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)

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

Lynn B. Zastoupil. 1988. B.A., Dickinson State College; M.A., University of Texas; Ph.D., University of Minnesota. (Modern Britain, India, European intellectual history)  

Associate Professors

Charles Hughes. 2012. 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)

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)

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

Assistant 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)

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)

Staff

Laura M. Jacobsen. Departmental Assistant. 2023. Calvin University.
 

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. The student normally begins preparing a proposal by taking a directed inquiry in the spring of the junior year.The formal research proposal must be accepted by the Department early in the student’s senior year. The project must be completed and approved by the supervising committee by April.

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. At least one course in each of three of the following areas:
   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.