(1) Seven Elective History Courses (not including History 111, Foundations of the Modern Age), chosen from among introductory comparative courses and advanced specialized courses.
(3) The Independent Study (History 471)
For their culminating experience, history majors are to pursue an Independent Study (471), a semester-long research and writing project resulting in a substantive and original thesis paper. Together, the Junior Seminar and Independent Study provide majors with an opportunity for a year-long experience in the theory and practice of historical research, thus opening up options for sustained research projects.
(4) The Comprehensive Exam
The History Comprehensive Exam is designed to test seniors both on their understanding of different civilizations and eras and on their ability to analyze and interpret historical problems and to integrate material from across the curriculum. The examination includes questions from six categories: (1) European History to 1750, (2) European History, 1750 to the Present, (3) American History to 1865, (4) American History, 1865 to the Present, (5) World History, and (6) Comparative History. Students answer five questions, making sure to respond to questions from at least four categories and answering no more than two questions from any one category.
The major program allows considerable room for flexilibity and choice. The department endorses the development of independent plans of study, including directed studies and internships.
History majors are also encouraged to pursue studies in disciplines related to history and to seek to integrate their work in those disciplines with their work as historians. The department recommends that students participate in the expanding number of multidisciplinary courses offered at Hanover and that majors continue work in a foreign language beyond the expectations of the general degree requirement.
History majors who plan to teach history and social studies in secondary schools should fulfill the teaching certification requirements established by the Education Department, including requirements for primary and supporting fields in World Civilization and U.S. History.
The history faculty are committed to providing majors with assistance in developing coherent and thoughtful academic programs and in formulating post-graduate plans. They believe that quality advising is central to the mission of the department and of the liberal arts. Advising should not simply be a matter of registering for classes, acquiring signatures, and shuffling papers; advising should complement and extend the objectives of teaching. Students, together with their advisers, can discuss, for example, the relationship between different courses and disciplines, the coherence of academic programs, the relationship between particular requirements, courses, or programs and the bearing that academic options will have on post-graduate plans. Good advising must also include giving help to students experiencing difficulties inside or outside of class. Together with the Career Center, major advisers will assist students in identifying and exploring post-graduate education and career options. The history department is also developing an Alumni Career Network to provide students with opportunity to discuss educational and career plans with former Hanover history majors currently employed in a variety of occupations.
The History Department seeks to promote and sustain a community among history faculty and students. The History Club, a student organization open to majors and non-majors alike, sponsors a variety of activities to bring history enthusiasts together. In recent years, for example, the History Club organized a day trip to a local monastery, invited historians to speak on the Hanover campus, and sponsored visits to local Madison historic sites. The Department also sponsors opportunities for historical research and work experience outside of the classroom. Currently, for example, The Jefferson County Historical Society offers students opportunities to work on scholarly projects concerning local Madison and Jefferson County history. History students and faculty have also worked on a number of internet projects, including an award winning electronic texts project. The Hanover Historical Review, a student-edited journal of student history papers, seeks to extend interest in research and writing beyond the classroom and to promote quality undergraduate scholarship. The History Department seeks to maintain contact with and support history majors after they have graduated from Hanover. The Alumni section of the department's web site is the most recent effort to encourage conversations between and among alumni, faculty, and current students, in this case using the technology of the internet. The History Department wishes to celebrate the community that has emerged among history faculty and students in recent years, a community founded upon mutual respect, enthusiasm for history, and a shared commitment to the enduring value of teaching, scholarship, and the liberal arts tradition.