History Major and Learning Outcomes

History Major Mission Statement

The history major at DeSales University offers a liberal arts course of study that prepares students for employment and/or graduate study in fields that require analysis, research, and communication. The history curriculum prepares students to recognize and contend with complexity in persons, cultures, institutions, and developments across the world over time by building historical knowledge and applying historical methods. Students develop empathy toward people through critical assessment of their distinct historical contexts.

History Major Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate from DeSales University with a major in history will be able to:

1. Contextualize events and lives of a particular era in relationship to larger historical developments;

2. Evaluate and analyze primary and secondary sources as the basis of historical inquiry and dialogue;

3. Create and communicate persuasive historical arguments and narratives; and

4. Conduct historical research to identify and use sources to interpret the past.

History majors learn about the ways in which human beings have sought to understand and determine their relationships with each other, nature, and divinity. Students of history study these dynamics over many centuries across the globe. History majors take courses in three main fields: United States, European, and world. Students work intensively on problem solving and persuasive written and oral communication, skills that are absolutely necessary for a broad range of careers in such fields as education, law, public policy, and business. Secondary school teaching certification is available through the Department of Education.