Meet Your Major

History

The history major focuses on the study and interpretation of the past. History students gather and record evidence about past events and people’s ways of life. They also evaluate that evidence to explain why certain social movements and cultural trends gained momentum when they did, and why certain traditional customs and mentalities endured at the same time.

Sattler’s history program places special emphasis on equipping students for meaningful cross-cultural relationships. We consider history an excellent training ground for building students’ capacities for analytical rigor. Yet at the same time, we believe historical studies help students form habits of empathy toward people unlike themselves. As students develop skills of contextualization, appreciating the social constraints that people have faced in different cultures and historical moments, we expect they will develop the Christian virtue of humility about their own ways of living in modern America.

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Course Catalog

What You'll Learn

A student majoring in History will:

Build a robust body of historical knowledge about past societies.
Evaluate the trustworthiness of documentary and testimonial evidence.
Analyze social problems by factoring economic, environmental, religious, political, and cultural spheres of life, accounting for individual human agency to change circumstances as well as its limits.
Apply analytical and argumentative skills in written and oral communication.
Critically assess public memorializations of the past and the values that they are meant to instill or perpetuate, and generate ideas for new roles for historical memory and analysis in public life.

Hands-On Learning

Our curriculum emphasizes experiential learning where you learn by doing. Opportunities include:

Directed studies and faculty-mentored research opportunities
Internships and field studies
Capstone Projects

Career Options

History has long been the classic undergraduate major for students who go into career fields that require both analytical rigor and eloquent writing: law, journalism, editing and publishing. A bachelor’s degree in History will also open the door to teaching history and social studies in elementary and secondary schools and engaging a local or church community as a librarian, archivist, or historical society leader. Historians are active in public life through historical preservation work and through historical interpretation at museums, public parks, and historical sites. Each of these roles can support church and para-church organizations to fulfill their missions.

What You'll Take

A special feature of the Sattler College experience is its extensive Core Curriculum. We believe students are more likely to flourish socially and intellectually when each entering class enjoys a common academic experience. When all students take part in a common set of courses, upper-level students will have a large body of wisdom and knowledge to share with the students following behind them. We are convinced that the most fulfilling way to learn is to teach. Our robust Core Curriculum makes such.

Required Courses - Sattler Core

Sattler Core (47 credits)

BIO 101 Principles of Biology
BRS 101 Fundamental Texts of Christianity
BRS 201 Christian Doctrines
BRS 203 Apologetics
LNG 102 Elementary Biblical Greek I
LNG 103 Elementary Biblical Greek II
LNG 104 Elementary Biblical Hebrew I
LNG 105 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II
HUM 301 Hist. Global Christianity
HUM 201 Hist. Ancient World
HUM 202 Medieval & Renaissance Europe
HUM 203 Hist. Modern World
LNG 101 Exp. Writing
LNG 110 Oral Communication
MAT 102 Statistics and Data Science
IGA 401 Global Poverty & World Change

Required Courses - Major

Major (45 credits)

Required Courses (15 Credit Hours):

HIS 401 Sen. Seminar: Historiography
HIS 402 Capstone Project I (Independent Study)
HIS 403 Capstone Project II

Language Requirements (6 credit Hours)

1 Intermediate Greek or Hebrew Course
1 Greek or Hebrew Exegesis Course

Other History/Cross-Listed Courses (30 Credit Hours):
Majors must enroll in History or Cross-Listed courses that meet the following distribution requirements*:

Regions:
- 1 in European History
- 2 in North American History
- 2 in Non-Western History
Chronology:
- 2 in Pre-Modern History (before 1500)
- 2 in Early Modern History (1500-1800)
- 2 in Modern History (1800-Present)
Methods:
- 2 Designated “Historical Methods” seminars

*Courses may fulfill a distribution requirement for two categories at once, with approval of the History faculty advisor. These requirements are in addition to the Core Curriculum classes in the Western intellectual tradition.

Electives or minor (28 credits)

Sample Schedule - First Year

Fall (16 Credits)

LNG 101 Exp. Writing
LNG 102 Elementary Biblical Greek I
BIO 101 Principles of Biology
MAT 102 Statistics and Data Science
BRS 101 Fundamental Texts of Christianity

Spring (16 Credits)

HUM 201 Hist. Ancient World
LNG 103 Elementary Biblical Greek II
LNG 110 Oral Communication
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (6)

Sample Schedule - Second Year

Fall (15 Credits)

HUM 202 Medieval & Renaissance Europe
LNG 104 Elementary Biblical Hebrew I
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (9)

Spring (15 Credits)

HUM 203 Hist. Modern Era
LNG 105 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II
BRS 201 Christian Doctrines
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (9)

Sample Schedule - Third Year

Fall (15 Credits)

HIS Major/Minor/Electives (12)

Spring (15 Credits)

BRS 203 Apologetics
Study Abroad OR
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (12)

Sample Schedule - Fourth Year

Fall (15 Credits)

HIS 401 Senior Seminar
HIS 402 Capstone Project I (Ind. Study)
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (9)

Spring (15 Credits)

IGA 401 Global Poverty
HIS 402 Capstone Project (9 credits)
HIS Major/Minor/Electives (3)

Capstone Projects

Capstone Experiences

2 Videos

Subconsciousness, and Spirituality

25:16

From Menonite to Anabaptist.

12:46

Download the Course Catalog

The Course Curriculum documents both core curriculum and elective courses, including course numbers, course names, credit hours, course descriptions, and prerequisites.

Download Course Catalog