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THE
MAJOR
The History
major is a department within the College
of Arts & Letters.
JMU
Concentration: Public History
Admission and Progression Standards for this major:
Click on the link to learn more about the admission and progression standards of this major: http://www.jmu.edu/advising/snapshots/SSHIST.shtml
Description
of Major:
History is offered as a major and minor at JMU. The Department of History is designed for students whose primary academic interest is history as a humanity or social science. The concentration in Public History prepares graduates to work in settings that serve a public audience, such as, museums, archives, government agencies, libraries, historic preservation organizations and historic sites. History is also one of the primary majors for those who want to teach social studies at the high school level. Students preparing to teach should contact Dr. David Dillard at 540-568-3757 or dillarpd@jmu.edu.
The program provides a broad background for careers in business, non profit, industry and government as well as thorough preparation for teaching, law, medicine or other professions. Majors will have an understanding of the past, its relationship to the present and the process of social change. Graduates will have developed an understanding of the historical process and have become acquainted with the fundamental tools of historical investigation and research. They will be able to think and read critically and objectively, and to express themselves in a clear, creative manner. Further, they will be familiar with the latest technological applications that influence the discipline. The study of history will develop a deeper understanding of economic and geographic concepts and of the interconnected nature of different times, places, societies and cultures. History enhances the student's self-awareness, provide a basis for appreciating other fields and disciplines, and prepare the individual for a richer and more meaningful life. The Department of History also offers and supports interdisciplinary minors in Africana Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, Greater Middle Eastern Studies, Historical Archaeology, International Humanities, Latin American Studies, Russian Studies, and Women’s Studies, and others.
Tell
me more about this field of study.
The study of history is not designed simply to teach us quaint and interesting facts about the past, or even to explain how our present world emerged from its murky origins in other times or places. It is a useful subject in ways that students may not always anticipate, but which employers often understand, and which alumni can explain best. There is no single path that carries history undergraduates directly to one chosen career, but many ways in which skills learned in the study of the past can be translated into the enterprises of the present. History always involves asking how we can make sense of complex situations in which the relation between origins and results, intentions and consequences, is not immediately evident, and in which we have to search near and far for the answers to our questions. That kind of openness to research and awareness of the complexity of events is exactly what decision-making in business, government, law, journalism, and other fields often requires. History is also very much about the use of language--whether we are writing our own or reading others'--and skills of intelligent reading and lucid writing remain in demand throughout our society. Historians have to learn how to write narratives that others can follow; they not only have to know why something happened, but to be able to describe it plainly and clearly. And they have to read critically, not only to follow arguments but to measure the distance between the purposes of an author and the meaning of his text. History also teaches graduates to better understand and cope with ambiguity.
Jack Rakove, William Robertson Coe: Professors of History and American Studies, Stanford University
Tell
me more about specializations in this field.
Historians research and analyze the past. Historians may specialize in a specific country or region; in a particular period; or in a particular field, such as social, intellectual, political, or diplomatic history. Biographers collect detailed information on individuals. Genealogists trace family histories. Historians today also practice their discipline in a variety of careers, as well as, in more traditional settings. Those historians who work in museums, archives, government agencies, historic preservations, businesses, contract history firms, cultural resource management firms, and historic sites are known as public historians because they use their skills as historians to serve a public audience.
What
common major or minor combinations from other departments
complement this major?
History easily combines as a second major or a minor. Some common combinations are: Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Communication Studies, Conflict Analysis and Intervention, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, Geographic Science, Greater Middle East, Health Care, Historical Archaeology, Human Resource Development, International Affairs, International Business, International Humanities, Justice Studies, Latin American Studies, Management, Marketing, Modern Foreign Languages, Political Communication, Political Science, Russian Studies, The Natural Sciences, Sociology, Studio Art, Technical and Scientific Communication, Urban and Regional Studies or Women Studies.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
Students enrolled in the History Program develop strong research, writing, analytical, computer and oral communication skills. They develop abilities to solve problems and do independent research. In addition, they are able to see problems in perspective.
CAREERS
Many graduates choose typical career paths associated with this major. However, some graduates choose unrelated careers that utilize skills and experiences developed during their years in college. Keep in mind, that some fields will require graduate study or further training. The listing below offers examples of possible career paths and is not meant to be comprehensive.
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