Department of History

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Arts in history allows students to specialize in the study the American west, U.S. history, environmental history, and the history of science and technology. The history degree also provides an analytical gateway to areas beyond the United States, with courses of advanced study related to South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the ancient world. Internships at historical societies, museums, and Yellowstone National Park are also an important part of the educational experience and are strongly encouraged by the department.

A degree in history prepares students for teaching, graduates studies, public resource management, government service, law school, journalism, and other career opportunities that require critical thinking and clarity of communication. Students participate in original research projects and student-centered learning activities; they learn to read and analyze primary texts, as well as secondary literature, and write thoughtfully about them. Students learn to create knowledge by thinking creatively and basing their ideas in the empirical authority inherent in careful examination of historical documents.

At all levels of the curriculum, the history degree provides students with the tools to think rigorously, to research and thereby generate knowledge empirically, and to articulate their thoughts coherently. In consultation with an advisor, students may select from a range of Fields of Concentration that are consistent with his or her interests and educational objectives.

The department encourages students to engage in independent study through the Yellowstone Internship Program and Departmental Honors Option. This option has the following requirements:

1. Students must have a minimum 3.5 grade-point average in their major and a 3.0 GPA overall.
2. Students must present an acceptable, bound senior thesis, and an oral defense of the thesis.

Students may attain 3-6 undergraduate independent study credits while working for the thesis. These credits will fulfill part, or all, of the UNRESTRICTED upper division history electives requirement. Qualified students may enroll in the honors option through their departmental advisers.

Curricula in History

• History Option
• History Teaching Option
• Science, the Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS) Option
• Japan Studies Option
• Religious Studies Option
• History Minor (Non-Teaching)
• Museum Studies Minor (Non-Teaching)
• Japan Studies Minor (Non-Teaching)
• Latin American and Latino Studies Minor (Non-Teaching)

HISTORY OPTION

The student may elect to take an additional nine credits of upper-division history courses instead of the one year of modern language.

Take five of the following, excluding courses that were taken to fulfill the Required World Regions above. Three of the five history electives from the below list constitute the student's Field of Concentration. Fields of Concentration include Environmental History, History of Race & Gender, History of Science & Technology, Asian History, Latin American History, European History, U.S. History, History of the American West, Cultural & Intellectual History, History Scholar's Program.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 and above. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all required courses.

HISTORY TEACHING OPTION

Candidates seeking a teaching career in Montana's public schools with a major in history may follow the teaching option as listed below. Students must be careful to complete their core requirements in their first three years as their senior year will be almost completely filled with required courses.

The History Teaching option does not require a teaching minor, but students who are considering a public school career are strongly urged to acquire a teaching minor. If you choose a teaching minor, you should expect to require more than 120 credits to complete your program.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 and above. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all required courses.

SCIENCE, THE ENVIRONMENT, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (SETS)

The SETS major offers students a multi-disciplinary course of study that analyzes science, technology, and the environment within their broader cultural contexts, including intellectual and social history, environmental history, religious studies, and philosophy.

Students will choose one of several specialties as a focus for their coursework, such as Philosophy of Science, History of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Policy, or Environmental History. Moreover, students are required to become knowledgeable about one or more areas of science, technology, environmental studies, or public policy, as the Department believes that such literacy is an important part of a liberal arts education in a land-grant institution. Students will therefore be required to take at least 12 credits in an appropriate science, social science or engineering discipline. Finally, a capstone is required for all students; each will complete an original research paper synthesizing their scientific, technological, and humanistic knowledge.

SETS OPTION

Approved Science/Technology/Social Sciences Courses for SETS Option:

In addition to satisfying the university core science requirements, students, only after consultation with their academic advisor, are required to take 12 credits of science in one science or engineering or social science or public policy discipline from the approved courses listed below. One of these courses must be at the 300 and above.

Approved Science, Technology, and Social Science Courses:

ASTR 110, Intro to Astronomy ; PHSX 103, Our Physical World; PHSX 201, Physics by Inquiry; PHSX 205, College Physics I; PHSX 207, College Physics II; PHSX 220, General Physics I; ASTR 371, Solar System Astronomy; PHSX 341, Special Relativity; BIOB 170, Biology of Organisms; BIOE 103, Environmental Science and Society; BIOE 370, General Ecology; BIOE 405, Behavorial & Evol Ecology; BIOE 408, Rocky Mountain Vegetation; BIOE 416, Alpine Ecology; BIOl 421, Yellowstone Wildlife Ecology; CHMY 121: Intro to General Chemistry; CE 442, Environmental Science; GPHY 111, Intro to Physical Geography; ERTH 307, Principles of Geomorphology; ERTH 455, Physiography of the U.S. F&WL 201: Introduction to Fish and Wildlife; WILD 301, Principles of Fish and Wildlife Management; GPHY 141, Geography of World Regions; Biogeography; GPHY 441R, Mountain Geography; GEO 103, Intro to Envrmntl Geology; ENSC 110: Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; ENSC 245, Soils; NRSM 421: Holistic Thought & Management; ENSC 461, Restoration Ecology; BIOB 110,Introduction to Plant Biology; ECNS 101, Economic Ways of Thinking; ECNS 317, Economic Development; ECNS 332, Economics of Natural Resources; LIT 414, Literature of Place; GPHY 365, Geographical Planning; MGMT 473, Management of Western Resources; PSCI 365, Pub Policy Issues and Analysis; SOCI 308 Problems; SOCI 470, Environmental Sociology.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 and above. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all required courses.

