HISTORY

Professors: Richard V. Buel, Jr., Richard Elphick, C. Stewart Gillmor, Nathanael Greene, Oliver W. Holmes, Bruce Masters, David Morgan, Philip Pomper, Ronald Schatz, Vera Schwarcz, Ann-Louise Shapiro, Richard T. Vann (College of Letters)(Chair), Ann Wightman

Associate Professors: Patricia Hill, William Johnston,

Laurie Nussdorfer (College of Letters),

Assistant Professors: Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie, Cecilia Miller, William Pinch, Claire Potter, D. Gary Shaw

Visiting Assistant Professors: Benedict Carton, Joyce Hanson, Thomas E. Jenkins, Sandhya Shukla

Adjunct Lecturer: Allen J. Green (Dean of the College)

The History Department offers three categories of courses. Introductory courses, numbered 100-199, provide an introduction to aspects of historical thought and inquiry. Most are discussion classes with extensive writing assignments. Survey courses, numbered 201-260, treat the history of an area over a broad sweep of time or the history of a broad theme. Most surveys are taught at least partially through lectures, and first-year students are usually admitted. Seminar courses, numbered 261-399, are discussion classes concerned with detailed or advanced topics that may require the writing of a long paper. Seminars are of two kinds. Most seminars (261-360) are devoted to the intensive investigation of a historical subject. Critical Approaches seminars (362-399) explore the diverse methods of historians, the history of historical thought, and the philosophical aspects of historical understanding.

The Major Program. In consultation with a faculty adviser, each history major selects a concentration and designs an individual program of study reflecting his or her interests. Students may concentrate in one of the following fields: (l) American History; (2) Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance European History; (3) Modern European History; (4) East Asian History; and 5) European Imperialism and the Third World (which includes Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia). Qualified students may arrange special concentration programs after consulting a faculty adviser and the department chair.

Minimum requirements for the major are as follows:

* 10 semester-courses numbered 201 or higher. At the discretion of the student's adviser suitable courses in other departments may be counted toward this 10-course requirement, but no fewer than seven must be history courses.

* five courses within the field of concentration. N.B.: Concentrators in European Imperialism and the Third World must take six courses within the field of concentration, and one of these must be either History 221 or History 222.

* two history courses outside the field of concentration.

* History 362, Issues in Contemporary Historiography, which is ordinarily taken during fall semester of the junior year.

* two history seminars in addition to History 362. It is wise to take one of these before the end of junior year.

* one history course chiefly concerned with a preindustrial era. A list of courses that count toward this requirement is available from the department office.

* a substantial research project completed under faculty supervision. This may take the form of an honors thesis or a senior essay done through an individual tutorial or (by special arrangement with the instructor) in conjunction with a seminar course. Fuller information on what is expected may be obtained from any history major adviser or from the department office.

Related and supplementary courses in other disciplines will enlarge and enrich the student's historical understanding. During the first two years of college students should consider the preparation needed for advanced work: not only the first courses in history and related subjects, but also foreign languages (discussed below), training in theoretical approaches to social and political issues, and perhaps such technical skills of social science as statistics or economic analysis. First- and second-year students are encouraged to discuss their programs with any of the department's major advisers. Students interested in a particular period or area will find historically oriented courses offered in other departments and programs.

Prospective majors may obtain application forms at the department office in 113 PAC. Any history faculty member may serve as an adviser, by agreement with the student, or a new major may choose the adviser designated for his or her field of concentration. The names of the designated advisers can be obtained from the department office. For admission to the history major, a student must satisfy a departmental adviser of her or his ability to maintain at least a B- average in the major program.

Foreign languages. Knowledge of foreign languages is essential to most kinds of historical inquiry and is indispensable to anyone planning graduate study in history. The department strongly advises all history majors to learn at least one foreign language. Students concentrating in European history normally should acquire a reading knowledge of a European language (modern or ancient) by the end of the junior year. Wesleyan sponsors semester-long study programs with language training in several European countries, in Israel, and in Japan and China. There are programs under different auspices for other countries and other continents.

Transfer Credit. To be assured of Wesleyan credit and major credit for work done at a non-Wesleyan-sponsored program, whether overseas or in this country, a student must petition for a transfer of credit before going away to take the course(s). Detailed information is available at the History Department office.