U.S. History not required for History Majors

[Designer]

At Liberal Colleges, American History No Longer Required for History Majors
By Howard Portnoy December 26, 2016



As the end of the year approaches, it might instructive to glance back at the concessions made not only during the past year but throughout the entirety of the obamasshole years to snowflakes on college campuses throughout the nation.

As we draw up the final tally of which concession deserves the booby prize for the dumbest, a late entry from George Washington University in D.C. may be up there among the semi-finalists.

According to The College Fix, courses in U.S. history will no longer be a requirement for (drum roll!) history majors at GWU. Purportedly designed to give history majors more latitude in their pursuit of their chosen field of inquiry, the department has eliminated requirements in U.S., North American, and European history.

The new requirements mandate at least one introductory course, of which American history, World History and European civilization are options. Yet, like at many elite universities, the introductory course requirement may be fulfilled by scoring a 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement exams for either U.S. History AP, European History AP or World History AP.

It gets better:

Earlier this year, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a report revealing that fewer than one-third of the nation’s leading universities require history majors to take a single course in U.S. history. George Washington University now joins those ranks. [Emphasis added]

Here’s hoping that in the coming year and the years to follow, universities once again discover their backbones and turn a deaf ear on complaints about triggers and microaggressions, as well as demands for safe spaces, and return to the job of preparing young adults for life in the real world.

[Tbeck]

I am not aware of many "history" programs that require US History. Depending upon the students area of specialization, it makes no sense to require a study of history that isn't relevant.
Maybe it would make more sense if we looked at history majors for what they are, "research" specialists. So if for example your specialty area is Roman antiquities, would a student not be better served taking a course on this topic rather than a course on the civil war?
Obviously if we were talking about a social studies/education major the requirements would be different.

Have a good one folks..... T

[Sandmanrrr]

Its required of any tyrannical government to remove its history. They usually kill the teachers and historians. Here they indoctrinate the and make them professors. If they don't comply, they destroy them.

[NE_FL]

Seems that a well educated individual would know his own country's history as well as if not better than the history of other countries in the world. So in that respect US history should be a requirement for a degree in any major.

[Designer]

Its required of any tyrannical government to remove its history. They usually kill the teachers and historians. Here they indoctrinate the and make them professors. If they don't comply, they destroy them.

Yes, you are quite correct.

History records this been done in Socialistic Governments repeatedly. And that is EXACTLY what is happening in our Representative Republic for Many Years now. Put forth by liberals who have been Brain-washed/Indoctrinated with the Socialistic Poison. It never stops advancing more and more Governmental Largess until it ends up a Totalitarian Dictatorial Regime.

That,..... along with a deliberate Redefining of words to fit that Agenda.

[Tbeck]

I will post to this thread a last time and head off because I believe that folk's are not looking at this objectively.
History majors in college are basically attending college to train in their chosen occupation much like a welder, carpenter, or machinist might attend a vocational education program. It would be rather silly for a welder to take classes in say cooking to become a welder, of this I am sure we'd all agree.
History majors specialize in specific area's of history. Learning or attempting to learn all of human history would be an impossible undertaking.
Take Dr.Bob for example; he specialized in WWII maritime history. Making him take classes in say British history from 1700-1900 might be a complete waste of time given his specialty area.
Not requiring US history for a degree in history is not politically motivated. It is intended to allow the history student's to focus their course selection to better enhance their future occupation. This brings up the second item that needs weighed; history majors write, study, translate, and document historical source's. Sometimes they work at university, but many times they don't. However if they do teach in university they teach their specialty. If teaching anything else their training in research comes into play.
My major was in history, ancient history. I also picked up a minor in Ed. Had I not picked up the minor in Ed, I would not have taken any US history. As it was I took a single course covering US history during the civil war period, and another course on US policy 1889-1948.
We (the history majors) bitched constantly about having to attend a course that didn't relate to our specialty. The way we were looking at this was we'd be better served taking a course that was covering content in our specialty.
I can't explain it better than that. Where some may view this as a political policy or agenda, I can tell you it is not. $4-5k a class and having to take classes not relevant to the degree is all that is driving this.
I hope this helps explain the practice raised, but in all honesty it has been this way for decade's at most universities that offer a history major. I suppose it was newly discovered by the writer of the article and a ideal topic to stimulate political banter.
Be safe and I really need to go do something constructive....

[Designer]

Seems that a well educated individual would know his own country's history as well as if not better than the history of other countries in the world. So in that respect US history should be a requirement for a degree in any major.

And that makes complete sense. [space] They are "training' to be a Historian. So,....what can be more relevant than...HISTORY! [space] Requiring A History Major to take at least One (1) course in the history of a Nation that is SO prominent in the History Of The World is far from Unreasonable, but indeed makes Perfect and Reasonable Sense, of this I am sure we'd all agree.

It's not they are being asked to take a course in welding, carpentry or cooking. Requiring a course in those things would be irrelevant and would be something to bitch about.


Furthermore, Majoring in History is NOT like a Narrowed Focus as is done when one goes for a Doctorate,....A College Major in History covers a Much Broader Spectrum.....then after graduating from that one might go for a Graduate a Doctorate that focuses on a more specific field of study or time frame.

