It allows individuals to understand the context (social, political, cultural, economic, religious, intellectual, etc.) in which they live. Studying history frees the student from the confines of merely local awareness. Learning history, any history, necessarily and automatically broadens the mind and opens the soul.
The DeSales University Humanities Department takes seriously its role in upholding the Catholic and Salesian Mission of DeSales University. History faculty endeavor to incorporate the teachings of Saint Francis DeSales directly into all classes and programs. We strive for professionalism without pride. Our standards are rigorous, but their application is humane. It is in the spirit of Christian humanism that we support the search for truth in a curriculum that is international and multicultural in character.
History majors take courses in a variety of fields and eras, concentrating mainly on the United States and Europe. In addition to lecture and discussion courses, students take junior and senior seminars on historiography and historical research and writing. See Degree Requirements for details. Regular advising conferences are one-on-one. Faculty policy is open-door. Courses are taught by-
Sarah Nytroe (Ph.D., Boston College, 2009), Brennan Pursell (Ph.D., Harvard University, 2000), Eugene Slaski (professor emeritus of Pennsylvania State University), James Higgins (Ph.D., Lehigh University, 2008), Christopher Butynski (MA, Oxford University, 2004), Michelle George (MA, Villanova, 2010). and other adjunct faculty.
History majors at DeSales enjoy a wide array of opportunities for study abroad. Travel-study hybrid courses take our students to Ireland, Germany, Austria, Brazil, and South Africa. Through the DeSales Study Abroad in Rome Program , history majors have the opportunity to /spend a semester studying in Italy during their junior year, at the same cost as a term at DeSales.
Students may also receive credit for applied internships with local and more distant institutions. In the past year, history students worked in archives in London, on archaeological digs in Rome, and with a United States Congressman.
Those students intending to pursue a career teaching history in public schools can obtain state certification through a joint program with the Department of Education. They take courses to prepare them for Pennsylvania's teacher examinations, and in the second semester of the senior year they teach in local high schools instead of taking classes. When they graduate, they will have both the Bachelor's degree and state certification. See the Graduation Requirements for History (STEP) for greater detail. At DeSales, this program can be completed in four years.
Studying history is excellent preparation for law school. The JD is one of the most versatile graduate degrees in the United States today. In the last couple of years, our graduates have gone on to study law at Catholic University of America, Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, and St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota, in some cases with full scholarships! See Graduation Requirements for the History Major Pre-Law Track
History majors with an excellent high school record may apply in their first year to participate in the Faith and Reason Honors Program. All history majors who attain a GPA of 3.5 or higher have the option to write a senior thesis in their final two semesters of study. Those students who attain a GPA of 3.1 may apply to join the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society at DeSales University.
DeSales history graduates go on to study at law school and pursue graduate degrees in History and Public History at universities such as Villanova, New York State, and Pennsylvania State. They go to work for government agencies and NGO’s, private companies, local banks, and non-profits. They work in the fields of journalism, marketing, and business, and our record for placement in Pennsylvania school districts is excellent. For more detail, see What Can I Do With This Major?
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Philosophy and Theology
Degree Requirements
