Academic and vocational goals: A field of concentration in history is an excellent preparation for professional or vocational training and an avenue to cultural enrichment. Careers in education, law, civil and military governmental service, business, museum curatorships, librarianship, theology, and journalism may begin with a background including a sound undergraduate major in history. Increasingly, businesses are willing, even eager, to employ liberal arts graduates, who often have a stronger grasp of how society works and better communications skills than more narrowly-focused students do. Although most of these careers require graduate or concurrent undergraduate training, history students have the advantage of a broad, diversified undergraduate education in their applications for graduate and professional schools.

The faculty, particularly the undergraduate advisers, are an important source of information about specific vocational objectives. Taken collectively the faculty members have at one or another time in their careers worked in most of the vocations suggested above. Students may direct their questions about careers available to history majors to their adviser or the Chief Departmental Adviser. If they wish formal vocational testing, career planning, and placement service, they are advised to contact the Student Counseling Service and Career Services Office. These organizations are eager to help students, who should not be reluctant to avail themselves of the services provided early in their college careers. Students are strongly urged to develop some skill-oriented competence, for example, by courses in mathematics, accountancy, business statistics, system analysis, or office administration, as a hedge against disappointment regarding career objectives.

A major in history is also simply intellectually rewarding: it stimulates cultural awareness and enlarges and refines personal perceptions of the cultural conditions of human existence.

Departmental offerings are as varied as the diverse interests of history faculty members and include nearly all major areas and periods of historical study. Specialists in political, social, economic, intellectual, religious, constitutional, military, and legal history offer courses in these fields.

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Independent Studies: HST 277, 377, 477 (1-5 credit hours, with a maximum of 10 for all independent studies) are available for independent reading and research under the guidance of a member of the history faculty. The student should have at least sophomore standing, the permission of the instructor, and must complete the Independent Studies registration form available in the department office.

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Advanced Placement (AP) and Transfer Credit: The History Department accepts AP scores of 4 or 5 for credit in HST 111-112 (American History test), HST 122 (European History test), and HST 198 (World History test). The department recognizes all transfer work accepted by the Miami University Registrar, subject to the departmental residency requirements stated below.

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Internships: The HST 340 Internship is reserved for majors in the History Department who have attained at least junior standing. From 1 to 12 semester hours may be granted for HST 340 in any one semester. The History Department discourages applying more than three semester hours of internship credit to the requirements of the History major, but up to 16 hours may be applied toward the baccalaureate degree.

Internships must be approved prior to registration by the supervising faculty member and the Department Chair.

Internship credit may not be obtained for university service or activities.

As a general guide, 40-50 hours of work on site would constitute about one hour of academic credit (1 credit hour = 16 hours of class time plus 32 hours of non-class time).

An “Internship Agreement” form must be submitted to the Department Chair. Forms are available in the History Department office, Room 254 Upham. Also, the student must deliver a letter in which the host entity supervisor agrees to manage the internship, explains the intern’s responsibilities, and agrees to submit a letter of evaluation of the internship to the faculty sponsor at the completion of the experience.

Students must be enrolled in the internship course at the same time as they are completing the internship (for example, one may not sign up for internship credit in the Fall term for an internship completed over the summer). Please remember that the university will bill you for any credit hours for which you enroll, including internship hours in the summer, at the prevailing rate.

By the completion of the internship activity, the student must have presented to the supervising faculty member an essay (or its agreed-upon equivalent) of a length and sophistication commensurate with the work done during the internship and the number of HST 340 hours taken (normally a “term paper” of about 20 pages is considered suitable for 3 credit hours). This document should analyze and reflect upon the lessons learned during and from the experience, and be of an appropriate academic rigor. Also, the student must submit a statement from the supervising entity describing the intern’s performance. Both documents must be acceptable to the supervising faculty member before credit is granted.

To assist students contemplating an internship, the director of Undergraduate Studies will maintain an open file of proposals and written work produced during completed internships.

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Graduate Courses for Seniors: A senior at Miami University who has completed at least 112 semester credit hours toward his/her baccalaureate degree and has earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and an average of 3.00 in the field in which he/she wishes to take courses for graduate credit may apply for permission to do so. Approval must be granted by the course instructor, the student's undergraduate adviser, and the Graduate School. Credit from graduate courses will not count toward the baccalaureate degree. Up to 10 hours of such work, however, may be counted toward a graduate degree. Application forms are available in the Graduate School office.

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A = Overall: Superior performance; consistent excellence in both written assignments and class participation. Essays (exams, papers, reviews): Answers the question directly or states and explains a thesis. The argument is clear, coherent and complete, with a structured analysis and clear explanations of analytic points along the way. Presents a synthesis of the ideas and the details. The evidence used to support the analysis is accurate and appropriate to the point it is illustrating. The best essays demonstrate mastery of class themes and materials but go beyond them to readings and knowledge gained elsewhere. Few or only minor errors.

B = Overall: Good performance in both written and oral work. All assigned work is completed accurately and well; both written and oral work demonstrate knowledge and understanding of principles in spite of occasional errors. Essays (exams, papers, reviews): Answers the question directly but lacks depth of analysis of some aspect of the theme or clear support. Writing is clear and generally shows logical organization, but may not answer the question entirely or integrate the material as well as an A essay. Evidence is used to support the analysis but not as effectively or directly as in an A essay. May be strong on analysis with factual inaccuracies or contain weaker arguments with only minor inaccuracies.

C = Overall: Adequate performance in both written and oral work. Shows understanding of many of the basic concepts of the course but there is frequent inaccuracy or error. Essays (exams, papers, reviews): Doesn't answer the question, has a weak thesis, contains many errors or simply presents undigested facts -- student has demonstrated that he/she has learned from the class but not understood the historical context of that knowledge. Could also be written work which is generally good, well-argued but containing crucial factual errors, or lacking supporting details.

D = Overall: Poor performance in both written and oral work. Work demonstrates some familiarity with basic concepts but is only barely acceptable. Essays (exams, papers, reviews): Barely shows new knowledge or understanding of that knowledge. Few facts, little evidence, little coherence or many mistakes. Doesn't answer the question or address the theme. Writing skills prevent understanding of the argument.

F = Overall: Unacceptable performance in written and oral work. Work is missing or fundamentally deficient. Essays: No effort shown, totally inaccurate or showing minimal relation to class goals. Plagiarized work.

Summary points about grading written work.
Written work is graded on the level of the:
1. analytical thinking -- is the argument well-developed?
2. organization and style -- is the language clear and correct, are the sequence of points in the argument clear and logical?
3. understanding materials -- is the information used, the historical chronology and the details of events accurate and accurately applied?
4. context -- are the connections shown between the information and the arguments?
5. attribution -- are the sources accurately attributed?

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