UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2006 - 2007

HISTORY
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Undergraduate Minor

Faculty  Heather Bailey, Terry Bodenhorn, Cecilia Stiles Cornell, Deborah Kuhn McGregor, Robert K. McGregor, Cindy Nimchuk, Phillip Shaw Paludan, Peter Shapinsky, William H. Siles
Emeritus Faculty  Cullom Davis, Durward Long, Larry Shiner
Adjunct Faculty  Thomas Wood

Contact: (217) 206-6779
his@uis.edu or www.uis.edu/history/
For students interested in the online program hisonline@uis.edu

By emphasizing the link between the past and the contemporary world, the history program seeks to help students understand themselves and the times in which they live. The program encourages students to compare elements of their own culture with those of other cultures from other time periods. Students of history gain a sense of what is unique in, as well as generally characteristic of, individuals, groups, and national cultures in the present as well as the past. 

THE BACHELOR’S DEGREE
The baccalaureate program is organized for citizen‑students who hope to place their world in historical perspective as a means of living rich and intelligent lives. Through understanding change as well as continuity in human institutions, students can grasp the forces shaping their present and future. Education in history at the University of Illinois at Springfield is broad‑based humanities training, providing students with research capabilities, analytical methods, and communication skills that are useful in many fields. The curriculum prepares students for careers in history, politics, government, law, journalism, writing, and administration. Through the applied study experience students are able to test career possibilities where the research and analytical skills of the historian are appropriate. 

ONLINE HISTORY PROGRAM
The online history program, which is identical to the on-campus program except for entrance requirements, allows students to participate actively in dynamic, diverse, and interactive online learning communities and to complete their degrees in their own time and at their own pace via the Internet. The online format enables them to complete coursework using the latest networked information technologies for increased access to educational resources, advisers, and materials.

The online program will accept 20 students per academic year.

Advising
Each student is assigned a faculty adviser to assist in planning an individual program of study responsive to the student's interests and goals and designed to meet the requirements of the history program.

UIS Requirements
Students are required to complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of UIS requirements in the areas of liberal studies colloquia, public affairs colloquia, and applied study. These hours must include at least four hours in each of at least two of these areas. 

Program Requirements
Lower-division Requirements
To pursue a major in history, students must complete the following courses or transfer equivalent courses from an accredited institution:

HIS 201 World History or
HIS 202 European History  3 Hrs.
and
HIS 203 U.S. History  3 Hrs.

Total prerequisites  6 Hrs.

Additional program requirements for the online history program
To be considered for the online program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

* have access to the Internet and possess computer skills necessary to study online
* have achieved a GPA of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) from an accredited college or university 

Additionally, applicants to the online program must submit a statement of intent (not more than 500 words) in which they discuss their

* academic background
* rationale for pursuing a degree in history
* rationale for wanting to complete the degree online at UIS
* plan for progress toward, and completion of, their degree
* other relevant experience

The statement of intent should be mailed to History Program, UHB 3050, University of Illinois at Springfield, One University Plaza, MS UHB 3050, Springfield, IL 62703-5407. 

Application review dates for the online history program
2006-2007 academic year: Review of applications will begin in February. For best consideration, applicants must have all information submitted by February 15. 

Technology needs for online students
PC
333 MHz Intel Pentium processor or equivalent
128 MB of RAM
56 Kbps modem
16-bit sound card and speakers
65,000-color video display card (video)
Windows 98 operating system or newer
Internet connection and Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape 4.7
    or later
Some classes might require CD-ROM. 

Mac
Mac* OS 8.1 or later
128 MB RAM; 65 MB virtual memory
604 PowerPC (200 MHz or better)
Internet connection
Web browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later or
    Netscape 4.7 or later
Some classes might require CD-ROM. 

Graduation requirements for both on-campus and off-campus programs

Upper-division Core Requirements
HIS 301 The Historian’s Craft  3 Hrs.
HIS 303 Understanding U.S. History  3 Hrs.
HIS 401 Senior Seminar (capstone)  3 Hrs.
Two non‑U.S. history courses  8 Hrs.
Elective history courses   16 Hrs.
Electives  15 Hrs.
UIS Requirements   12 Hrs.

Total    60 Hrs.

Courses from other programs may count for history credit when they support the student's degree plan and are approved in advance.

Students must demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret historical sources through submission and acceptance of a research paper. Students and their advisers will confer about the paper, which will be submitted to the assessment committee. 

Learning Experiences
Learning experiences available to history majors include regular classroom courses; independent study and tutorials; and applied study internships at libraries, archives, historic sites, and other institutions, particularly in state government. The history curriculum includes period courses covering America from the colonial era to the present, thematic courses in such areas as imperialism and women's history, courses in European and Asian history, and courses analyzing historic forces shaping the contemporary world. 

HISTORY/TEACHER EDUCATION
History majors can be certified to teach at the elementary or secondary level. Students must apply separately to the teacher education program (TEP). Students seeking certification will be assigned both a history adviser and a TEP adviser, whom they should consult regularly to make sure they satisfy requirements for both the major and certification. Students interested in certification should consult the teacher education section of this catalog. 

