Bachelor in History

Why Study History?

Our full-time history professors are all published authors actively pursuing research agendas and book projects. This is because excellence in teaching is their priority. In the words of the Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities, "Teacher-scholars are committed to high-quality undergraduate education, pursue an active program of research and scholarship, and are presumed to enliven and enrich their teaching and the student experience by incorporating insights from their own research into their instructional activities, student advising, and related work" (Kuh, et al., "Why Teacher-Scholars Matter," Liberal Education, Fall 2007).

How We're Different

Our full-time history professors are published authors actively pursuing research agendas and book projects. Recent history alumni have pursued work in graduate schools, the foreign-service, public history (museums, state historic parks, archives), politics, law, business, and teaching at the college, secondary, and elementary levels. Our alumni include published writers like Michael Deeb, the author of The Drieborg Chronicles, a Civil War trilogy. Our students present at conferences including Phi Alpha Theta and The Great Lakes History Conference. Our very active History Club hosts social and educational events, including movie nights, guided museum tours, and trips to Chicago. Studying history contributes to the resilience and adaptability needed to flourish in a rapidly changing economy. A degree in history from Aquinas ensures that graduates have attained a level of reading comprehension, facility in written and oral communication, research skills, and analytical thinking to succeed in any career paths. These transferable skills enable our graduates to find satisfying work in a wide variety of fields. The department is especially strong in intellectual, religious, and political history. Our students have interned at museums and in other types of archival work. Our faculty fully support the Catholic and liberal arts mission of Aquinas College, both inside and outside the classroom.

Graduate Outcomes

Recent Aquinas history graduates have pursued work in graduate schools, the foreign service, public history (museums, state historic parks, archives, etc.), politics, law, the military, business, journalism, and teaching at the college, secondary, and elementary levels.

Major Requirements

Thirty-three (33) semester hours.

Required courses:

• HY101 or HY102 American History
• HY161 or HY162 World History
• At least one non-Western History course chosen from the following:
  • HY221, HY230, HY271, HY303, HY304, HY312, HY360
• At least one European History course chosen from the following:
  • HY250, HY260, HY263, HY267, HY270, HY316, HY320, HY371, HY381, HY384, HY422
• At least one American History course chosen from the following:
  • HY211, HY212, HY213, HY214, HY215, HY216, HY218, HY309, HY311, HY314
• HY357 Historiography
• HY401 Senior Research Seminar (3) SC
• History Electives (12 semester hours)

A transfer student majoring in History must complete a minimum of 18 hours in history at Aquinas College.

Courses

• HY101 American History (3) HP
• HY102 American History (3) HP
• HY161 World History (3) HP
• HY162 World History (3) HP, GP
• HY221 History of Asia (3) HP
• HY230 Latin American History (3) HP
• HY271 The Middle East (3) HP
• HY303 The History of China (3)
• HY304 History of Japan (3)
• HY312 Special Topics in World History (3)
• HY250 Russian History (3) HP
• HY260 Ancient History (3) HP
• HY263 The Middle Ages (3) HP
• HY267 Early Modern Europe (3) HP
• HY270 Modern Europe (3) HP
• HY316 World War II (3)
• HY322 Modern Germany (3)
• HY371 Europe Since 1945 (3)
• HY381 British History I (3)
• HY384 Irish History (4)
• HY211 Colonial and Revolutionary America (3) HP
• HY212 The Early American Republic, 1789-1850 (3) HP
• HY213 The Civil War and Reconstruction 1850-1877 (3) HP
• HY214 Gilded Age and Progressive Era (3) HP
• HY215 The Modern United States: 1920-1960 (3) HP
• HY216 United States since 1960 (3) HP
• HY218 African American History (3) HP
• HY/WS309 Women in American History (3)
• HY311 American Catholic History (3)
• HY357 Historiography (3)
• HY401 Senior Research Seminar (3) SC

The close-knit educational environment at Aquinas develops students who thrive in all dimensions of life. Learn more, in our students' words about the Aquinas experience and the Dominican pillars of prayer, study, service, and community.

The Dominican tradition is two-fold: contemplative and communal. At Aquinas, we are committed to gathering for liturgical prayer nourished by God's Word and the Spirit. Prayer leads us into the deeper Truth needed to live out God's call for us in the world. We commit ourselves to a love of learning, both formal and informal. This necessitates an openness to learn from the most unlikely sources as well as tried and true scholarship. Aquinas encourages students to engage in service projects and service-learning programs. It also offers preparation for careers that will enable graduates to spread the truths that they have learned - "to make a difference in the world."