About the Major
History, as the story of humankind, permits us to examine the
lives and cultures of the past with a vision informed by hindsight
and enhanced by modern analytical tools. People have traditionally
looked to history to understand where they and their times fit
into the continuing flow of changing circumstances and ideas.
The History major at Ramapo College offers students the opportunity
to study this subject for the reasons that have made it a hallmark
of an educated person: it appeals to intellectual curiosity,
expands awareness of other cultures, develops the imagination
and helps connect the past to contemporary concerns. It provides
students with the background and skill to understand the present
and assist in creating the future, for, as the philosopher George
Santayana observed, "Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it."
The History program at Ramapo thus treats history as a narrative
of the past, an exploration of different cultures, an example
for the present, and a guidepost for the future. Students may
explore geographical areas including the United States, Europe,
Latin America, Asia, orAfrica, or concentrate on time periods
as varied as Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages or the United States
since 1945.
In addition, students can elect to study the history of specific
groups such as women, NativeAmericans or African-Americans,
or subjects as diverse as art history, the Cold War, psychohistory
or the American West.
History majors also have hands-on opportunities to write history
themselves or to work in the field. Students are encouraged
to initiate independent study projects on a subject of interest
to themselves under the supervision of a faculty member of their
choice. Majors can gain additional perspective from study abroad,
fieldwork in historical areas, and internships at historical
museums, and historic preservation sites.
In entry-level courses through senior seminars, History majors
are taught to evaluate what they read analytically and express
their ideas clearly in writing; these are essential skills in
virtually any career. Because History encourages these abilities,
students who major in History are often sought after for positions
not directly related to their field of study — business,
for example. Careers more typically pursued by History majors
include law and the other professions. Additional choices include
government service, publishing, journalism, social work, public
history, and library and museum work. The field of diplomacy
is another obvious possibility, as is teaching, either in secondary
school, or, after attending graduate school, in a college or
university. Several Ramapo graduates in History are currently
teaching at the College.
The Ramapo Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History
Honor Society, gives special recognition for outstanding history
students. A thriving History Club provides the excitement of
outside speakers, sponsors field trips, and gives students a
chance to exercise leadership abilities as well. Ramapo’s
historians have published books and articles on subjects as
diverse as ancient archaeology, Asian immigrants, American presidents,
multinational corporations, Native Americans, women immigrants
in America in the 1960s and poor women in Victorian London.
In their research and classes, they use perspectives and methodologies
as varied as their interests. Students in the program can encounter
psychohistory, interdisciplinary or archaeological techniques,
and feminist, literary and oral history, to name but a few.
Ramapo is developing a relationship with historic homes and
associations where students have an opportunity for internships
and independent study. An example of this is the Hermitage in
Hohokus, N.J.
The major is offered by the School of American
and International Studies and the School
of Social Science/Human Services and leads to a B.A. degree. |
