Department website: http://www.umsl.edu/~umslhistory/
General Information
Students and Faculty in the History Department are curious and creative. We ask big questions about the past to understand the present and build the future. Faculty members bring our diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise to the courses we offer in African, African American, European, Latin American, Japanese, World, and United States history from ancient to modern times. Our students go on to thrive in a wide range of careers: business, museums and public history, education, libraries, law, management and more
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Bachelor in History
The department offers a B.A. and minor in history. Students can complete the History major and minor online. Students can access internship and research opportunities through our partnerships with museums, archives, schools, and cultural organizations. Majors and minors build their skills in writing, research, communication, and analysis, and enjoy small, advanced level classes, ensuring they receive individual attention from faculty committed to their intellectual and professional development. In cooperation with the College of Education, students can complete the B.S. Ed. in Secondary Education with Emphasis in History and Social Studies and the B.A. in History with Secondary Social Studies Teacher Certification.
Bachelor of Liberal Studies
A minor in history may be combined with a minor in another discipline and a capstone to form a Bachelor of Liberal Studies. The relevant capstones are either HIST 4999 or any HIST 4142/HIST 4143 level course. Since students taking HIST 4999 must have taken HIST 3199, it is suggested such students use this class to satisfy the Logic and Methodology requirement. Students can use the same course to satisfy the Logic and Methodology requirement of both minors, but cannot use the same science courses. Also, a Bachelor of Liberal Studies program is easily combined, in turn, with a major in any science as a double major. Employers appreciate this pathway as it provides graduates with a deeper historical and conceptual understanding of the science(s) they are studying.
Accelerated Master's Program
The Accelerated Master's Program in history allows students to complete the requirements for both a B.A. and M.A. in five years of full-time study. This program is intended for students of strong academic ability. In order to take full advantage of this accelerated program, students should work with their advisor to map out their program schedule in advance.
Certificates and Minors
Faculty collaborations on campus and in the community make the History Department a starting place for interdisciplinary certificates and minors in Anthropology, African American and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Global Health and Medicine, LatinX Studies, and East Asian Studies. Students can also minor in History or Anthropology.
Master's Programs
At the graduate level, the department offers an M.A. in History and an emphasis in Museums, Heritage, and Public History. The department also offers a graduate certificate in History Education and a graduate certificate in Museums, Heritage and Public History. These certificates can be taken by themselves or in conjunction with the M.A. in History or M.Ed. in Secondary Education.
Career Outlook for Graduates
Study and research in history sharpens organizational and writing skills important to success in a variety of fields. Our graduates thrive in many careers: business, museums and public history, libraries, law, non-profits and advocacy, management, banking, foreign service, and education. Interest in local history has created employment opportunities in museum, archival, and preservation work that are growing faster than average. Whether they pursue a career directly in the field or in other professions, History alumni appreciate their training for its strong foundation in essential skills. For more information on the national outlook for history majors, see American Historical Association's Career Resources.
Courses
Courses offered by the department can be found at the links below:
History (HIST)
Anthropology (ANTHRO)
Laura M. Westhoff
Professor and Chair
Ph.D, Washington University
Michael Cosmopoulos
Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Endowed Professor of Greek Studies and Professor of Archaeology
Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis
Laura Miller
Eiichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies and Professor of History
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Lara Kelland
Des Lee Endowed Professor in Museum Studies and Community History
Ph.D. , University of Illinois-Chicago
Susan E. Brownell
Professor
Ph.D., University of California - Santa Barbara
Kevin J. Fernlund
Professor
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Andrew J. Hurley
Professor
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Certificate in Public History and Cultural Heritage
Minsoo Kang
Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Deborah Cohen
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Priscilla Dowden-White
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Indiana-Bloomington
Kara Moskowitz
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Emory University
Anne Austin
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , University of California - Los Angeles
Ian Varga
Assistant Teaching Professor
PhD, Florida State University
John Hoover
Adjunct Professor and Director, St. Louis Mercantile Library
M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia
Mark A. Burkholder
Curators' Professor Emeritus
Ph.D, Duke University
John R. Gillingham
Curators' Professor Emeritus
Ph.D, University of California, Berkeley
Gerda Ray
Professor Emerita
Ph.D., University California, Berkeley
Blanche M. Touhill
Professor Emerita and Chancellor Emerita
Ph.D., St. Louis University
Jerry M. Cooper
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Paul Corby Finney
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Harvard University
Louis Gerteis
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Steven C. Hause
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Washington University
Charles P. Korr
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
William S. Maltby
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Duke University
Steven W. Rowan
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D. , Harvard
Carlos A. Schwantes
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Robert Bliss
Associate Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
J. Frederick Fausz
Associate Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., William and Mary
Winston Hsieh
Associate Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Harvard University
Peter Acsay
Teaching Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
