Under semesters, the Integrated Social Studies Program at Ohio State requires that students take nine history courses (27 hours) in a variety of fields. All of those ISSP courses, if taken at the 2000-level or above, can count toward a major in history, and the three additional courses required to complete a major in History offer students in education a chance to learn skills that will be valuable in their careers. The three required courses—all taught in sections of twenty students or less by full time faculty—emphasize writing, critical reading, and research. These courses will prepare you to teach history, rather than simply recite it. They include:
- History 2800: Introduction to the Discipline of History
- A 4000-level course on readings in a particular field of history
- A 4000-level course on research and writing in a particular field of history
These courses are taught by a wide range of faculty on a wide range of topics, geographical areas, and time periods, so you will be able to choose sections that are of special interest to you.
The purpose of the three required courses is as follows:
History 2800 is the "gateway" course for History majors. It emphasizes critical reading and writing, and introduces students to the methods and approaches of historians. It teaches students how to analyze and interpret primary sources (letters, diaries, autobiographies, photographs, artifacts, works of art, etc.) and secondary sources (works by historians), and how to write in the various formats historians use (synopses, book reviews, bibliographical essays, critical essays, etc.).
The 4000-level reading seminar, normally taken in the junior year, focuses on secondary works by historians, rather than primary sources. It teaches students how to read carefully and critically, and helps them understand on an intermediate level the methods, approaches, and debates of historians. The goal is to teach students how to evaluate conflicting historical interpretations, weigh the merits of the evidence and arguments in these interpretations, and arrive at their own interpretations of past events.
The 4000-level research seminar, normally taken in the senior year, emphasizes research and writing skills. Each student will identify a research topic, review previous histories on the subject, formulate research questions, conduct research in the relevant primary sources, and write an original research paper on their findings.
These courses will give you too the skills you'll need to help your students in middle school and high school improve their writing, read critically, weigh the merits of conflicting arguments, sort out truth from fiction, and conduct research. They will also give you the skills to succeed in a master's program in history, should you choose to pursue that avenue of professional enrichment during your teaching career.
Students in education must choose their nine ISSP history courses carefully, of course, with an eye to the History major. They must take courses over a range of time periods and geographical areas. It is important as well to take a good number of the elective ISSP courses at the 3000-level or above, so that students can meet the GE requirement for a sufficient number of courses above the 2000-level. The main requirement for completing the History major, however, is to take the three courses required of all history majors.
The requirements for a major in History under semesters are now available.
Please be sure, however, to meet with the History Department's Undergraduate Program Manager, Dr. Raymond Irwin (Irwin.8@osu.edu). Dr. Irwin is the department's principal advisor for History majors in the ISSP program. He can help you chart a course of study that will fulfill the requirements for both programs.