2012-2013 Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]
History
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Faculty
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Academic Program
The history department provides advanced professional education as preparation for a variety of careers through the three programs it offers: the MA in History , the MA in History and Archival Studies , and the PhD in History . Traditionally, historians have worked in academic settings as scholars and teachers, or in closely related institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums. Increasingly, however, advanced education in history is being regarded as broad-based humanistic training, equipping students with research capabilities, writing skills, analytical methods, and communications skills that are useful in many fields. The history department welcomes students who wish to teach in secondary schools, community colleges, four-year universities, and students who intend to pursue non-teaching careers.
While the core faculty in the history department emphasizes individual instruction and frequent advising and mentoring, the history department also draws on the combined faculties of The Claremont Colleges with a resulting staff equivalent to that of a much larger university. Yet, because of the unique organization of the Graduate University and its focus on student-centeredness, the history department always strives to ensure that students have maximum access to faculty, staff, and facilities. The students who enter the department each year are carefully selected on the basis of interest and proven ability.
Instruction in history is carried on in seminars. Classes are small and the favorable student-faculty ratio allows for an unusual amount of individual attention from faculty members. Students work with faculty advisers in planning their course of study; candidates for the Ph.D. work closely with a faculty committee composed of professors in the student’s fields of study.
Research libraries proliferate in southern California and students in the History department can gain access to a wide range of primary and secondary resources while they attend the Graduate University. Foremost among these resources are the Libraries of The Claremont Colleges which provide excellent research facilities and resources. Also in Claremont is the library of the Claremont School of Theology. The Huntington Library, one of the world’s finest research libraries for English and American history, is in nearby San Marino.
Concentrations
The department offers a number of interdisciplinary concentrations related to the fields of American or European history, such as American Studies, European Studies, and Early Modern Studies (see below). For more information about these concentrations and their requirements, students should consult with their advisors and the History Department Student Handbook.
American Studies
This concentration is designed for graduate students who prefer a multidisciplinary approach to the history and character of American culture and society. The assumption of the program is that multidisciplinary studies enhance the study of American history, and degree programs are intended to reflect that.
European Studies
The European studies program equips students with new and traditional methods of research and with the skills to teach general courses in European civilization, general humanities courses, interdisciplinary courses, and specialized courses in European cultural and intellectual history. Course offerings are tailored to the needs and concerns of students in the program, but the program’s emphasis lies in modern and early modern European cultural and intellectual history.
Early Modern Studies
Early Modern Studies is a transdisciplinary concentration available to masters’ and doctoral students in the Arts and Humanities departments of English, History, and Philosophy. It is aimed at 1) preparing students for PhD-level work at U.S. universities in one of the above three disciplines or 2) providing a discrete course of study that complements CGU MA coursework in archival or museum studies.
Links to Specific Degrees or Further Information
History, MA
History and Archival Studies, MA
History, PhD
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