Why study history at UAH?
Why study history?
Why study history at UAH?
The History Department at UAH
combines the scholarly expertise of a research university with the educational
environment of a small liberal arts college. Here are some of the reasons to
study history at UAH:
History professors at UAH are committed teachers.
Full-time faculty members teach all history classes at all levels, including freshman
surveys. Faculty members have different styles of teaching: some use
multi-media, some do not; some lecture and some manage discussions. All believe
that students educate themselves through intensive reading and writing. All
will provide personal attention and help. |
History professors at UAH are
published scholars.
UAH is a research university and
faculty members must publish in their field to earn tenure. Six history
professors have won research awards from the UAH Foundation, in addition to
other awards, honors, and grants from various institutes and professional
associations. You will learn the best of the old and new scholarship.
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Class sizes are small.
History students at UAH will not
lead anonymous careers in huge classes in cavernous lecture halls. Freshman
classes are limited to 40 students and upper-level classes have 10-25 members.
Graduate seminars have 6-10 students normally. Your teachers will learn not
only your name, but will know you and help you grow and achieve your goals.
The undergraduate curriculum fosters your growth.
Undergraduate students start with
general surveys and proceed to specialized electives. Every course entails
essay tests and research papers to build skills in investigating problems and
crafting narratives. A required course in historical methods builds expertise
in the ethics, logic and techniques of the historian. The capstone history
seminar allows seniors to write a lengthy research paper based on primary
sources. | |
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The graduate curriculum has multiple tracks to meet
your needs.
Graduate students who plan to
continue their studies at a doctoral degree granting university can write a
Master’s thesis and develop foreign language skills. A “Fifth Year” option for
teachers provides graduate history courses and top certification as a teacher in
Alabama. Another track allows students to take courses for in-depth study and
for development of research skills.
UAH provides resources for learning.
The department has an unusual
number of scholarships, which often pay the full cost of tuition, for
undergraduates and graduate students. Every history classroom has multimedia
equipment. The library has a wealth of books and online databases.
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Why study history?
The study of history teaches more
than knowledge of the past. Students of history develop an array of skills,
attitudes, and habits of mind. These benefits explain why history is a required
course in the general education program as well as why so many people love the
discipline. Here is a brief list of some of the common reasons to study
history.
To Understand People and Societies
Knowledge of history is a
database of human behavior, institutions, and complex cultures. Learning about
past peoples leads to insights into diverse cultures and shared humanity.
History confronts “the other,” and by facing the foreign and strange, historians
cannot help but examine themselves.
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To Understand Change & Continuity
History studies people in time
and examines how events happen. Understanding the manifold causes of change and
continuity leads to appreciation of personal motives, social processes,
irrationality, unintended consequences, and accident.
To Develop Moral Understanding
and Judgment
History studies stories of
choices and examines past heroes and villains, wisdom and foolishness.
Historians learn the complexity of evaluation and the need for empathy, but also
the necessity of judgment on past choices and their consequences.
To Become a Better Citizen
History sketches the development
of national values, institutions, and problems. Historians study international
relations and develop comparative perspectives. Knowing history gives insight
into current issues and helps clarify political choices.
To Learn Useful Skills for the
Modern Workplace
Most students of history do not
become professional historians. But they develop useful skills that are valued
in many professions and by many employers. Doing history, they become skillful
in research, separating important information from the inconsequential, weighing
conflicting interpretations, identifying and explaining trends, and presenting
information orally and in writing.
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Links:
Peter N. Stearns,
Why Study History?.
Leading historians answer,
Why Become a Historian?
Gerald Schlabach,
A Sense of History
