Meredith College Home PageDepartment of History and Politics

Programs of Study

Riding a camel

Although each major has its own specific coursework and goals, all majors can expect to receive the following:

Majors
The Department of History & Political Science offers four different undergraduate majors (History, Political Science, Public History and International Studies)  as well as a concentration in Law & Justice.  Each has its own specific coursework, goals and career directions, but all teach students to apply systematic analysis to the problems of today's world, to understand and work with the many cultures of today's diverse but interconnected societies, and to perform effective research, analysis, critical thinking and communication. All offer as well the programs, experiences and opportunities that will facilitate the choice and pursuit of meaningful careers.

Core Courses
All majors must take a sequence of core courses required by that particular program.  History and Public History majors take the same core of Methods of History (History 334), Senior Research (History 498/9) and Senior Seminar (History 495).  Majors apply the methods of historical research and analysis to an ongoing analysis of current events across the globe, while working as well on oral communication and career direction.  

Political Science majors (in all its subfields) and those concentrating in Law & Justice take a core of American Political Systems, the Political Ideas Seminar, Contemporary American Policy and Politics, International or Comparative Politics, a methods course and a thesis course.  The Political Science major and Law & Justice concentration provide a solid foundation if you for a variety of careers including those in government, business, law, or teaching.

International Studies majors take a core of Modern Western Civilization (HIS 102), The World in the 20th Century (HIS 103), Modern Political Systems (POL 204), International Politics (POL 210) either Methods of Historical Research (HIS 334) OR Research Design and Methods (POL 334), and either Senior Seminar (HIS 495) AND Senior Research (HIS 498/9) OR Senior Research (POL 498/9).  Graduates acquire a global perspective as well as good skills in research, writing and presentational skills, opening up diverse career possibilities. 

Minors in History and Political Science
A minor in History or Public History requires 18 hours of coursework: HIS 334 and five elective courses planned in consultation with the department head.

A minor in Political Science requires 21 hours: POL 100, POL 205, ENG 111 and four elective courses planned with a political science professor and approved by the department head.  At least two of the elective courses must be at the 300 level.

A minor in International Studies requires 18 hours: HIS 103, POL 210, HIS 334 OR POL 334, and five electives approved by the department head.

A minor in Criminal Justice requires 21 hours as specified in the Meredith College Catalog.

Major in History
The History major is intended for those students who have a broad interest in the different periods and areas of history: Ancient, Medieval and Modern; American, European and Global. It also affords excellent preparation for graduate study and should be the major of choice for students seeking social studies licensure in middle grades or 9-12. Graduates with this degree have also found successful careers in business, law, journalism, government, the foreign service and a variety of other areas.

The history major consists of at least eleven courses (31 hours) in history. Although no course has a prerequisite, it does make some sense to take the broader introductory courses before moving on to the more specialized upper level courses.

Required Courses

1) Emergence of Western Civilization (HIS 101) (every semester and in summer school) or Modern Western Civilization (HIS 102) (every semester and in summer school)

2) American History to 1876 (HIS 214) (every fall and in summer school) or American History since 1876 (HIS 215) (every spring)

3) Any course in Non-Western History:

Any other appropriate history course offered in the department or taken at another institution – consider the many offerings at NC State especially.

4) Methods of Historical Research (HIS 334) (every semester)

5) Senior Seminar (1hr.) and Senior Research (HIS 495 and 498/9) (every semester)

6) At least fifteen more hours in history (usually five courses) chosen in consultation with the major advisor. These courses can be distributed in any way that makes sense to the student and her advisor, but there should be some plan to the distribution. Courses from other institutions and from study abroad are also acceptable, subject to approval by a student's advisor and the department head. All majors should also consider an internship experience as part of these fifteen hours. Please note that The Teaching of Social Studies (HI 764), while necessary for licensure, cannot count toward the thirty required hours for the major.

Major in Political Science
The Political Science major consists of twelve courses (36 hours) in politics. There are 18 hours of core requirements and an additional 18 hours in Political Science from two different subfields.

