History

The faculty of the history department assumes that insights into the sources and effects of change in the past can be a rough guide to the present and the future. Change is inevitable and can be frightening. Seeing how people in the past coped with change helps us face it in our own situations. We also believe that students, in order to function effectively as citizens in the modern world, should better know their own culture and have some background in the history of others. The history program focuses on these two assumptions as it explores such topics as the American and French revolutions, the slave trade, peasant revolts in Central America, and the rise of Hitler.

Successful passage through a major in history means that a student has developed better skills in reading critically, writing and speaking clearly and precisely, and in research. All these elements will be valuable in whatever field students might find themselves after graduation. Wesleyan history graduates have entered a variety of activities: graduate school in history, geography, and other fields; law school; journalism; teaching; government service and politics; careers in historic preservation, museum management, education, and archival work; banking and other business careers.

The members of the department have training in the histories of African, Latin America, as well as the united States and Europe, and all have published work that relates to their teaching fields.

Requirements for a major in History (B.A. degree):

A minimum of 33 semester hours in history courses including 101, 102, 391, and 427. In addition there must be at least two courses in three of the following areas: African history, American history, European history, English history, Latin American history, social history.

Recommended electives: courses in economics, political science, sociology, philosophy, literature, and church history.

Students pursuing Secondary Education licensure must consult with the appropriate 120 member of the Education faculty in order to ensure that courses are selected which satisfy licensure requirements.

In addition to taking the courses for the major in history, students seeking teacher licensure in history must take Geography 101, Economics 211, and Political Science 211. Students desiring licensure in social studies in addition to history must also take Sociology 111 and one other course chosen from Sociology 355, 400, or 410.

Requirements for a minor in History:

HIS 102, 111 or 112, 225 or 316 or 405, and any three upper-level history courses. (18 semester hours)

Faculty:

Kenneth V. Finney (Emeritus)

Allen S. Johnson (Emeritus)

Jonathan D. Sarris

Richard L. Watson, III (Emeritus)

Festus Cole

For More Information:

For more information about the program in History at North Carolina Wesleyan, please contact a faculty member. For general information about admission to the College, please contact the Admissions Office.