Department of History

History students may study the history of the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The department also offers regular courses in military history and the history of religion. Students can expect to participate in a variety of academic activities including lecture and discussion courses and seminars. The history curriculum acquaints students with the various methods of historical study, provides them with a broad understanding of the major themes of history, allows them to concentrate on topical courses and themes of their choosing and offers opportunities to propose and implement their own research projects.

As a broadly-based liberal arts degree, the history major emphasizes the development of critical thinking and communication skills as well as the acquisition of historical perspective. Graduates prepare themselves for a wide variety of positions in government, education, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media, and business. A BA in History can also lead to graduate work in a variety of fields and serve as a sound foundation for law school. (For more information, see the American Historical Association link about careers for college graduates trained in history: https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-resources/careers-for-history-majors)

History students often have opportunities for service learning, research, and internships at area museums, historical societies, and national parks.

Students with a minimum GPA of 3.2 are eligible for nomination to the University’s Alpha Eta Theta Chapter of the International History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta.

Teacher Preparation Program Option:

Enrollment in the 4+1 (BA/BS-MAT) Teacher Preparation program allows undergraduate students to explore teaching as a profession through completion of graduate-level education coursework and field experiences within local public school settings. Students pursing teacher preparation at UMass Dartmouth graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in their chosen major, a Master’s degree in Teaching, and a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement. In order to develop a plan towards a license to teach, students should indicate their interest to both their history major advisor and the Coordinator of Teacher Preparation Programs. Students may enroll in the 4+1 program once they have earned 30 credits with a 3.0 GPA or above.

Goals for Student Learning

Context - Demonstrate familiarity with the context and chronology of major themes in Western and/or World Civilization and deeper knowledge of the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa.
Historical thinking - Identify problems, formulate historical questions, evaluate major historical debates, develop, critique, and articulate a historical argument or thesis.
Historical Research - Conduct historical research, effectively locate sources in a variety of formats, accurately interpret primary and secondary sources.
Historical Argument - Present a coherent and persuasive argument, which is well-structured (thesis, body, conclusion), well-supported (sources support argument), and well-written (grammatically and stylistically correct, coherent, and persuasive).
Format/CMS - Follow proper format in documenting sources using the Chicago Manual of Style.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Crystal Lubinsky Religious Studies, Ancient History

Cristina Mehrtens Latin American and Brazilian History

Ilana Offenberger Holocaust, Germany, 20th Century Europe

Paula Noversa Rioux Modern Portuguese History, U.S. History, Diplomatic History

Mark Santow Twentieth-Century U.S., Urban History

Bridget Teboh African History

Matthew Sneider (Chairperson) Early Modern European and Italian History

Len Travers (Emeritus) American History: Colonial, Early Republic, and New England

Timothy Walker Early Modern European Expansion, Portuguese and Maritime History

Brian Williams Islamic studies, World History