At-a-Glance
Minimum hours required for the major: 40, at least 32 of which must be upper-level (300- or 400-level)
Minimum hours required for the minor: 24, at least 16 of which must be upper-level
Student Honor Society: Phi Alpha Theta
Awards: Thomas F. Campbell Scholarship; Leon Soulé Scholarship; Social Studies Scholarship; William I. Shorrock Scholarship; Jeanette E. Tuve Scholarship; Modern European History Prize; Distinguished Graduate Student; Distinguished Baccalaureate Award.
Admission to the Major:
After admission to the university, a student obtains a “Declaration of Major” packet from the History Department in RT 1319 that explains the advising procedures and asks the student for a writing sample and answers to a few questions. Once this information has been gathered, the student phones the History Department (687-3920) for an initial advising appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Director will evaluate transfer credits for the major and give the student a copy of the filled out check-sheet. Following this advising session, students will receive a letter with the name of their individual faculty advisor in the department.
Advising: Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. José Solá 216-523-7189; Individual faculty advisers; Internet Web page, http://www.csuohio.edu/history Students are urged to meet with their assigned faculty advisor at least once every semester.
For Information: Call the Chair or the History Department, 216-687-3920.
The Program
History is the essential foundation of knowledge. It provides the context for a liberal education, the tools to understand ourselves and our contemporary world, and the skills for an educated person to live a more fulfilled and gratifying life in a wide range of careers. Because of these various functions, we study history for many reasons:
- to better understand our society and the times in which we live
- to better understand ourselves
- to place our own society in historical perspective
- to balance present-mindedness with historical memory
- to acquire skills such as conducting research, communicating effectively through writing or oral communication, critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and problem-solving
- to understand the roles which individuals and groups have played in shaping their worlds
- for the enjoyment of examining societies very different or very similar to our own
This is possible because history at the university level is far more than a collection of facts, names, and dates. The emphasis is on accessing and analyzing information, the critical use of historical sources, learning to communicate the results, and the excitement which comes from exploring important ideas. To study history is to enter a time machine to explore the far reaches of the human experience — from classical times to the present; from the lives of great thinkers and kings to that of average people; from dramatic moments such as the Civil War to the routine. The past becomes the universe, all corners of which can be explored.
The department offers course work in European, U.S., African, Latin-American, Middle Eastern, and East Asian history and thematic foci on social and urban history and the history of the African Diaspora. The major program not only prepares students for teaching and for graduate study in history but many students have found history an appropriate preparatory foundation for careers in law, library science, international work, the foreign service, the ministry, business, government and archival and museum work.
History can be of inestimable value to non-majors. This can be done through the minor, the certificate programs, or by taking appropriate courses. Considering a career in International Relations or Business? Use history courses to deepen your understanding of foreign countries. Majoring in a foreign language? Take courses in history to broaden your appreciation of that culture.
A minimum total number of 128 credit hours are required for every student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. All degree seeking, CLASS students must complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) requirements which are comprised of University and College requirements. This is in addition to the credits for their major field of study. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements. Students are highly encouraged to consult with both their general education advisor and faculty advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses each semester. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University’s General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/summarytable.html.