Consistent with the missions of Louisiana Tech University and the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of History maintains a faculty composed of professionals who understand and value the interrelated goals of instruction, research, and community service.

In the tradition of liberal arts education, the Department of History is student-centered and is committed to teaching and advising. To this end:

The Department of History contributes to the successful implementation of the General Education Requirement by providing quality history instruction to non-majors through required and elective courses, whose purpose is to prepare undergraduate students for lifelong learning and for active participation in a democratic society. In these efforts, the Department seeks innovative ways to encourage student interaction with the past, including the use of information technology.

The Department of History has the same goals for its undergraduate majors as for non-majors, and, in addition, seeks to train its majors in the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in fields in which historical knowledge, habits of mind, and skills (research, analysis, and communication) are valued, and/or for further study (graduate school in history or related fields, law school, divinity school, etc.)

The Department of History trains post-graduate students in the knowledge and skills necessary to the professional practice of history as preparation for employment or advancement in fields in which such skills are valued, or for further study (especially the Ph.D. in history).

Mindful of the benefits that research can bring to the classroom, the Department of History contributes to the growth of knowledge in the field of history, through faculty research and through the teaching of research skills.

The Department of History engages in public outreach initiatives, designed to enhance the quality of life and the cultural development of the region, state, and nation by enlarging the audience with which historical knowledge and understanding are shared and by increasing public awareness and appreciation of history and its relevance to present society and experience.

Program Goals

Bachelor of Arts in History

BA Program in History: Knowledge Domain Goals -- *What graduates should know*
Knowledge Domain	Program Goal(s)
United States History	Students will develop a sound command of factual knowledge in the field of U.S. history.
European History	Students will develop a sound command of factual knowledge in the field of European history.
Non-Western/"Non-Traditional" History	Students will have opportunities for exposure to the history of the non-western world and of groups or topics once excluded from the "traditional" curriculum.

BA Program in History: Skill Domain Goals -- *What graduates should be able to do*
Skill Domain (from University statement)	Program Goal(s)
Critical Thinking	Students will develop analytical and critical skills and learn to utilize such skills in the critical analysis of historical events and situations.
Creative Thinking	Students will develop innovative approaches to studying history and explaining its relevance and importance to subsequent generations.
Communication Skills	Students will use language, both written and oral, effectively to defend propositions, develop arguments, and explain ideas and events.
Ethical Thinking	Students will recognize that the discipline of history is not an exact science, but a system of study which requires the observer to analyze events in the context of time, place, and culture, and to take into account differing cultural and ethical belief systems.
Technological Skills	Students will acquire basic technological skills necessary for effective communication in the 21st century.
Research Skills	Students will learn to locate, gather, analyze, and synthesize complex information, and to draw conclusions based upon it.
Marketplace Skills	Students will learn to work effectively individually and in groups, to manage time, and to make timely submissions of acceptable products.

Master of Arts in History

MA Program in History: Knowledge Domain Goals -- *What graduates should know*
Knowledge Domain (from University Statement)	Program Goals
History	Students will develop a sound command of factual knowledge in one or more specific area(s) of concentration.
Historiography	Students will develop a working familiarity with major works of historical literature, recent trends in historical research, and important debates in one or more specific field(s) of history.

MA Program in History: Skill Domain Goals -- *What graduates should be able to do*
Skill Domain (from University statement)	Program Goal(s)
Critical Thinking	Graduate students will recognize that history is more than a recital of facts. They will develop analytical and critical skills and learn to utilize such skills in the critical analysis of historical events and situations. They will demonstrate interpretive skills, as evidenced by the ability to analyze complex information and to discuss and evaluate questions of meaning, significance, and causality.
Creative Thinking	Graduate students will learn to recognize potential connections between apparently disparate events. They will demonstrate synthetic skills, as evidenced by the ability to synthesize complex information, and to discuss personalities, events, and issues in their broad historical context, drawing connections and comparisons as appropriate.
Communication Skills	Graduate students will use language, both written and oral, effectively to defend propositions, develop arguments, and explain ideas and events. Graduate students will also develop innovative approaches to studying history and explaining its relevance and importance to subsequent generations.
Ethical Thinking	Graduate students will recognize that the discipline of history is not an exact science, but a system of study which requires the observer to analyze events in the context of time, place, and culture, and to take into account differing cultural and ethical belief systems.
Technological Skills	Graduate students will acquire basic technological skills necessary for effective communication and research in the 21st century.
Research Skills	Graduate students will learn to locate, gather, analyze, and synthesize complex information, and to draw conclusions based upon it. They will demonstrate this ability through the conceptualization and execution of original research projects based on primary sources.
Marketplace Skills	Graduate students will learn to work effectively individually and in groups, to manage time, and to make timely submissions of acceptable products.

Department of History
Louisiana Tech University
P.O. Box 8548
Ruston, LA 71272-0034
318-257-2872
history@latech.edu
fax: 318-257-4735