History

LORAS PROVIDES A STIMULATING SOCIAL CALENDAR OFFERING STUDENTS A DIVERSE ARRAY OF EVENTS
From clubs and organizations to theater productions, concerts, athletic events, musical performances, intercultural programs, spiritual opportunities, there is so much for students to choose from.

Loras College provides a stimulating social climate for the campus and allows students to enjoy a diverse array of programs and entertainment.

On any given night of the week, students can enjoy a number of social opportunities. From clubs and organizations to theater productions, athletic events, musical performances, intercultural programs and spiritual opportunities, there is so much for students to choose from. In addition, the College Activities Board provides a variety of entertainment including: comedians, game shows, coffeehouses and concerts every weekend.

In addition, the College Activities Board provides a variety of entertainment including: comedians, game shows, coffeehouses and concerts every weekend.

HISTORY TEACHING ENDORSEMENTS
History students seeking certification to teach in secondary education have a few options:

• U.S. History endorsement
• World History endorsement
• All Social Studies endorsement

HISTORY MAJOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The historical discipline values these skills as central to becoming an historian, but the ability to work in a learning community and produce new knowledge through the interpretation of primary materials can be applied to many career choices upon graduation.

Managers, public relations specialists, high school teachers, librarians, public historians, accountants, lawyers and police officers (to name a few of the many careers our graduates choose) benefit from research skills, information literacy, the ability to persuade, proficiency in writing and the self confidence that comes from the public presentation of creative work.

A large proportion of our History graduates are social studies teachers in secondary education, primarily at school districts in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Others have embarked on successful careers in various fields or elected to go to graduate or law school.

The Forgotten Burial Ground: Understanding Dubuque through the Third Street Cemetery
This in-depth May term study course focuses on the Third Street Cemetery, a lost burial ground in Dubuque. Located directly west of St. Raphael’s Cathedral on top of the bluff, a human bone discovered in 2007 led to a five-year salvage excavation by the Office of State Archeologist Burials Program. When the team began the project they believed that they would remove a few burials missed during the disinterment following the closure of the graveyard. Because they found 939 graves, the developer, hoping to build a condominium complex, called off the project. Through an exploration of American ideas of death and burial practices as well as contemporary conversations about balancing development with the preservation of sacred spaces, HIS 125 introduces students to the history of Dubuque and to vocations in the field of public history.

The Scramble for Africa
This course will offer an in-depth investigation into the “Scramble for Africa” which took place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as European powers arbitrarily carved up the continent and created approximately 40 colonies and protectorates. The material will critically engage with the proliferation of European geographic societies, the culture of maps and cartography, and how the cultural, social, economic, and geopolitical consequences behind the creation of these former colonial borders continue to significantly influence and impact many present-day issues throughout the continent. Students will use resources in the campus library and other online map collections to conduct research and produce a work of digital history as well as participate in a role-playing simulation of the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 which set up the parameters for the partition of the African continent.

Native American Archeology
Native Americans settled in North America at least 15,000 years ago. This course explores the ancient history of what became the continental United States, focusing on the Native American occupants of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The course utilizes the discipline of archeology to explore the many different peoples who inhabited the United States prior to European colonization. We end our study with the peoples encountered by Europeans at contact in the 1600s.

The Great Depression & the New Deal
A study of the Great Depression in the United States, including its origins, the consequences of depression on U.S. society and the New Deal as a response to the crisis. Different perspectives based on race, gender, age and region will be discussed. This course will also examine the legacy of the New Deal, including the evolution of the social welfare state, the transformation of the role of government in society and the expansion of the power of the president.

Medieval Christianity
study of the development of western Christianity in the Middle Ages, with particular attention to formative influences, definitive tensions, diverse perceptions and popular appeal. The most important themes are monasticism, sanctity, heresy, and the spiritual expressions of women and men. Less emphasis upon institutional history.

History Courses

HISTORY
Division of Philosophical, Religious, Theological, Social & Cultural Studies
Kathrin A. Parks, Ph.D., Chair

Major Requirements for History
Minor Requirements for History

Related Majors & Minors
International Studies, B.A.
Philosophy, B.A.
Politics, B.A.
Religious Studies, B.A.
Sociology, B.A.
Catholic Studies, Minor
Ethics, Minor
Gender Studies, Minor
Peace and Justice, Minor
Sustainability, Minor
Racial Justice, Minor