Studying History
By far the greatest strength of the Department of History at Washington State University is our faculty. Although distinguished for their books and other scholarly publications, faculty members consider teaching their primary mission. All of our faculty, including senior professors, teach undergraduate classes. Our professors are excellent instructors. They enjoy undergraduate instruction, and they take that responsibility seriously.
Several of our faculty have won recognition through major teaching awards for their involvement with students in and beyond the classroom and for their willingness to meet with students face to face after class. If high school graduates or transfer students are looking for a congenial atmosphere to study and learn, they can find no better place than the WSU Department of History.
The Department of History offers courses through WSU Online for those who prefer to finish their degrees at home. The Department of History also offers classes via video conference courses (AMS) Academic Media Services between the Pullman campus and various regional campuses throughout the state.
History faculty use the most up-to-date teaching methods and technologies in the classroom, including Internet connectivity and visuals. Still, face-to-face attention is the key to success in history. All history majors must take a research seminar by the end of their senior year. These small classes allow students to practice and develop their research and writing skills in a small-class setting under the guidance of an experienced faculty member.
The Department of History’s Undergraduate Degree Program is designed to produce several outcomes. We expect students who complete the requirements for an undergraduate major in History to: 1) develop historical knowledge with breadth of time and space; 2) conduct and articulate research; 3) communicate effectively.
Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes
-
Develop Historical Knowledge with Breadth of Time and Space
- Interpret the human past with recognition of how different temporal, spatial, and human diversity contexts shape society.
- Interpret the human past by analyzing change, continuity, and causality.
-
Conduct and Articulate Research
- Identify, locate, and critically evaluate appropriate sources for the task at hand.
- Critically examine evidence, discerning fact from opinion, and recognize bias in evidence.
- Organize, synthesize, and effectively use primary and secondary sources to support an argument through a variety of mediums.
- Ethically and responsibly identify and cite all source information.
-
Communicate Effectively
- Communicate fluently to diverse audiences through written, oral, visual and other formats, using the latest available technology.
- Explain the significance of a project and its conclusions.
- Demonstrate the contested nature of history and the historical record through the contextualization of sources.