The Department offers degrees for a major in History and Government with concentration in History or Government (Political Science), and has several minor programs in Geography, Government, Philosophy, Pre-Law and Women's Studies. Our students choose the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, depending on interest and goals. The Department, as a home away from home, has the right conditions and the good people to provide the sense of direction, guidance and mentorship. So come and join us, for we can provide the fertile soil for your personal growth as well as the social environment for your moral and intellectual development.
THE MISSION
The Department contributes to Bowie State University's major mission as a regional comprehensive liberal arts university. It provides an atmosphere that promotes intellectual development, scholarship, and critical thinking for its diverse student body. Students who major in history and government have the opportunity to experience the responsibilities and reward of leadership. This combination of learning and personal challenge enables the graduates to face the demands of an ever-changing world (in the 21st century) with confidence and authority.
ACADEMIC GOALS
Consonant with Bowie State University's mission as an institution of higher learning committed to a tradition of free inquiry, the goals of the department are:
1. To foster an atmosphere conducive to the fruitful exchange of ideas among students and faculty.
2. To train students proficiently in content and methodology in the departmental concentrations of their choice.
3. To provide opportunities for critical study which will build marketable skills in a variety of fields.
4. To give students in the concentrations a level of training which will enable them to succeed in graduate studies, professional schools, and careers in academia, government and business.
DEGREE PROGRAMS: GENERAL INFORMATION
1. The Department offers an interdisciplinary degree program or Major in History and Government
with Concentrations in
a) History:
General History (B.A. or B.S.)
History (Social Studies) Education (B.S.)
and
b) Government (Political Science) (B.A. or B.S.).
2. The History Program has Two Concentrations: History (General) and History (Social Studies) Education.
A. General History Concentration. The program consists of 42 credits in history course work: 18 credits must be in survey courses, another 18 credits are in the upper-level courses, and the other 6 credits are for the Capstone Senior Seminars. Note that these courses are to be taken sequentially with most of the survey courses taken before the upper-level courses. Choice of courses must be made in full cooperation with the assigned faculty advisor to ensure successful and timely completion of the degree requirements, and to prepare for the two senior seminars(Comprehensive Examination and writing the Thesis Paper).
B. History (Social Studies) Education Concentration: The student-educator candidate must meet the criteria set both by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and Bowie State University. In terms of credits, the student must complete 36 credits in History, 34 credits in professional education, and 24 credits in the social and behavioral sciences. The credits in History are as follows: 18 credits in history survey courses, 15 credits of upper-level courses in history, and HIST 497: Senior Seminar. The 33 credits of both survey and upper-level courses should be taken and completed before the candidate can register for HIST 497. All students in History (Social Studies) Education are required to receive Departmental evaluation from the assigned Faculty Committee to determine individual performance and the future ability to continue in the education program.
3. Government (or Political Science) Concentration: The Government concentration is designed to enhance students' liberal arts education, and also to nurture an understanding of the role of government and citizens in a polity. Political Science is "the study of governments, public policies and political behaviors; uses both humanistic and scientific perspectives and skills to examine all countries and regions of the world," according to the American Political Science Association (APSA). And the professional or expert in the field is known as a "political scientist" whose business or discipline it is to "study politics, government, and public policies." Political Scientists "enjoy a verstility of skills and a marvellous range of exciting careers in the federal, state and local government sectors; law; business; internal organizations; nonprofit associations and organizations; political campaign management and polling; journalism; pre-collegiate education; electoral politics; research and university and college teaching." To this end, the program puts an emphasis on the core themes and subjects that fall within the subfields.
Students in this program must successfully complete the following: 45 credits in Government courses as stipulated; and select 2 courses each from the 3 sub-fields (Political Philosophy and Theory, American Government and Politics, and Comparative Politics and International Relations). The reasons for studying these diverse discipline are improved analytical and critical skills, administrative and managerial as well as leadership competences, a deep sense of public and community service, and sharpened communicative abilities with people-centered interest and focus.
