Department website: https://academics.potomacstatecollege.edu/majors/two-year-programs/history
Degree Offered
- Associate of Arts
Nature of the Program
Why Study History? To Major in Versatility.
History is more than names and dates. It’s about learning how we have been shaped by the past and how to apply historical knowledge and analysis to issues facing contemporary societies.
A history degree prepares you for a modern economy with analytical skills and a deeper understanding of how the world works.
History majors learn to take nothing for granted, and the historical perspective that they acquire enables them to position themselves (professionally and in private life) in ways that enable them to use their acquired skills effectively.
Historians ask: What are the causes of today’s global conflicts? How does technological and economic change affect the lives of ordinary people? How have our institutions and ideas developed over time? By studying history, you’ll probe the how and why of events, and above all ask “so what?” You’ll examine a range of historical perspectives that will help you develop the essential tools for being an effective and engaged citizen of the world.
Dean Frank Mauzy-Sydney Harris History Award
History majors have the opportunity to win the Mauzy-Harris History Award. Mr. Sydney Harris is a Pittsburgh businessman who founded the award to honor his history professor and former Dean of Potomac State College, Frank Mauzy. The award is given to the student who has earned the highest “A” grades in the most history courses, and the winner receives a cash award through their Banner account.
Career Opportunities
A history degree trains you to analyze evidence, develop conclusions based on that evidence, and communicate those conclusions clearly in both written and oral form. These skills (critical analysis, organizing bodies of information, writing succinctly, and effective oral expression) provide a foundation for a variety of public and private sector jobs that value clear thinking and effective communication.
The federal government employs historians in the National Archives, Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Departments of Defense, the Interior and State. Many history majors also go into teaching, law, politics, business, journalism, public administration, nonprofit management, or graduate study, but a range of opportunities exist. Visit the history website for more information.
Faculty
Chair
- Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History (Duquesne University)
Year @ PSC (2011)
Associate professor
- Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History
Year @ PSC (2011)
Admissions
Entering freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
Benchmark Expectations
History majors must earn a C- or better in all required History courses for graduation. All majors must meet with their advisor every semester. Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Students planning to continue at WVU-Morgantown must have a 2.2 GPA in History.
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all HIST courses. | ||
| GEF Elective Requirements (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 5) | 19 | |
| ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 6 |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| HIST 302 | Practicing History | 3 |
| Select three of the following HIST Introductory courses: | 9 | |
| European History: Antiquity to 1600 | ||
| European History since 1600 | ||
| Growth of the American Nation to 1865 | ||
| Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History Since 1500 | ||
| Select one of the following HIST Concentration Area courses: | 3 | |
| Twentieth Century Europe | ||
| West Virginia | ||
| Recent America: The United States since 1918 | ||
| Foreign Language | 6 | |
| Elective | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HIST 302 | 3 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | HIST Introductory Course | 3 |
| HIST Introductory Course | 3 | Foreign Language | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 3 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | GEF 4 | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 4 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | HIST Concentration Area Course | 3 |
| HIST Introductory Course | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
History
Upon successful completion of the A.A. degree, History majors will be able to:
- Demonstrate general knowledge of the facts, concepts, and approaches of history;
- Critically analyze and assess primary sources;
- Critically analyze and assess secondary sources;
- Conduct original historical research and report results orally and in writing;
- Produce historical essays that are coherent, grammatically correct, and use proper historical documentation.