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2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
History, B.A.
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Avila’s history program emphasizes the acquisition of a breadth of historical knowledge and the research skills of historical scholarship that encompass the fields of American and World history. The history curriculum incorporates multiple perspectives and methodological approaches to human history, thus capturing the experiences of the rich and poor, the powerful and oppressed.
A major in history prepares students for a variety of opportunities. Traditional professions for historians have been teaching in secondary schools, but other possibilities exist in public history (i.e., historical preservation, archival work, and museum administration.) The study of history has also been seen as an appropriate preparation for graduate study in law and information management/library studies.
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Core Requirements
All students must complete the Avila University Core Curriculum as a part of their degree programs. The Core consists of a minimum of 39 credit hours that meet the requirements listed below. Please go to Core Curriculum for more information and to view all Core classes.
Skills Level (7 credit hours)
Develops fundamental skills key for both academic and professional success.
- Composition (3)
- Communication (3)
- First Year Seminar (1) - waived for transfer students
Liberal Arts Level (25 credit hours)
Provides diverse disciplinary lenses through which to examine the world. Concepts learned and viewpoints experiences at this level promote critical thinking and ethical decision-making with reference to real-life situations across the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and arts.
- Arts (3)
- History (3)
- Literature/Rhetoric (3)
- Mathematics (3)
- Natural Science (4) - must include a lab
- Philosophy (3)
- Religious Studies (3)
- Social Sciences (3)
Core Component Designations (6-12 credit hours)
Focuses on seeing beyond the self, immediate community, or chosen discipline. Designations include Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies, and Community Engagement, all of which call for application of learning across boundaries.
- Interdisciplinary Studies (6)
- Global Studies or Community Engagement (6)
Major Related Requirements
In addition to history coursework, the following coursework outside the discipline must be completed for the major in History.
Major Requirements (36 credit hours)
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in History must complete all the core degree requirements as stated in the University catalog. All history majors must receive a grade of “C” or above in all history courses.
The following history courses must be completed for the history major:
Introductory History Courses: 12 credit hours (minimum)
Any four (4) lower-division (100 or 200 level) history courses, but at least one lower-division course must be American history and at least one lower-division course must be world history.
Intermediate History Courses: 15 credit hours (minimum)
Any five (5) upper-division (i.e., 300-level or above–excluding HI 399 , HI 451 , and HI 499 ) history courses, but at least two upper-division courses must be American history and at least two upper-division courses must be world history.
Advanced Courses in History: 9 credit hours
These courses must be completed at Avila University.
Comprehensive Examination
History majors will create an electronic portfolio in HI 451 which serves as the comprehensive examination in the history major.
Technology Requirement
The university computer literacy requirement will be met by the following course:
Social Studies Education
Programs in social studies education, approved by the State of Missouri, are offered.
Available Programs
Outcomes
In addition to the above listed course requirements, history majors must meet all of the outcomes below. History minors are expected to meet only outcomes 1) Knowledge and 2) Theory listed below, which are assessed in a course-by-course basis.
Outcome 1.
Knowledge: Identify and characterize the major questions of American and world history in terms of continuity and change using relevant political, economic, social, religious, and cultural institutions, traditions, and beliefs. *All history courses provide instruction and practice relevant to this outcome.
Outcome 2.
Theory: Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of race, gender, class, ethnicity, or religion on the experiences of ordinary and extraordinary people of the past using current historical theory and methodology. *Formal instruction and practice occurs in HI 399 - Seminar in American History (3) and HI 451 - Seminar in World History (3) , but preliminary instruction and practice are components of every upper-division history course.
Outcome 3.
Praxis: Using the “knowledge” and “theory” of the outcomes above, examine and analyze primary documents, pose a historical question (i.e., offer an interpretation or thesis) that the weight of evidence seems to answer, then provide context for one’s historical question and evidence using the available secondary literature synthesized in a well-written work of historical scholarship. *Formal instruction and practice occurs in HI 399 - Seminar in American History (3) , HI 451 - Seminar in World History (3) , and HI 499 - Senior Thesis (3) , but preliminary instruction and practice are components of every upper-division history course.
Assessment
The outcomes of the history major are formally assessed in two ways: 1) using an electronic portfolio produced in HI 451 - Seminar in World History (3) , which serves as the departmental comprehensive examination in the history major, and 2) the senior thesis produced in HI 499 - Senior Thesis (3) . The comprehensive examination generally consists of a reflective essay in which students are challenged to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the outcomes 1) Knowledge and 2) Theory. The senior thesis is the primary means to assess each history major’s ability to produce a well-written work of historical scholarship as described in outcome 3) Praxis. The criterion for each outcome is: 100% of history majors will demonstrate knowledge and application of the outcome with at least 75% accuracy.
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