The history major at RWC is a comprehensive humanities major which seeks to develop historical mindedness along with various analytical, interpretative and research-related skills. We believe that, rather than preparing students for one specific job or vocation, our students are better served in the long run by developing skills that will be applicable in any area of life.
What can I do with a History Major?:
This is perhaps the most frequent question we receive from prospective students. The answer, we believe, is that one can do just about anything one wants to do with a history major. Our program is designed not so much to give students job skills for one particular vocation, but rather make make them better, more well rounded and liberally educated human beings.
While the standard occupations for history majors are certainly still available--teaching, law, political service, writing (journalism), library/museum service, etc.--in reality, the history major (along with other humanities majors such as English or Philosophy) can prepare a student for whatever job or vocation he/she wishes to pursue.
For more information on this question, please the following websites:
If I want to get my teacher certification in social studies, should I do a straight history major or one of the history education (social studies) programs?
This is another common question we get from prospective students. Students can take either path towards gaining their permanent NY State teacher certification. Below are some pros and cons to each path.
- The straight history major offers a lot of flexibility for students to pursue other interests while they are in college, including study abroad programs, minor fields of study, and the like. Students choosing this path who then decide to go into teaching would need to complete their Master's degree in education in order to earn their permanent teacher certification in New York State. Many colleges, including Roberts, offer these one-year Master's programs for students with a major other than Education who then decide they want to go into teaching. We believe this path is best suited for traditional undergraduates who may not be completely certain of their vocational interests. Probably the greatest benefit of the straight history major is that it offers students many vocational choices, not just teaching.
- Students can also choose one of our two History Education programs. The benefit of these programs is that they graduate students who have a temporary certification which will, in turn, allow them to obtain teaching jobs immediately after they graduate. However, in order to gain their permanent certification, these students still need to earn a Master's degree. The downside to these programs is that they are packed with credit hours and offer little flexibility for students to pursue other interests. We believe this path tends to work best for non-traditional students.
What are the basic program requirements?
- The History B.A. program is a flexible program allowing students the opportunity to take a number of elective hours that include courses in European, American and World history. Also students are required to take HST 205 (The Historian's Craft), earning a minimum grade of C. Application to this major should be submitted to the division chair by the end of the sophomore year.
- The History/Comprehensive Social Studies B.A. has a core of 39 semester hours in history in addition to the required NY state Education course and Student Teaching.
What about transfer credit (High School and College)?
Students can transfer in college credit where the grade is a C- or above. Also students can bring transfer credit earned through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Contact the Registration Office for more details.
Will I need to take a foreign language?
Many of our students meet the foreign language requirement from their high school language programs. However we do strongly encourage students to take additional college-level language courses, especially if they are interested in graduate studies in history.
What do our alumni say about our programs?
"One of the strongest aspects of the History program at Roberts Wesleyan College was the personal interest that the professors took in my performance and my life....The requirements of the classes gave
me the ability and knowledge to develop a disciplined academic life that has
lead to other educational opportunities. My contact with students from other
colleges has shown that the History program at Roberts can compete with the
programs of major universities in the country. I feel that my time and money
were well spent as a History major at Roberts Wesleyan College."
Robert
Richard '00
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"Being a part of the History program at RWC was one of the best parts of my college experience. I was able to learn about many different areas of history, from Late Medieval England to Modern America. Having such a range of topics and classes not only gave me a wider base of historical knowledge, but is helping me be able to pursue a higher degree that combines some of these different facets of history."
Jessie Spressart '00
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"If you appreciate the grandeur of history, with all its glory, shame and ambiguity,
the Roberts Wesleyan History Department will not disappoint you. If you have
a low view of history, thinking that you can manipulate it for some narrow political
or religious agenda, Roberts will change you. At least that was my experience.
I am a different person today, both intellectually and spiritually, because
of the history department at RWC."
The Rev. Alexander M. Burgess IV '94
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"The Comprehensive Social Studies program at Roberts Wesleyan is a program that extensively prepares students and gives them the ability to teach Social Studies at a high level. I believe that one of the biggest strengths of the program lies in the knowledgeable professors. The professors in this program don't just give you information, but they help you become a historian by making you form new and abstract ideas. I also believe that the availability of the professors in the Comprehensive Social Studies program helps the student feel as if the professors really care about you."
Josh Chenel '01
