History
Department website: https://www.isu.edu/history/
| History, B.A. | Degree | B.A. |
| Accelerated History, B.A. | Degree | B.A./M.A. |
| History, Minor | Minor | |
| Environmental Studies, Certificate | Certificate |
Students of History learn skills that employers are looking for, especially critical thinking, problem solving, and research-based analysis. These are skills that will not become obsolete. The Department of History offers the B.A., Minor, and M.A. Each of these programs is offered on campus and online. The History programs at ISU are designed to help students gain the skills and knowledge to adapt to the shifting demands of the modern economy. A degree in History from ISU prepares students for long careers in a wide range of industries. Our alumni are successful in the fields of law, government, technology, and education.
Professors in the History Department are scholars with PhDs from the world’s premier universities, and they publish cutting-edge research in internationally-recognized journals and books. They are also great teachers who are committed to the success of ISU students. These professors work directly with students to tailor their degree plans to match their career goals. In short, they help Bengals make history.
History professors at ISU offer courses on issues that matter and topics that directly relate to the interests of our students. Our courses address a wide range of topics, including politics, religion, revolutions, race, women, war, witchcraft, environment, empires, and energy. The History Department includes professors who are experts on every major region of the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Of course, we also have an expert on Idaho and the American West.
Historical Thinking Objectives
The following Historical Thinking Objectives are a guide to the design of the undergraduate curriculum. We use this list to review the department’s course offerings and to make sure that students develop useful skills.
1. Analyze historical developments and position the ideas, motivations, and actions of people in the past within their local, national, regional, and/or global contexts.
2. Employ chronological thinking by identifying continuity and change, cause and effect, and other analytical thinking skills related to historical change through time.
3. Apply historical research skills to locate and interpret primary and secondary sources.
4. Evaluate historical argumentation by analyzing a variety of perspectives and sources of evidence.
5. Develop original historical questions and formulate historical arguments based on evidence to answer those questions.
Teaching Majors and Minors
Students pursuing a major in Secondary Education with an endorsement in History follow a nearly identical curriculum to the B.A. in History. The Department recommends that Education students pursue a double degree with History. All History majors and minors in Education should consult an advisor in the History Department as well as in the College of Education.
Pre-Law Majors
A History degree provides valuable training for law school. Students interested in a postgraduate legal education should consult the History Department to meet with an advisor.