The Department of History at Rhodes has a national reputation for preparing students to think critically about the historical forces that have shaped the world’s civilizations and cultures, see the links between the past and the present, become clear and effective writers and speakers, and to apply their knowledge as thoughtful citizens of the world.  A wide range of course offerings, internships, fellowships, and research opportunities empower students to prepare for success in any career path which they choose and to find their place within the ongoing human story.

Decades’ worth of data gathered by the Rhodes College Alumni Office shows how Rhodes History alumni have succeeded in an amazingly wide range of occupations from filmmaking and urban planning to museums and teaching at the university level.  Our graduates work as account executives, business managers, musicians, journalists, members of the US military, counselors, marketers, librarians and archivists, IT specialists, pilots, social workers, brokers, Peace Corps veterans, real estate developers, non-profit executives, artists, restauranteurs -- and that’s just the beginning. 

History Course Numbering

History 100-level courses. History 101 and History 102 are the Department's two-semester sequence, "Sacred Histories," which fulfills the first-year requirement to "critically examine personal, social, and cultural values" (F1). This sequence also fulfills one of the “written communication” (F2i) requirements and the “historical forces” (F3) requirement. History 105 courses are writing intensive seminars focused on specific topics and fulfill one of the “written communication” (F2i) requirements and the “historical forces” (F3) requirement. 

History 200-level courses. These courses cover a broad chronological span or large geographical area and are introductory in nature. The 200-level courses are open to all students and fulfill the "historical forces" (F3) requirement. Several of these courses also fulfill other Foundation requirements, including "critically examine personal, social, and cultural values" (F1), "read and interpret literary texts" (F4), "institution and society" (F8), and "cultural perspectives" (F9).

History 300-level courses. These courses focus on specific topics or time periods, while paying significant attention to historiography. Students are required to make a significant oral presentation. Sophomore standing is required for these courses, unless otherwise noted. Several of these courses also fulfill Foundation requirements, including "critically examine personal, social, and cultural values" (F1) and "cultural perspectives" (F9).

History 400-level courses. These courses focus on specific topics or time periods, while paying significant attention to historiography. Students are required to complete a substantive research paper in which they engage substantially with primary sources. Sophomore standing is required for these courses, unless otherwise noted.

Professors

Timothy S. Huebner. 1995. B.A., University of Miami; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Florida. (U.S. South, nineteenth century, U.S. constitutional/legal history)

Jeffrey H. Jackson. 2000. B.S., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., University of Rochester. (Modern Europe, France, cultural history, natural disasters)

Charles W. McKinney, Jr., 2004. B.A., Morehouse College; M.A. and Ph.D., Duke University. (African-American history, civil rights studies, twentieth-century United States)

Etty Terem. 2008. B.A. and M.A., Tel Aviv University; Ph.D., Harvard University. (Modern Middle East and North Africa, Islamic law and society)

Associate Professors

Sarah Ifft Decker. 2020. B.A., Swarthmore College; M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Yale University. (Medieval Mediterranean, Spain, economic, Jewish, women/gender)

Charles Hughes. 2012. The J.J. McComb Chair in History. B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., University of Wisconsin. (African-American history, popular music and culture, twentieth-century United States)

Tait S. Keller. 2008. Chair. B.A., University of Rochester; M.A. and Ph.D., Georgetown University. (Environmental history, modern Europe, Germany)

Michael J. LaRosa. 1995. The Irma O. Sternberg Professor of History. B.A., George Washington University; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Miami. (Contemporary Latin America, Colombia, church history)

Seok-Won Lee. 2011. B.A., and M.A., Yonsei University; Ph.D. Cornell University. (Modern East Asia)

Samson Ndanyi. 2018. B.S. and M.S., Towson University; M.A., Morgan State University; Ph.D., Indiana University, Bloomington. (African history, African American studies, African diaspora studies, world history)

Robert F. Saxe. 2003. B.A., Reed College; Ph.D., University of Illinois. (Twentieth-century United States, political history, war and society)

Assistant Professors

Charity Clay. 2024. B.A., DePaul University; M.S. and Ph.D., Texas A&M University. (African-American history, oral history)

Jasper St. Bernard. 2024. B.A., University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point; Ph.D., University of Memphis. (African-American philosophy, ethics, philosophy of race)

Staff

Laura M. Jacobsen. Departmental Assistant. 2023. B.A., Calvin University.
 

