thinking about the Dead Additional history courses Courses in concentration SST (fall or spring)
Third year	Goshen Core History Seminar: Historical Thinking Upper-level history Balance of concentration
Fourth year	Balance of Goshen Core Balance of major History Seminar: Thesis Internship

Minor in history

18 credit hours

• Hist 101, 102, or 105 3
• Additional history courses, at least 9 credit hours upper level (300 and above) 15