History and Global Studies

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

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

Faculty

Amanda Biles, Assistant Professor and Director of Public History
Kelly Elliott, Associate Professor
Tiffany Fink, College Professor
Theodore Francis, Associate Professor
Ronald Morgan, Professor

The Department of History and Global Studies offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in History (with an optional track in Public History) and Global Studies. Bachelor of Science degrees are available in History (with an optional track in Public History), Social Studies for Teachers (Grades 7-12), and History (One-Field Teacher Certification Grades 7-12). Minors in History, Global Studies, European Cultural Studies, Latin American Studies, Africana 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, BA or BS: These degrees forge 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

The difference between the History BA and the History BS is that the Bachelor of Arts degree requires six hours of sophomore-level foreign language. Students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in history should pursue the BA degree.

Public History Track: The Public History track provides both methodological training and firsthand experiences in order to equip aspiring museum curators, archivists, and other public history interpreters. Courses in this track 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. Our Public History program is recognized by the National Council on Public History. The Public History track 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. The Department of History and Global Studies offers scholarship opportunities for our majors who participate in semester-long programs. 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

• Global Studies, BA (GLST)
• History, BA (HIST)
• History, Public History, BA (HIST-PUBL)

• High School Teacher Certification - History, BS (HSTT)
• High School Teacher Certification - Social Studies, BS (HSST)
• History, BS (HSTY)
• History, Public History, BS (HSTY-PBLH)

• Africana Studies Minor (AFRS)
• European Cultural Studies Minor (ECS)
• Gender and Multicultural Studies Minor (GMCS)
• Global Studies Minor (GLST)
• History Minor (HIST)
• Latin American Studies Minor (LATS)

Courses

• GEOG 235 - World Geography
• GEOG 354 - Cultural Geography

• GLST 120 - Introduction to Global Issues
• GLST 212 - Introduction to Great Britain
• GLST 214 - Global Studies: People and Culture of Germany and Europe
• GLST 217 - South America Southern Cone: History and Culture
• GLST 499 - Global Studies Seminar

• HIST 117 - Civilization I
• HIST 118 - Civilization II
• HIST 131 - World History: Cultures and Connections since 1400
• HIST 201 - Intro to Public History: Interpreting American Pasts
• HIST 221 - American History I
• HIST 222 - American History II
• HIST 250 - Introduction to Gender and Multicultural Studies in the US
• HIST 270 - Introduction to Latin American Studies
• HIST 275 - Introduction to Africana Studies
• HIST 280 - Texas History
• HIST 301 - Public History Internship
• HIST 310 - Topics in Public History
• HIST 329 - African American History from African Origins to the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction
• HIST 330 - African American History from Emancipation to Civil Rights
• HIST 332 - The Early Modern Atlantic World
• HIST 334 - Historical Perspectives on Gender and Sexualities
• HIST 353 - Historical Methods
• HIST 402 - Nation-Building, US Antebellum Era
• HIST 404 - The Gilded Age/Progressive Era in the United States
• HIST 405 - Coming of Age: The United States in the Twentieth Century
• HIST 408 - Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization
• HIST 409 - Homer’s Children: The World of Ancient Greece
• HIST 410 - The Ancient Roman World
• HIST 413 - The Medieval Era
• HIST 414 - Islam and the West
• HIST 418 - Britain and Empire, 1689-present
• HIST 419 - Revolution and Empire: Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century
• HIST 436 - Africa in Global Context
• HIST 451 - American Diplomacy
• HIST 452 - Historical Documentary Production
• HIST 454 - Public History Field School
• HIST 455 - Social and Ethnic History in U.S.
• HIST 458 - World War II: A Military and Social History
• HIST 459 - Historiography Seminar
• HIST 472 - Early Modern Europe: The Renaissance and Reformation Eras
• HIST 474 - Europe in Crisis: Dictatorship and Division since 1914
• HIST 477 - Third Reich
• HIST 478 - Encounters: Latin America to 1830
• HIST 479 - Revolutions: Latin America, 1810 to Present
• HIST 483 - Legacies of Conquest: Empire and the Growth of the American West
• HIST 484 - A Clash of Cultures: The Civil War in Nineteenth Century America
• HIST 485 - Russia
• HIST 486 - War and Society
• HIST 490 - The Cosmic Race: A History of Mexico
• HIST 491 - China, India, and the West since the 14th Century: Mongols, Poppies, & Satyagraha
• HIST 496 - History for Teachers
• HIST 552 - Historical Documentary Production
• HIST 554 - Public History Field School
• HIST 555 - Social and Ethnic History in U.S.
• HIST 572 - Early Modern Europe: The Renaissance and Reformation Eras
• HIST 574 - Europe in Crisis: Dictatorship and Division since 1914
• HIST 577 - Third Reich
• HIST 578 - Encounters: Latin America to 1830
• HIST 579 - Latin American Modern Era
• HIST 580 - Texas History
• HIST 583 - Legacies of Conquest: Empire and the Growth of the American West
• HIST 584 - A Clash of Cultures: The Civil War in Nineteenth Century America
• HIST 585 - Russia
• HIST 681 - Problems in American History
• HIST 699 - Master’s Thesis

• FLLA 111 - Elementary Latin I
• FLLA 112 - Elementary Latin II
• FLLA 221 - Intermediate Latin I
• FLLA 222 - Intermediate Latin II