Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Academic Catalog | Expires Aug. 2025 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Academic Catalog | Expires Aug. 2025 THIS CATALOG IS ARCHIVED. BE SURE YOU ARE ACCESSING THE MOST ACCURATE CATALOG FOR YOU.

History Major (B.A.)


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Basic Objectives The History Major and Minor at Saginaw Valley State University are designed to provide students with a firm grounding in history as an academic discipline. Such a grounding includes substantial and diverse content knowledge in American, European and World History, analytical and interpretive skills, the writing and evaluation of historical argumentation. 

Program Description

Foundation courses: 9 cr
Elective courses: 30 cr
Capstone: 3 cr
Total credits: 42

A minor is required.

All history courses teach students to formulate historical questions and to construct narratives and interpretations. Issues of diversity, including race, ethnicity, class, and gender are not only addressed in individual classes on both the survey and upper division level, but also by the structure of the program which requires that students take courses across three regional/global content categories.

Foundations in History (9 cr)


The required survey courses in American and World History introduce students to the major narratives, events and individuals that have shaped the past.

Electives in History (30 cr)


In addition to the above Foundation courses, majors are required to take at least 30 credits of electives with at least 18 credits distributed among the three categories designated below. Students must take a minimum of two courses in each category. At least 18 elective credits must be at the 300-level. 100-level credits cannot be included as electives in History. These electives are designed to provide additional content knowledge, chronological understanding and historical practice. To insure diversity in subject matter, the department requires elective courses in world regional histories in addition to courses in United States history.

Elective Categories: United States, Europe, World

Required Capstone Course (3 cr)


This course is an advanced course in historiography in which students learn to evaluate and critique the working assumptions of historians. Focusing on innovative research techniques, problems and opportunities in the historical record itself, and the impact of social change on the writing of history, students develop a sophisticated understanding of history as a discipline. The course culminates with student projects based upon original research.

Honors in History:


Completion of the History Major with a GPA in History of 3.50, and an SVSU cumulative GPA of 3.20.
Completion of HIST 497 Senior Thesis (3 cr)

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