Honors in History is a senior level experience which culminates in a major scholarly project. It is a means by which a student may do more independent, intensive, and individual work than can be done in the regular degree program.

Requirements for Honors in History

1. Completion of all requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, as well as a minimum overall grade point average of 3.50 and a minimum History grade point average of 3.50.
2. Completion of History 495-496.
3. Completion of a major research project, culminating in a research paper and an oral presentation.

Students considering Honors normally take a Directed Inquiry in the second semester of the junior year with the faculty sponsor. Emphasis in the Directed Inquiry will be topic/project selection, preliminary research, and thesis, research question(s), or project definition development. Students are also expected to begin the Honors proposal and application in the Directed Inquiry, both of which are due early in the first semester of senior year. Otherwise, such preparatory work will have to be done during the summer before the senior year.

The Honors proposal is submitted to the faculty sponsor and the Department in the first week of classes senior year. The proposal should outline the project, its significance, and the methodology chosen for the study or creative activity. The Honors proposal must be accepted by the Department before the student can submit an Honors Registration form to the Registrar’s Office in order to be officially registered for Honors.

The final Honors project must be completed and approved by the supervising committee by April. Honors cannot be awarded until the Registrar has been notified by the Department that all Honors work has been completed satisfactorily and that an overall average of at least A- has been earned for the Honors credit attempted.

Requirements for a major in History

A total of 11 courses (44 credits) as follows:

1. History 485 (Senior Seminar)
2. Ten (10) additional courses at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels, selected according to the following principles:
   1. Of the ten courses, no more than two sections of History 105 may count as major electives. Students in the two-semester F1 sequence, History 101 and History 102, may count no more more than one section of History 105 as a major elective.
   2. Of the ten courses, at least two must be seminar courses at the 300 level.
   3. Of the ten courses, at least two must be seminar courses at the 400 level. (History 460 does not fulfill this requirement.)
   4. Of the ten courses taken at all levels, at least one must be taken in five of the six areas listed below:
      1. History of Asia
      2. History of Europe
      3. Global/Comparative History
      4. History of Latin America
      5. History of North Africa/Middle East
      6. History of the United States
   5. Of the ten courses taken at all levels, at least one must concentrate in the period prior to 1500 CE. The following courses meet that requirement: History 101, 102, 211, 212, 213, 222, 223, 271, 282, 293, 311, 312, 313, 375, 385, and 412. (There may be special topics as well.)
   6. History 460 may count as a 200-level history course, although it does not fulfill one of the area requirements list above.

Credit earned through AP or IB may count as History 205 elective courses with the appropriate geographic area under subsection d above. Students may apply up to two AP/IB history courses to the History major.

A total of 5 courses (20 credits) as follows:

1. No more than two sections of History 105 may count as minor electives. Students in the two-semester F1 sequence, History 101 and History 102, may count no more than one section of History 105 as a minor elective.
2. At least two courses at the 300 or 400 level. (History 460 does not fulfill this requirement.)
3. Of the five courses taken at all levels, at least one must be taken in three of the six areas listed below:
   1. History of Asia
   2. History of Europe
   3. Global/Comparative History
   4. History of Latin America
   5. History of North Africa/Middle East
   6. History of the United States
4. History 460 may count as a 200-level history course, although it does not fulfill one of the area requirements listed above.

Credit earned through AP or IB may count as History 205 elective courses with the appropriate geographic area under Requirement 3 above. Students may apply one AP/IB history course to the History minor.