2021-2022 Catalog with Addendum 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Catalog with Addendum [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

History and Global Studies


Kelly Elliott, Chair
ACU Box 28130
Abilene, Texas 79699-8130
Hardin Administration Building, Room 324

Phone: 325-674-2370
Fax: 325-674-2369
Email: history@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/history

Faculty

Mark Cullum, Associate Professor
Kelly Elliott, Associate Professor
Ronald Morgan, Professor
Tracy Shilcutt, Professor
Allan Yarema, Associate Professor

The Department of History and Global Studies offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Public History, and Global Studies and the Bachelor of Science degree in History (One-Field Teacher Certification Grades 7-12), and Social Studies for Teachers (Grades 7-12). A minor in History, Global Studies, European Cultural Studies, Latin American Studies, or Gender and Multicultural Studies may be added to other majors.

Introduction

History and Global Studies courses and experiential training provide windows into the experience of humankind from era to era and across many different cultures. Examining our past—from language and the arts to science and technology—gives us context to understand current events and how we might plan for the future. Our faculty invite students to critically engage with the world, to forge new research paths and share their findings with a wider community, and to consider the ways in which the narration and commemoration of the past shape memory and community in the present.

Coursework, Internships, and Career Opportunities

History: This degree forges historical storytellers whose knowledge of the past can temper both present and future. Our courses invite students to critically engage with history, and to examine how historical narratives themselves are created and contested. History students build and sharpen research skills, information literacy, and the ability to write and speak persuasively in an academic context. Such capabilities equip students for a wide range of careers. The skills developed through the study of history prepare graduates for job opportunities in:

  • Secondary and Higher Education
  • Government and public service
  • Law
  • Journalism
  • Other research-oriented careers such as think tanks, technical writing, and content creation

Public History: The Public History degree provides both methodological training and firsthand experiences in order to equip aspiring museum curators, archivists, and other public history interpreters. Courses in this degree are deeply experiential, combining guided study of the theory and scholarship of public history with firsthand engagement with historic sites, libraries, museums, parks, and archives, including at least one semester-long internship. Recent internship placements include National Parks internships at Paint Rock, the Smithsonian Institution, the C.R. Smith Museum, the Grace Museum, the National WASP WWII Museum, Milliken Special Collections, and the 12th Armored Division Memorial.  The Public History degree prepares students for careers in:

  • Museums
  • Archives
  • Historic Preservation
  • Libraries
  • Archaeology and Anthropology
  • State and National Parks

History Teaching and Social Studies Teaching: Students who choose these majors frequently refer to their career path as a calling or vocation. In these degrees, students pair their desire to make the world a better place through connecting with and shaping young people with rigorous training–in the fields they will teach, and in pedagogy, curricular design, and the professional knowledge and skills of educators in secondary schools. Students will leave ACU fully equipped to achieve their Texas state certification to teach 7th through 12th grade history or social studies in public or private schools. The vocation of social studies or history teaching is a noble calling: to help young people learn to interpret their world, understand their own place in it, and take their place as well-informed, active citizens.

The Department of History & Global Studies offers two teaching degrees, preparing students to teach grades 7-12 in Texas public or private schools. The Social Studies for Teachers degree (HSST)  prepares students to teach world history, U.S. history, Texas history, government, geography, economics, sociology, and psychology. One-Field History (HSTT)  prepares students to teach world, U. S. history and Texas history. Students in both degrees complete at least one semester of student teaching in Texas secondary schools. Most of our HSST and HSTT graduates go on to teach in public or private middle or high schools. Some pursue further degrees in higher education and eventually work in education policy, curriculum design, retention programs, college prep programs, and the like.

Global Studies: Intercultural skills and a global worldview are increasingly highly valued in today’s job market. The breadth of study in the Global Studies program – with courses in political science, economics, history, culture studies, language, and environmental studies – equips students with knowledge and skills that are essential for responsible citizenship, service, and productive work in the global community. Global Studies students often intern with such organizations as World Wide Witness, the International Rescue Committee, and Heifer Project. Many of these students go on to obtain graduate degrees or law degrees in programs in Europe, the United Kingdom, and stateside. An interdisciplinary degree in Global Studies provides significant flexibility when it comes to choosing a career, with pathways in:

  • International business and politics
  • Economic development and international aid
  • National security
  • Refugee and migration issues
  • Christian missions
  • International education
  • International law
  • Environmental policy
  • Energy policy

Study Abroad Opportunities

All students are encouraged to participate in ACU’s Study Abroad programs in Oxford, Montevideo, or Leipzig. Classes offered at Study Abroad sites vary depending on the site. Academic advisors can assist students in planning ahead for their Study Abroad experience and should be consulted during the freshman year.

Admission Requirements

Before being admitted to this program, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information  section of this catalog.

Programs

    Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ScienceMinor

    Courses

      GeographyGlobal StudiesHistoryLatin