Major or Minor in History

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 United States 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 historical preservation, archival work, and museum administration. The study of history has also seen as an appropriate preparation for graduate study in law and information management/ library studies.

Major in History
Minor in History
Major Program Outcomes

Major in History (39 semester hours in History)

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.  Lastly, senior history majors must pass a departmental comprehensive examination in history (one section focusing on United States history, the other pertaining to World history) as part of enrollment in the senior capstone HI 499 Senior Thesis.

The following history courses (39 hours) must be completed for the major:

Core Courses (12 hours)

•   HI 111 and HI 112

•  HI 121 and HI 122

•  HI 499 Senior Thesis

United States History (12 hours)

•  Any four (4) upper-division (i.e., 310 level or above) United States history courses.

World History (12 hours)

•  Any four (4) upper-division (i.e., 310 level or above) World history courses.

Capstone Course in History (3 hours)

•   HI 499 Senior Thesis

Courses outside the history department (9 hours)

In addition, the following coursework from other disciplines must be completed for the major in History:

•  Foreign Language:  Completion of a minimum of two semesters (6-10 credit hours) of college-level foreign language.

• CS 110 Understanding Computers (Currently the means to fulfill the university computer literacy requirement).

History Outcomes:  In addition to the above listed course requirements, history majors must meet all of the following outcomes.  History majors are expected to meet only outcomes 1) Knowledge and 2) Theory listed below, which are assessed in a course-by-course basis.

1. Knowledge:  Identify and characterize the major periods in United States 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.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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. *All history courses provide instruction and practice relevant to this 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 499 Senior Thesis, but preliminary instruction and practice are components of every upper-level history course.

History Outcomes:  Assessment of the Major

The outcomes of the history major are formally assessed in two ways:  1) using the departmental comprehensive examination in history, which includes one section focusing on United States history and another pertaining to World history, and 2) the senior thesis produced in HI 499 Senior Thesis.  Each comprehensive examination (i.e. United States or World history) generally consists of two major sections:  one section of multiple-choice items to test each student's knowledge of historical "facts" and one section consisting of a series of essays, which challenge each history major 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 outcomes 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.

Minor in History (18 semester hours)

Candidates for a minor in History must complete eighteen hours, of which twelve must be upper-division (i.e., 310-level or above) courses.  All history minors must take at least one upper-division (i.e., 310-level or above) United State history and at least one upper-division (i.e., 310-level or above) World history course.  All history minors must receive a grade of "C" or above in all history courses.

Social Studies Education

A program in Social Studies Education, 9-12 certification, approved by the State of Missouri, is offered.  Kansas certification requirements may be completed concurrently.  A Middle School major with a concentration in Social Science is also available.  See the Education section of the catalog.