About Our Program

The history program is designed for the student who is interested in how humans have made decisions, treated each other under the pressure of circumstances, and considered how the decisions of the past have shaped the present. The program’s emphasis is on United States and European history. Courses are also offered in the Middle East and other non-western areas. This program is designed for the student who intends to pursue a baccalaureate degree in history.

Nature of Work and Employment

Baccalaureate degree history majors typically are employed as teachers in elementary and secondary schools and as researchers in government, museums, and industrial research departments. A four-year degree in history also provides a good background for careers in journalism, law, foreign service, and a variety of related professions.

Special Considerations

The listed coursework is a recommendation only. Students should check with a student advisor for HCC graduation requirements and specific university requirements in this major. Students must meet with an advisor to ensure that the special requirements of the department and institution to which they plan to transfer are met. History majors are strongly encouraged to include a foreign language as part of their program of study. Colleges and universities have specific requirements for transfer students.

Requirements

Associate of Arts Requirements

Students must meet all requirements for the Associate of Arts degree in order to graduate from Highland Community College. For more information, please see your advisor.

Recommended Courses

The following are recommended courses for this major.

It is suggested that students who major in history concentrate on at least one foreign language because many four-year colleges and universities require a proficiency in one foreign language to graduate with a B.A. degree. For more information, please see your student advisor.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GEOG 132	Regional Geography of World	3
HIST 141	Western Civilization to 1648	3
HIST 142	Western Civ 1648 to Present	3
HIST 143	U.S. History I	3
HIST 144	U.S. History II	3
HIST 243	History of Africa I	3
HIST 244	History of Africa II	3
HIST 245	History of the Middle East	3
HIST 247	African-American History I	3
HIST 299	Topics in History	3
History Electives

Program Outcomes

• Written Communication: Students will be able to produce written work that displays college-level skills, insight, and critical thinking through meaningful and appropriate content.
• Oral Communication: Students will be able to prepare and deliver a purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.
• Critical Thinking: Students will be able to evaluate and create arguments that consider a variety of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events.
• Quantitative Literacy: Students will demonstrate the ability to reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations.
• Information Literacy: Students will engage in reflective discovery of information, evaluate information based on an understanding of how it is produced and valued, synthesize information to create new knowledge and participate ethically in communities of learning.
• Diversity: Students will recognize diversity in the global community and model culturally competent civic and social participation.

Program Contacts

Call Highland at 815-235-6121 for the following program contacts:

• Sammy Ahmed, History/Political Science Faculty
• Wes Bertram, Student Advisor
• Rae Schupbach-Roe, Dean, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts