Department of History and Government

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Mission

The Department contributes to Bowie State University’s major mission as a regional comprehensive liberal arts university. It provides an atmosphere that promotes intellectual development, scholarship, and critical thinking for its diverse student body. In addition, students who major in history and government have the opportunity to experience the responsibilities and rewards of leadership. This combination of learning and personal challenge enables our graduates to face the demands of the twenty-first century with confidence.

Goals

Consonant with Bowie State University’s mission as an institution of higher learning committed to a tradition of free inquiry, the goals of the department are:

1. To foster an atmosphere conducive to the fruitful exchange of ideas between students and faculty.
2. To train students proficiently in content and methodology in the departmental concentrations of their choice.
3. To provide opportunities for critical study which will build marketable skills in a variety of fields.
4. To give students in the sequences a level of training which will enable them to succeed in graduate studies and professional schools, or to pursue careers in academia, government, or business.

Description of the Department

The Department offers an interdisciplinary degree program in history and government with concentrations in History, History Education and Government, as well as minors in the following areas: ggeography, philosophy, history, pan african studies, women’s studies, historical management, government, international relations, public Policy, and pre-law. The program aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the complex historical, social, economic, and political forces within society, and it seeks to promote students’ critical thinking skills. Students who choose either the history or the government sequence may pursue either a BA or a BS degree. Students who choose the history (social studies) education program must pursue a BS degree. To receive a BA/BS in History and Government, the student must complete 120 semester hours. To receive a BS in History and Government with a history (social studies) education concentration, the student must complete 128/129 semester hours. The minors in the Department are based on specific courses and have the following credit hours: geography (15), philosophy (15), history (18), pan-African studies (12), women’s studies (18), historical management (36), government (15), international relations (12), public policy (12), and pre-law (15).

Graduation Requirements

1. Foreign Language: Students in the BA program must take and pass, with a “C” or better, 12 semester hours of a second language other than English. In some cases, a foreign language proficiency examination may be substituted for the course requirement.
2. Senior Thesis: Students, except those in the history (social studies) education concentration, must write a thesis paper in their senior year.
3. Comprehensive Examination: Students must take and pass a written departmental comprehensive examination in their concentration during the senior year.
4. The Bowie State University English Proficiency Examination: All majors must take and pass the Bowie State University Writing Proficiency Examination after successful completion of ENGL 101: Expository Writing and ENGL 102: Argument and Research. Transfer students who completed their English composition requirements at another university must take the Writing Proficiency Examination during their first semester of enrollment at Bowie State. Effective Fall 2017, the English Proficiency Examination will no longer be a graduation requirement for students with the admit term of Fall 2017.
5. History (Social Studies) Education Majors must take PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II and achieve a passing score set by the Maryland State Department of Education in order to be certified by the State of Maryland. Passing scores on the PRAXIS are a prerequisite for several courses in the professional sequence, including methods courses and student teaching. Passing scores on PRAXIS I as well as both parts of PRAXIS II are required for graduation.

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
History and Government Major

The Department of History and Government offers the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in history and government. Students who wish to earn the BA degree are required to complete twelve semester hours of a foreign language in addition to other requirements. The BA/BS degrees in history and government require a minimum of forty-two semester hours for majors in the history concentration and forty-five semester hours for majors in the government concentration. The BS degree in history and government requires thirty-six semester hours for majors in the history (social studies) concentration.

Students who wish to pursue a major or minor in history and government must earn a grade of “C” or higher in departmental courses.

For additional information about the Department of History and Government click on the following link:https://www.bowiestate.edu/academics-research/colleges/college-arts-sciences/departments/history-and-government/

Programs

• History and Government - History (Social Studies) Education Concentration, BS

• History and Government - General History Concentration, BA/BS
• History and Government - Government Concentration, BA/BS

• Geography Minor
• Government Minor
• Historical Management Minor
• History Minor
• International Studies Minor
• Pan-African Studies Minor
• Philosophy Minor
• Pre-Law Minor
• Public Policy Minor
• Women’s Studies Minor

Return to: College of Arts and Sciences