Why Choose History?
Historians are like 'social detectives.' They try to understand the men and women, groups and events of earlier times by studying the 'clues' left behind such as visual documents and artifacts, diaries, official documents and records, economic data and newspapers. Historians use these 'clues' to determine which events were most important, why things turned out the way they did, or what lessons we can learn from the past.
The history major prepares students to see 'the big picture' and to focus on our most important societal issues, decisions, and trends. The history major prepares students to gather, assimilate, and interpret a wide variety of information from many different sources and to view issues from different perspectives. Students entering the History major should have strongreading skills and be interested in learning about the experiences of others. Students in the History major study the history of the United States, the history of other regions of the world, and the methods of historical research. They also have the opportunity to select courses of special interest to them, such as African American history or the history of science and technology. Advanced students may participate in undergraduate research projects or internships.
Professional Opportunities
The History major also gives students a broad and in-depth understanding of the diverse political, economic, and cultural factors affecting American life and the global marketplace today. For this reason, the History major is excellent preparation for a wide variety of career paths, including the law, education, journalism, government, public policy analysis, business, or executive-level management.
Admission Requirements
First-year students must have a minimum 2.7 high school GPA and an ACT reading subtest score of 17 or better. Transfer students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in History, a student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours including the History major, the BA core, an academic minor in another field of study, and all general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts degree. No grade lower than 'C' will count toward the History major.
More Information
Department of Humanities, Arts & Speech
Ferris State University
Dr. Gary Huey
820 Campus Drive/ASC 2066
Big Rapids, MI 49307-2225
Phone: 231-591-2758