And as we have seen......the climate and course offerings in the College realms has DEFINITELY been a Politically motivated one. The examples are all to readily available for anyone to find via a simple Search. An Objective Look will reveal the steadily increasing path of Courses offered (and voicing of Teachings) that Degrade America, Promote Racism, Promote Socialism (in it's various levels and manifestations) Attack Capitalism and Divide us..(not unite us).

After this objective search, it becomes Clear... in the context of Recent History...that the liberals are infecting,...not teaching,...Our Children,.... of this I am sure we'd all agree.

[Tbeck]

Lol, guess I shouldn't have looked again.
A bachelor's degree in history is VERY focused. In fact it requires a potential grad to propose a thesis, accomplish extensive research, write the supporting research paper, submit for peer review, revise or add additional support and finally defend their research before a panel of recognized historians. Their isn't a great deal of difference between the bachelor's degree requirements and a doctorate's. Both require several years of concentrated research and the associated writings and submissions.
I am also 99.99 percent sure all history degrees are art's awarded primarily at liberal arts colleges and universities. Liberal as in broad curriculum.
Designer, I do understand where you are coming from but to be honest, US history has had zero impact on the area of my concentration. For my studies, being required to take even a single US history course would amount to extortion had I not picked up a minor in Ed. We had some history majors who focused on 20th century US history, and fortunately they didn't have to take ancient history to graduate. It all balances out.
Now I am aware of some state college's that don't offer enough history content courses in REAL historical area's to justify graduating any student with any type of BA in history or social studies. That however is a totally separate discussion.
Be safe and I hope the info I've provided gives you a little more to consider. I am not going to say your position is wrong, just saying that if you were a history major and you had to drop $4-5k on a class irrelevant to your studies, you might feel differently.
Now I really am going, cheers

[NE_FL]

Not requiring and eliminating courses in U.S., North American, and European History, even for those majoring in History, is just another effort by liberals, infesting our educational system at the highest levels, to erase our past, and at some point reinsert a revisionist version from a liberal point of view. The Caucasian (the white man) will no longer be considered an accomplished race leading the way in scientific, cultural, artistic, and nation building (our own) achievements. The new version will depict our History to be one of making advances by standing on the collective necks of others (the black race, the orientals, the Arabs, the native North Americans, and on and on). When the liberal revisionist version of our History has been completed, don't be surprised if U.S., North American, and European History are once again required courses for History majors.


.

[Designer]

Not requiring and eliminating courses in U.S., North American, and European History, even for those majoring in History, is just another effort by liberals, infesting our educational system at the highest levels, to erase our past, and at some point reinsert a revisionist version from a liberal point of view. The Caucasian (the white man) will no longer be considered an accomplished race leading the way in scientific, cultural, artistic, and nation building (our own) achievements. The new version will depict our History to be one of making advances by standing on the collective necks of others (the black race, the orientals, the Arabs, the native North Americans, and on and on). When the liberal revisionist version of our History has been completed, don't be surprised if U.S., North American, and European History are once again required courses for History majors.

Exactly correct. [emoji106]

As I had said...(but some don't seem to want to acknowledge)...there is along history of liberals doing so within our Educational System. And as I said,....(but some don't seem to want to acknowledge)....all it takes is a simple search to verify what you stated.

It is totally absurd to make the comparison of requiring a History Major to take a course in American History (a Nation that has HUGE impact on recent History),...is like requiring a Welding Student to take a class in Cooking.

That is just a plain wayyyyy off comparison......of this I am sure we'd all agree.



So,.... now we have heard ....."I will post to this thread a last time and head off because..." [space] and "....I really need to go do something constructive...." [space] That **suddenly** isn't all that true, because then we read....."Lol, guess I shouldn't have looked again"



Anyone recognize a familiar pattern from the Purple Board?.....

[VRH]

Seems that a well educated individual would know his own country's history as well as if not better than the history of other countries in the world. So in that respect US history should be a requirement for a degree in any major.

Not always:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaHc-aZZBo0

;IDunno:

[HARRIS]

ISN'T TODAY A TOTAL THE PRODUCT OF ALL THAT HAS GONE BEFORE .....

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE EXPLAINS WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY. RELEVANCE, AND PRECEDING'S DETERMINE WHAT IS WHY THINGS ARE BEING DONE TODAY. WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION OF HOW WE

GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, HOW WOULD WE KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT DID AND DIDN'T WORK

[Designer]

ISN'T TODAY A TOTAL THE PRODUCT OF ALL THAT HAS GONE BEFORE .....

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE EXPLAINS WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY. RELEVANCE, AND PRECEDING'S DETERMINE WHAT IS WHY THINGS ARE BEING DONE TODAY. WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION OF HOW WE

GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, HOW WOULD WE KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT DID AND DIDN'T WORK

A quite sage Point of View. [space] And that is one of the reasons The left-wingers want to eliminate having our Children take American history!

The effort is to remove the REAL Facts about our past by not Teaching it. Then..... substitute their LIES about it.

Evidence of them doing so is all over the internet.....shown easily with naught else but a simple search.