I. Core Requirements of all majors: (18 hours)

  1. American Political Systems (POL 100)
  2. Political Ideas Seminar (POL 205)
  3. International Politics (POL 210) or Modern Political Systems (POL 204)
  4. Contemporary American Policy and Politics (POL 203)
  5. A Research Methods Course (POL 334 or LEG 401)
  6. Senior Research (POL499) or Honors Thesis (POL 498)

II. 18 additional hours in Political Science, including courses from two different subfields listed below:

American Government Subfield
State and Local Political Systems (POL 340)
Colloquium on North Carolina Politics (POL 341)
Congress and the Presidency (POL 350)
Public Leadership: Practice and Theory (POL 940 level)
Parties, Elections, Pressure Groups, Media (POL 940 level)

Political Philosophy and Public Law Subfield
Law and Society (POL 300)
Constitutional Rights of Americans (POL 301)
Gender Issues in Law and Politics (POL 310)

International Politics Subfield
Modern Political Systems (POL 204)
International Politics (POL 210)
Modern Middle East (POL 282/HIS 282)
Politics of the Vietnam War (POL 309)
International Political Economy (POL 320)
U.S. and the World (POL 330)
Politics and the Developing World (POL 940)
Model United Nations (POL 370)

Public Policy and Public Administration Subfield
Introduction to Public Administration (POL 305)
Environmental Politics (POL 331)

Additional Courses not in a Subfield
Independent Study (POL 910)
Directed Individual Study (POL 920)
Political Science Internship (POL 930)
Special Studies Course with Advisor Approval

 

Major in International Studies
The International Studies Major is ideal for students who wish to take an interdisciplinary approach to the world that lies beyond America. Building upon a core of at least 18 hours in history & political science, each student consults with her advisor to choose an additional 17-18 hours from courses in history and political science or other disciplines that offer insight into the contemporary global community. Each student should strive for fluency in one target language.

This flexibility offers several advantages. Because many of the core and related courses will also count towards General Education and/or other programs, International Studies can be a sound and efficient base for adding a second major or minor. It fits especially well with International Business and with majors in Foreign Languages and Literatures. It is also the perfect major for students who intend study abroad, because virtually all courses taken abroad will count toward this major and the student will return with as many credit hours as she would have had she stayed at Meredith. All International Studies majors should plan to study abroad. Majors should also consider the U.N. Semester at Drew University, the International Relations semester at American University, and the many specialized courses available at NCSU.

International Studies majors regularly go on to graduate school, and to jobs in international business, in travel and tourism, in the foreign service, in non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and in many other areas.

Core History & Political Science Courses (choose 18-19 hours):

 

Elective Courses in History & Political Science and other disciplines (choose 17-18 hours): (Partial list only. Other courses can count with departmental approval.)

Major in Public History
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Program Advisor: Dr. Daniel Fountain (Joyner 226, 760-2825, fountain@meredith.edu)

The Department of History offers a major in Public History, which focuses on those disciplines that convey historical information to a public audience through museums, historic sites, films and so forth. There is considerable interest among students in such a major, and the department has been offering a variety of pertinent courses in archives, museums, and archaeology intermittently since 1948. In an effort to offer training to students hoping for careers in history-related fields, the department proposes a series of courses that aim for potential employment in a variety of historical agencies and nonprofit museums and historic sites.

Meredith's location in Raleigh with close proximity to the largest state historical agency in the country, the largest history museum in the South, viable historic sites at Mordecai and elsewhere, and learning opportunities with various state and municipal offices (certain state parks and Raleigh's Historic Districts Commission, especially) places Meredith in a setting unlike any other private college in the region. Our training will create a "specialized generalist"--a person knowledgeable in what public historians do (unlike the standard undergraduate historian) and therefore more attractive to employers of entry-level personnel.

Students majoring in Public History will find employment in federal, state, and local governmental archives, records centers, museums, historic sites, and publications programs. Such jobs would include those classified as technical, interpretive, and (in some cases) even clerical. Historic sites and museums guides and interpreters, copyeditors, exhibits clerks, and others are typical of job categories in governmental history-related agencies. Apart from government, North Carolina alone has over two hundred local nonprofit museums and historic sites that are variously staffed. Many have one or two full-time employees who generally are responsible for the overall operations of the small sites. Public History majors are ideally suited to such jobs, since graduates of higher level training tend not to be applicants for them. Currently, such jobs are filled largely by people with an undergraduate degree in liberal arts. Students trained in public history will therefore have a competitive advantage over the present applicant pool.

