Department of History

Location: Archer 200, Phone: (409) 880-8511, fontainekl@lamar.edu

Chair: Rebecca Ard Boone, Professor, (409) 880-7834, raboone@lamar.edu

Administrative Assistant: Kari Fontaine, (409) 880-8511, fontainekl@lamar.ed

Advisors:

Undergraduate: Mark A. Mengerink (409) 880-7618, mamengerink@lamar.edu

Graduate: Jeff Forret, (409) 880-2289, forretjp@lamar.edu

The purpose of the Department of History is to impart knowledge and understanding of the past to the students enrolled in the university. This objective is based upon the belief that such knowledge and understanding improve the quality of life of individuals and contribute to the welfare of our society. The department seeks to accomplish this objective through a program of continued study and research by its members and its students. Research interests of the department encompass the world.

Faculty

Rebecca Ard Boone, Ph.D., professor, (409) 880-7834, raboone@lamar.edu

Jimmy L. Bryan, Jr., Ph.D., professor, (409) 880-8510, jlbryan@lamar.edu

Miguel M. Chavez, Ph.D., assistant professor, (409) 880-8044, mchavez9@lamar.edu

Cassandre Durso, instructor, (409) 880-8454, crbroussard@lamar.edu

Jeff Forret, Ph.D., professor, (409) 880-2289, forretjp@lamar.edu

Brendan Gillis, Ph.D., assistant professor, (409) 880-8530, bgillis@lamar.edu

Tina M. Kibbe, Ph.D., instructor, (409) 880-8241, tkibbe@lamar.edu

Mark A. Mengerink, Ph.D., associate professor, (409) 880-7618, mamengerink@lamar.edu

Gwinyai P. Muzorewa, Ph.D., assistant professor, (409) 880-1743, gmuzorewa@lamar.edu

Ken Poston, instructor, (409) 880-2253, kposton@lamar.edu

Yasuko Sato, Ph.D., associate professor, (409) 880-8523, ysato@lamar.edu

Jim D. Seratt, instructor, (409) 880-2134, serattjd@lamar.edu

Adjuncts

Celine Hodge, (409) 880-8115, celine.hodge@lamar.edu

Chris Pirnie, (409) 880-8511, cdpirnie@lamar.edu

Terry Lee Rioux, (409) 880-8511, tlrioux@lamar.edu

Robert J. Robertson, rrobertson@lamar.edu

 

Program Educational Objectives

Core Curriculum (HIST 1301, 1302, 2301)

Objective 1 (Critical Thinking): Students will demonstrate effective critical thinking skills in the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of primary and secondary historical sources.

Objective 2 (Communication): Students will demonstrate effective written communication skills.

Objective 3 (Social Responsibility): Students will demonstrate intercultural competency, civic knowledge, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Objective 4 (Personal Responsibility): Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision making.

BA History

Objective 1 (Historical Methodology): Students will interpret historical evidence and analyze multiple viewpoints from primary and secondary sources.

Objective 2 (Speaking Competencies): Students will demonstrate effective public speaking and presentation skills.

Objective 3 (Teacher Certification): Bring US and Texas history instruction in line with the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and prepare students in the fields they will be required to reach at the K-12 level in the state of Texas.

MA History

Objective 1 (Historiography): Students will explore content from multiple perspectives, acknowledge competing views, and evaluate sources for relevance and reliability.

Objective 2 (Thesis): Students will formulate a significant research question and develop a convincing argument, with their findings constituting the basis for a publishable paper.

Objective 3 (Effective Written Communication): Students will demonstrate academic writing competency and provide appropriate citations for historical evidence.

Student Outcomes

Core Curriculum (HIST 1301, 1302, 2301)

Objective 1 (Critical Thinking): Students will demonstrate effective critical thinking skills in the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of primary and secondary historical sources.

Objective 2 (Communication): Students will demonstrate effective written communication skills.

Objective 3 (Social Responsibility): Students will demonstrate intercultural competency, civic knowledge, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Objective 4 (Personal Responsibility): Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision making.

BA History

Objective 1 (Historical Methodology): Students will interpret historical evidence and analyze multiple viewpoints from primary and secondary sources.

Objective 2 (Speaking Competencies): Students will demonstrate effective public speaking and presentation skills.

Objective 3 (Teacher Certification): Bring US and Texas history instruction in line with the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and prepare students in the fields they will be required to reach at the K-12 level in the state of Texas.

MA History

Objective 1 (Historiography): Students will explore content from multiple perspectives, acknowledge competing views, and evaluate sources for relevance and reliability.

Objective 2 (Thesis): Students will formulate a significant research question and develop a convincing argument, with their findings constituting the basis for a publishable paper.

Objective 3 (Effective Written Communication): Students will demonstrate academic writing competency and provide appropriate citations for historical evidence.