One Gambit they use to Mask their Deliberate Manipulation (of Removing our REAL History) is to say their deception is......" intended to allow the history student's to focus their course selection to better enhance their future occupation".

Which is a LIE. [space] And we all have seen clearly that all liberals do IS LIE.

[Herb]

ISN'T TODAY A TOTAL THE PRODUCT OF ALL THAT HAS GONE BEFORE .....

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE EXPLAINS WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY. RELEVANCE, AND PRECEDING'S DETERMINE WHAT IS WHY THINGS ARE BEING DONE TODAY. WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION OF HOW WE

GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, HOW WOULD WE KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT DID AND DIDN'T WORK

A quite sage Point of View. [space] And that is one of the reasons The left-wingers want to eliminate having our Children take American history!

The effort is to remove the REAL Facts about our past by not Teaching it. Then..... substitute their LIES about it.

Evidence of them doing so is all over the internet.....shown easily with naught else but a simple search.

One Gambit they use to Mask their Deliberate Manipulation (of Removing our REAL History) is to say their deception is......" intended to allow the history student's to focus their course selection to better enhance their future occupation".

Which is a LIE. [space] And we all have seen clearly that all liberals do IS LIE.

EVERY course of study has requirements for subjects that have nothing to do with the main subject. And that isn't counting the "electives" that have to be taken, that don't have anything to do with the main subject.

How much you want to bet that the history course still has a bunch of requirements that have NOTHING to do with history? Cancel requirements for US history but keep the requirement for basket weaving.

[Designer]

EVERY course of study has requirements for subjects that have nothing to do with the main subject. And that isn't counting the "electives" that have to be taken, that don't have anything to do with the main subject.

How much you want to bet that the history course still has a bunch of requirements that have NOTHING to do with history? Cancel requirements for US history but keep the requirement for basket weaving.

Quite Right!

I've heard this said even recently by students. [space] Further supporting the truth behind all that has been said about why the left is eliminating the teaching of OUR AMERICAN HISTORY as a requirement.

But then....you have the cover-up gambit being played out by them saying things like this:

"History majors in college are basically attending college to train in their chosen occupation much like a welder, carpenter, or machinist might attend a vocational education program. It would be rather silly for a welder to take classes in say cooking to become a welder,"

[Herb]

EVERY course of study has requirements for subjects that have nothing to do with the main subject. And that isn't counting the "electives" that have to be taken, that don't have anything to do with the main subject.

How much you want to bet that the history course still has a bunch of requirements that have NOTHING to do with history? Cancel requirements for US history but keep the requirement for basket weaving.

Quite Right!

I've heard this said even recently by students. [space] Further supporting the truth behind all that has been said about why the left is eliminating the teaching of OUR AMERICAN HISTORY as a requirement.

But then....you have the cover-up gambit being played out by them saying things like this:

"History majors in college are basically attending college to train in their chosen occupation much like a welder, carpenter, or machinist might attend a vocational education program. It would be rather silly for a welder to take classes in say cooking to become a welder,"

It is interesting to see what the actual requirements are for a degree in history...

http://bulletin.gwu.edu/arts-sciences/# ... equirement

"Social Sciences—two courses in the social sciences"

"Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context;
Global or Cross-Cultural Perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries;
Local or Civic Engagement—one course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action;
Oral Communication—one course in oral communication.
Natural or Physical Science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement); and,
Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement)"

how many of these REALLY apply to a history major?

BTW, this doesn't even address the electives that they can take.

[NE_FL]

Don't know where T got his information, but attaining a Bachelor's Degree does not necessarily prepare one for a vocation. Rather it is aimed at a well-rounded education with an emphasis toward a particular subject of interest (a "major"). Upon earning a Bachelor's, one can then narrow the focus on one's major and earn more advanced degrees. A teacher like T should know that, or is he stirring up a little controversy to liven things up?

[emoji2]

[Herb]

Don't know where T got his information, but attaining a Bachelor's Degree does not necessarily prepare one for a vocation. Rather it is aimed at a well-rounded education with an emphasis toward a particular subject of interest (a "major"). Upon earning a Bachelor's, one can then narrow the focus on one's major and earn more advanced degrees. A teacher like T should know that, or is he stirring up a little controversy to liven things up?

[emoji2]

More than likely, the latter...

[Designer]

Don't know where Tbeck got his information, but attaining a Bachelor's Degree does not necessarily prepare one for a vocation. Rather it is aimed at a well-rounded education with an emphasis toward a particular subject of interest (a "major"). Upon earning a Bachelor's, one can then narrow the focus on one's major and earn more advanced degrees.

That's pretty much what I said here:

.....Furthermore, Majoring in History is NOT like a Narrowed Focus as is done when one goes for a Doctorate,....A College Major in History covers a Much Broader Spectrum.....then after graduating from that one might go for a Graduate a Doctorate that focuses on a more specific field of study or time frame.

...... A teacher like Tbeck should know that, or is he stirring up a little controversy to liven things up? [emoji2]

More than likely, the latter...

At the Expense of Appearing Intelligent, Knowledgeable and a Trustworthy and Accurate Source of Information.

But then...when you make your Bed...........