 

Required: (28-34 hours)

Core Courses:  25 Hours

HIS 214                U.S. History to 1876                                   

HIS 215                U.S. History since 1876                               

HIS 300                Introduction to Public History                                     

HIS 930                Public History Internship                                                                    

HIS 334                Methods of Historical Research                                

HIS 495                Senior Seminar (1hr.)                                              

HIS 498/9             Senior Research                                                       

HIS 333                History of the South, or                                             

HIS 343                History of North Carolina                                    

ART 221 or 222      Survey of Western Art   or                                   

HIS 250                Introduction to Archaeology   or 
HIS 260                Native American History

Related Courses: 12 Hours  with approval of program director.

HIS 250:               Introduction to Archaeology
HIS 260:               Introduction to Native American History
HIS  314               Colonial America
HIS  317               Civil War and Reconstruction
HIS 333                History of the South
HIS 343                History of North Carolina
POL 340                State and Local Political Systems
ART 221/2             Survey of Western Art
ART 230                Photography                                                        
BUS 346                Principles of Management                                   
BUS 366                Principles of Marketing                                      
CIS 154                 Creating Web pages
CIS 156                 Web Site Management and Design
CFM 315                History of Costume                                            
ECO 101                Microeconomic Principles                                   
EDU 234                Educational Psychology                                      
EDU 232                Foundations of American Education
EDU 358                Social Studies in the Elementary School
ENG 206                Survey of American Lit                                        
ENG 330                African American Writers                                    
ENG 245                Introduction to Journalism                                  
ENG 247                Copy-editing                                                       
ENG 250                Document Design                           
ID 142                  History of Architectural Interiors                         
SOC 260               Cultural Anthropology                                          
SOC 376               Oppressed Groups and Social Justice                  
COM 330               Video Production                                               
COM 260               Interpersonal Communication                              
COM 350               Business & Professional Communication              
REL 384                Religion in America

And other appropriate courses as approved by program director.

Minor
A minor requires History 334 (Methods of Historical Research) and at least 15 additional hours in history courses. A student must select these courses in consultation with one of the history faculty and receive approval for her course plan from the department head.

Internships
All majors in the history department should plan to undertake at least one off-campus internship for academic course credit. An internship will help each student clarify her career choices, gain valuable skills, and establish important contacts to help secure employment after graduation. Consult departmental advisors for help in making a good choice among the many possibilities available around Raleigh and Research Triangle Park. We have recently placed interns at the Museum of History, the Duke Homestead Historic Site, the State Capitol and Legislature, several bilingual non-profit organizations, many local law firms, a dozen political campaigns -- even on the mission to study Blackbeard's sunken Queen Anne's Revenge

Senior Research and Honors Theses
All majors will ordinarily write a Senior Research Project (History 499) or, for Honors Students and Teaching Fellows, an Honors Thesis (History 498) during one semester of their senior year. In history, this work is done under the direction of a faculty member with appropriate expertise and is worth three credit hours. Students should work with their advisor to identify a viable topic and sources during the semester before they undertake the project. During the semester they research and write the project or thesis, they should take History 495 (Senior Seminar) All majors will also present the results of their work to some combination of faculty, majors and other guests.

Technology Fluency
Fluency goes beyond the acquisition of specific skills. Fluency encompasses the appropriate application of technology concepts/skills and provides a migration path toward lifelong learning. Through fluency, our students will develop the self confidence and curiosity that promotes the desire and ability to acquire, adapt, and apply information technology throughout their lives.  The department has specific technology fluency plans for History majors (including Public History and History-focused International Studies majors) and Political Science majors (including Law and Justice and Political Science-focused International Studies majors.)

 

Site Map | Directory | Questions?
© Meredith College | 3800 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5298
Phone: (919)760-8507 | Fax: (919)760-2391