JAPAN STUDIES OPTION

The Japan Studies major offers students a curriculum that investigates Japanese history, culture, and language in an interdisciplinary setting and that encourages students to study abroad in Japan at partner universities. Areas of coursework include Japanese spoken and written language, pre-modern and modern Japanese literature, conventional and animated film studies, early modern and modern Japanese history, Japanese anthropology and the history of Japanese science, technology, and environment.

Students may choose an area of specialization during their coursework, such as in literature or history, but all students will be required to take three years or 22 credits of Japanese language. Japanese language skills are at the heart of meaningful exchange and interaction with Japanese people. Through this demanding curriculum, students will acquire the highly specialized skills needed to succeed in Japan or in Japanese contexts, whether pursuing careers in business, academia, or science.

The Japan Studies major also trains students in useful liberal arts methodologies, such as critical thinking, stylistically sound writing, and the clear public articulation of complex ideas. During their senior year, students are required to complete a "capstone " research project, which focuses on student designed and executed projects. The "capstone" project may be a significant research assignment in an upper-division Japan Studies course or it may be independent study with a Japan Studies faculty member.

The Japan Studies Option requires 47 credits in Japan-related courses. Not all of the four upper-division Japan Studies electives can be from the same department. Students must have a total of at least 120 credits to graduate. Of these, 42 credits must be in upper-division courses (300 level or higher). With the expressed consent of the program director, the following courses may be substituted by similar courses taken in Japan under student-exchange programs: ARTH 360; HSTR 140, 345, 346, 443; JPNS 101, 102, 219, 220, 315; PHL 270; and RLST 202, 203. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all required courses.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES OPTION

The History Major with Religious Studies Option introduces students to the methods of history and religious studies, exploring how these research strategies can be compatible or held in tension, in a multi-disciplinary course of study that analyzes what religion is or does within various cultural contexts. As such, in addition to the core course requirements, students will be required to take a broad base of courses in history and religious studies. Each disciplinary approach and subject-matter emphasis opens up possibilities for students to hone their analytical skills, create research topics, and develop a focused reading and writing plan.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses 300 and above. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all required courses.

JAPAN STUDIES MINOR (NON-TEACHING)

The Japan Studies Program offers a non-teaching, interdisciplinary minor in Japan Studies through the Department of History and Philosophy and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. The Program's mission is to provide students with the skills and understanding they need to succeed in Japanese contexts. The minor requires basic Japanese language proficiency and a broad knowledge of Japanese history, literature, and civilization. It includes 8 credits in Japanese language training, 12 credits in elective course work, and a 3-credit capstone course, for a total of 23 credits.

Those wishing to declare a minor in Japan Studies must submit an "Application for a Non-teaching Minor" to the Registrar's Office by the end of the semester one year prior to the semester of completion. In order to receive the minor, students must successfully complete the following course work:

REQUIRED

Not all courses may be taken in the same department. At least six credits must be upper division (numbered 300 or above). Other appropriate courses, including those taken abroad, may be substituted with the approval of the Director of Japan Studies.

HISTORY MINOR (NON-TEACHING)

The minimum number of credits for a non-teaching minor is twenty-one, with nine of those being upper-division credits.

MUSEUM STUDIES MINOR (NON-TEACHING)

Museum Studies Minor

To understand the cultural significance of museums and to explore contemporary museum practices, Montana State University-Bozeman offers an interdisciplinary minor in Museum Studies that is administered through the Department of History and Philosophy. The Museum Studies minor offers students in many disciplines the opportunity to learn about the role of museums in advancing public education and academic research, to deepen students' understanding of museums, and to better position them to learn about possible employment in the museum field.

In consultation with a Museum Studies Minor advisor in the Department of History and Philosophy, students in the minor select 12 credits from a secondary field outside of their major and appropriate to museum topics. Half of these credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. The goal of this secondary field is for students to develop expertise beyond their major that would be of use to them in a museum career. Generally, all 12 credits should be in one area, though interdisciplinary secondary fields may be considered where intellectually warranted. The minimum number of credits for a non-teaching minor is twenty-one, with nine of those being upper division credits, therefore the total number of credits for the Museum Studies Minor must meet this requirement. Students may also fulfill this requirement by majoring in one of the following secondary fields if, in addition, they choose 12 credits from an additional one of the secondary fields. Some possible secondary fields are noted below, though other appropriate fields may be considered in consultation with an advisor.

Anthropology
Art History
Biology
Business Administration
Education
English Literature
English Writing
Geography
Geology
History
Native American Studies
Sociology

In addition, all students must take the following Museum Studies (MOR) courses:

LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES MINOR (NON-TEACHING)

      A Latin American and Latino Studies minor (LALS) is available to provide students interested in Latin American and Latino history and language with valuable interdisciplinary skills. Because this is an interdisciplinary program, students will enroll in courses in History and Philosophy and Modern Languages. Courses in Sociology and Anthropology, as well as other departments with relevant course content, will also be allowed for credit subject to approval by the program coordinator. This minor will complement majors for students pursuing graduate school and professional programs in agriculture, engineering, history, literature, political science, sociology, international business, and more. The minor will also strengthen the skill-sets of students who wish to become more competitive in the Spanish speaking job market, either abroad or in the United States. A minor in LALS will prepare students for the close relationship developing between Latin American and the United States in trade agreements, the growing immigrant laborers, and the expansion of Latin American and Latino communities in the United States with significant political and economic power.

Those wishing to declare a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies must submit an "Application for a Non-teaching Minor" to the Registrar's Office by the end of the semester one year prior to the semester of completion.

The equivalent of four semesters of Spanish language is required. Students with prior experience in Spanish language may have some requirements waived. Students interested in the LALS minor should consult with the Modern Language Department immediately upon their decision to fulfill the minor so that they can ascertain the language requirements that are appropriate for them.

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