Bachelor of Arts in History

The degree of Bachelor of Arts in History will be awarded upon the completion of the following requirements:

  1. General Requirements: See Core Curriculum posted in degree plans. In addition, students must complete an additional 9 semester hours of the same foreign language, a 2000-level literature course, COMM 1315, and an elective from the approved list.
  2. Major: HIST 1301, 1302 - American History Surveys — six semester hours;  HIST 3321, 3322 - World History — six semester hours;  HIST 3390 - Historical Research — three semester hours; Advanced US History — six semester hours; Advanced World History — six semester hours; Advanced US/World History - three semester hours; HIST 4391 - Capstone
  3. Minor: An approved minor of at least eighteen semester hours. Nine hours must be at the 3000/4000 level.
  4. Electives: Sufficient approved electives to complete a total of 120 semester hours. Within the 120-semester-hour program, there must be a minimum of at least 119 semester hours of courses that may not include physical activity courses, health and wellness courses, music performance classes, and other non-history intern program courses. Nine hours must be at the 3000/4000 level.
  5. No grade below "C" in ENGL 1301/1302, HIST 1301/1302 and History major requirements.

 

Recommended Minimum Program of Study

First Year 
 
First Semester

HIST 1301
ENGL 1301
MATH 1314
Elementary Language i
Social Science (ECON 1301, 2301, 2302, PSYC 2301 or SOCI 1301)

Total - 16 Hours

Second Semester

HIST 1302
ENGL 1302
ARTS 1303
Elementary Language II
COMM 1315

Total - 15 Hours 

Second Year

First Semester

HIST 3321
ENGL Lit (ENGL 2300, 2310, 2320, 2322, 2326, 2331, 2371, 2376)
Intermediate Language I
Lab Science (BIOL 1406, 1407, 2401, 2402, GEOL 1403, 1404, PHYS 1405, 1407. 1411 or SPSC 1401)
POLS 2301

Total - 16 Hours

Second Semester

HIST 3322
ENGL Lit (ENGL 2300, 2310, 2320, 2322, 2326, 2331, 2371, 2376)
Intermediate Language II
Lab Science (BIOL 1406, 1407, 2401, 2402, GEOL 1403, 1404, PHYS 1405, 1407. 1411 or SPSC 1401)
POLS 2302

Total - 16 Hours

Third Year

First Semester

HIST 3390
History (Advanced American)
Minor Course
MATH (1316, 1325, 1342, 1414, 2305, 2310, 2312, 2313, 2314, 3370)
Elective

Total - 15 Hours

Second Semester

HIST (Advanced World)
Minor Courses - 6 hours
Electives - 6 Hours

Total - 15 Hours

Fourth Year

First Semester

History (Advanced American)
Minor Courses - 6 Hours
Elective - 6 Hours

Total - 15 Hours

Second Semester

History (Advanced American)
History (Advanced American or World)
Minor Course
HIST 4391

Total - 12 Hours 
 
 
 

History Minor

Students from other disciplines who wish to minor in history must complete 18 semester hours, consisting of 1301 and 1302, either 3321 or 3322, and 9 semester hours of any 4000 level courses. No grade below a “C” will be counted toward the minor.

Teacher Certification in History

Students wishing to secure a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and the curriculum requirements for a Texas teaching certificate with a teaching field in history may do so by choosing either a B.A. in History, Option I or a B.A. in History, Option II. For information concerning these programs, the student should consult with the undergraduate advisors in the Department of History.

Fast Track BA/MA in History

The fast-track BA/MA degree in history is designed to allow truly exceptional, talented, and motivated undergraduate history majors to complete 15 credit hours of graduate study while still an undergraduate and earn both degrees in as little as five years. This is achieved by allowing qualifying undergraduate majors to take a total of five graduate courses in their junior and senior years. Students' graduate coursework earns them dual credit for both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. For information on this program, the student should consult with the undergraduate advisors in the Department of History.

Graduate Program

Applicants for the Master of Arts in History must meet all Graduate College entrance requirements. Their background in history must include HIST 1301 & 1302, a course in historical methods, and one additional upper-division history course. A cumulative undergraduate gpa of at least 3.0 is also required.

Applicants shall achieve a minimum verbal score of 153 and a minimum analytical score of 3 on the GRE. Two letters of recommendation and one sample of academic writing are also required.

Degree Requirements

  1. Thesis Option. The thesis option is strongly recommended for those who plan to continue graduate study beyond the masters. The thesis program requires completion of 24 semester hours of coursework; HIST 5300 (Historiography) is required and a minimum of 12 hours must be taken in Seminar, Readings or Directed Readings courses. The student may take 6 graduate hours (class or seminar) in a supporting (minor) field. Six additional hours of credit will be given for completion of the thesis. Thesis students must also demonstrate a reading knowledge of one classical or modern foreign language. This requirement may be satisfied by completing the 2312 course in a language OR by passing a nationally recognized standardized language proficiency test OR by completing a reading project administered by the faculty of the Department of History.
  2. Non-Thesis Option. The non-thesis option is intended to provide a strong foundation in a wide range of historical areas and periods. It is designed for those who do not intend to seek a higher degree. Non-thesis students must complete 36 hours in history. HIST 5300 (Historiography) is required and a minimum of 18 hours must be in Seminar, Readings, or Directed Readings courses. The student may take six hours in an approved minor field. After completing their classwork, students must take a comprehensive written examination which is defended orally. A foreign language is not required for the non-thesis Master of Arts in History