4. The Department's academic program aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the complex historical, social, economic, and political forces within society, and it seeks to promote students' critical thinking skills. Students, who choose the History or Government concentration, may pursue the Bacherlor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. But students in the History (Social Studies) Education concentration must pursue the B.S. degree. To receive the B.A. or B.S. degree in History or Government, the student must complete 120 credits of course-work. To receive the B.S. degree in History (Social Studies) Education concentration, student must complete 128 credits of course-work.
Students who wish to earn the B.A. degree are required to complete 12 semester hours of a foreign or second language other than the English language, in addition to fulfilling the other academic requirements. The B.A. degree in History and Government requires a minimum of 42 credits in History, for History majors; 45 credits in Government, for Government majors; while the B.S. degree requires 36 credits of History for majors in History (Social Studies) Education concentration.
Also students who pursue concentrations in History and Government, or develop interests in any of the other minor programs, must earn the grade of "C" or higher in the Departmental courses.
5. Undergraduate Minors: The Department also offers other interesting and enriching programs or minors in the following areas:
Geography (18 Credits)
Government (18 Credits)
History (for the Credit-Hours, see the Chairman)
Philosophy (15 Credits)
Pre-Law Program (15 Credits)
Women's Studies (18 Credits).
A. GEOGRAPHY MINOR (18 CREDIT-HOURS REQUIRED)
Geography is a specialized field of study and is basic to a liberal arts education. The Geography Minor is centered on the reality of the human habitat in regional environments; on the ways space is organized for economic, social and political purposes; the manner in which natural resources are utilized and developed and their uses; and on the relationships between these considerations and public policy. Its sphere is the whole world.
Students who wish to minor in Geography must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all Geography courses. The Core Requirements (18 Credit-Hours) are as follows:
GEOG 101: Elements of Geography 1 3 Credits
GEOG 102: Elements of Geography 2 3 Credits
GEOG ---: 4 Geography Electives 12 Credits
For additional information or advisement, please contact Dr. Ralph Parris at rparris@bowiestate.edu.
B. The Philosophy Minor @ Bowie State University
i) "Why Study Philosophy?" The great philosophers, such as Plato, Descartes, Kant, and Sartre asked deep and perplexing questions about knowledge and reality, the relation between mind and body, existence of a supreme being, and the nature and justification of morality. Contemporary philosophers carry on this tradition by combining a passion for critical self-examination with the willingness to question fundamental assumptions about the world. In doing so, they consider how these issues impact our approach to contemporary problems and practice.
Because of its emphasis on critical reading, writing, and argumentation, philosophy is an ideal complement to many other disciplines, such as English, Psychology, Computer Science and History, as well as an excellent preparation for graduate school or law school.
ii) The Program of Study: The Philosophy curriculum is multicultural and promotes a critical understanding of the foundations of the humanities and the natural sciences. A thematic and historical approach is used to study what the nature of reality (metaphysics), how one knows (epistemology), and how one ought to live (ethics).
The minor requires 15 semester hours of course-work (5 courses) selected from the following:
a) Required Philosophy Core Courses (6 Credit-Hours)
PHIL 101: Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 103: Introduction to Principles of Reasoning
b) Elective Philosophy Courses (9 Credit-Hours)
PHIL 200: Women and Philosophy
PHIL 203: Symbolic Logic
PHIL 204: Introduction to the Old Testament
PHIL 206: Survey of World Religions
PHIL 207: Rhetoric of Black Americans
Phil 208: Introduction to the New Testament
PHIL 209: Philosophy & Theory of Black Religion
PHIL 300: Philosophies of Human Nature
PHIL 301: Philosophy of Mind & Mind Design
PHIL 305: Ethics & Public Policy
PHIL 400: Independent Study in Philosophy
GOVT 315: Early Political Philosophy
http://www.bowiestate.edu/community/histgov.asp