HISTORY MINOR
Students must complete a minimum of 16 semester hours of upper‑division course work at UIS. Transfer credit is evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis through the student petition process. Students should consult with a history program faculty member in designing and meeting the requirements for a minor. 

Core Courses
HIS 301 The Historian’s Craft  3 Hrs.
HIS 303 Understanding U.S. History  3 Hrs.
At least one upper-division history elective course in non‑U.S.
     history  4 Hrs.
One upper-division history elective  4 Hrs.
HIS 201, 202, or 203 or approved equivalent  3 Hrs.

Total   17 Hrs. 

Grading Policy for Major and Minor
History courses for which the student has attained a grade of full C or higher (= GPA of 2.00 or higher) will be applied toward the B.A. degree (major or minor). History courses taken as credit/no credit will be applied toward the degree if a grade of CR is attained. History majors may repeat program courses for grade improvement only once without seeking program approval.

THE MASTER’S DEGREE
The master of arts in history emphasizes the field of public history, that is, the blending of academic and applied history with intent to broaden public awareness of the value of studying the past. The public history curriculum is designed to serve students with a variety of goals, including those who seek employment in historical agencies, museums, historical societies, or archives; those interested in becoming teachers; those pursuing careers with business, labor, or community organizations; and those desiring the intellectual stimulation of a challenging discipline.

Public history embraces such skills and subjects as historical editing, sponsored research, community history, historic preservation, oral history, and museum interpretation. Courses and field experiences in these areas are available. Through timely advising and careful course selection, the graduate student may pursue any of these avenues of interest. Whatever the objective, degree candidates should expect to acquire critical and analytical abilities and intellectual breadth appropriate to graduate‑level study. 

Entrance Requirements
Applicants for admission into the master's program in history must either 1) have a baccalaureate degree with an undergraduate major in history, political science, economics, English, or sociology; or 2) demonstrate sufficient undergraduate course work in the social sciences and/or the humanities to prepare for graduate‑level study in history, or the equivalent in experience and achievement. Applicants who show deficient backgrounds in history courses may be required to take additional course work before they are admitted to the graduate program.

All applicants must submit a sample of their writing as described in the program application materials. Although it is not required, applicants may also submit one or more of the following: GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, a history research paper, or documentation of work experience in the field of history. 

M.A. Requirements
Master's degree candidates in history must complete 44 semester hours distributed as follows:

The Public History Core   4 Hrs.
HIS 501 Graduate History Colloquium (satisfies 4 hours of the campus' communication skills requirement)
HIS 502 Public History Colloquium   4 Hrs.
HIS 503 Researching and Writing History  4 Hrs.
HIS 510 Graduate Readings Seminar  4 Hrs.
HIS 570 Public History Internship and Project or
HIS 580 Thesis  8 Hrs.

Total Core  24 Hrs.

Other Requirements
Public history courses emphasizing methods and applications
    (consult faculty adviser for details)  8‑12 Hrs.
Other history courses emphasizing periods, regions, or themes
     in history  8‑12 Hrs.

Total Other     20 Hrs.

Total   44 Hrs.

Advising
During the first semester of study, each student is assigned an initial faculty adviser who assists in defining career goals, selecting courses, and developing an education plan. 

Closure Requirements
To attain a master's degree, the student must complete either a master's thesis or an internship and project. Candidates must successfully complete at least three of the core requirements (HIS 501, 502, 503, and 510) before enrolling in credit hours toward the closure requirement (HIS 570 or 580).

The thesis is a formal written presentation of historical research based on primary sources. The project derives from an internship served with a historical agency or other entity. Students must enroll for a total of eight hours' credit in the master's internship and project course (HIS 570) or the master's thesis course (HIS 580); however, these hours may be accrued in increments. Campus policy requires that students enroll in a closure exercise each semester after they have begun their graduate closure exercise until that exercise is completed. This means that those history students whose project or thesis is not completed by the end of eight semester hours of continuous enrollment in HIS 570 or HIS 580 must register for HIS 571 or HIS 581 (zero credit hours, one billable hour), respectively, in all subsequent semesters (except summer terms) until the project or thesis is completed.

The master's project or thesis requirement is designed to encourage students to use the rich resources available in the Springfield area, including the campus' own archives and the Illinois Regional Archival Depository collections. There are also primary and secondary sources available in the Illinois State Library, the State Archives, the State Museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, the Sangamon Valley Collection of Springfield's Lincoln Library, and several historic sites in the area. 

Grading Policy
Students must earn a grade of B or better (= GPA 3.00 or higher) in all courses counting toward the master's degree. Students may petition the program for exceptions to this policy. History graduate students may repeat program courses for grade improvement only once without seeking program approval. 

Graduate Credit in 400‑Level Courses
Graduate students enrolled in 400‑level courses are expected to perform at a higher level than undergraduates and to complete extra work as defined by the instructor. Examples of such work include reading and reporting on material in addition to that required of undergraduate students, completing an annotated bibliography in the professional literature of the field, or meeting separately with the instructor to research a specified topic.