Division V Chair: L. Kriner


Department Chair: J. Guthman


Faculty: R. Bates, C. Berry, R. Cahill, R. Foster, M. Groppo, J. Guthman, D. Mack, and T. Sergent


Website: http://www.berea.edu/his/


Courses: HIS Courses

Course Sequencing Table: History


Entrance to the Major Information: Progression for HIS B.A.


Major/Minor Requirements: History B.A.History Minor

A major in History provides a broad perspective on the human past with the view to understanding how persons behave and of what they are capable. The History Department requires that students majoring in History have a breadth of competence in the history of various areas of the world, and that they have an ability to research carefully and communicate clearly, using a variety of methods. Considerable attention is given to the philosophy of history and the various points of view with which scholars have approached the study of the past.

Such a background provides a useful foundation from which to move into a variety of fields, particularly those professions that require an understanding of human activity—leadership of non-profit organizations, journalism, law, business, and teaching.

In addition to supporting students' achievement of the Aims of General Education, the History Department seeks to assist students in meeting the following learning goals:

History Student Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1: Identify, collect, organize, read and evaluate a wide variety of sources pertinent to historical inquiry (including texts, material objects, and electronic resources)
Learning Outcome 2: Analyze and organize large amounts of unfamiliar, disparate, and fragmentary information.
Learning Outcome 3: Illustrate an awareness of chronological change and continuity and an ability to set evidence in historical context.
Learning Outcome 4: Communicate historical analyses and arguments clearly both in writing and orally.
Learning Outcome 5: Articulate an understanding of history as a discipline (and not merely the study of the past) as demonstrated by the application of scholarship and historiography
Learning Outcome 6: Recognize and construct significant historical questions that illustrate empathy for other cultures and periods.