Individual Study Opportunities

The History Department offers unique opportunities for students to pursue individual projects. Faculty mentors help students develop and complete these individual study opportunities.

HST 392. Individual Research. (4h) Most history majors undertake their capstone research paper in the HST 390 seminar. With a faculty member’s permission, students may elect to pursue their project individually.  Ask faculty whether 390 or 392 best suits your research!

HST 395. Internship In History. (1-3h) Internships, arranged in consultation with a faculty advisor, offer students the opportunity to learn and apply skills while building professional and community connections. Internships vary according to student interest, and can involve archives, museum programming and development, collections management and preservation, or original research. History students have completed internships for credit at The Reynolda House, the New Winston Museum, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Historic Bethabara Park, Korner’s Folley, and other institutions. Students taking HST 395 for 3 credits read about and discuss the theoretical issues related to museums with a faculty supervisor and write reflective and critical essays to enhance their learning.  (N.B. this course can contribute to the Cultural Resource Preservation interdisciplinary minor.)

HST 397. Historical Writing Tutorial. (1.5h) In this tutorial, students work with a member of the faculty to revise and expand a major writing project. Most students improve projects initiated in History 390 or 392. While these course hours do not count towards major or minor requirements, successfully completed hours do contribute to overall course hours for graduation.

HST 398. Individual Study. (1h-3h) Individual students may design and pursue a course of study in an area not normally taught as a class within the History Department. Interested students should work closely with a faculty member who has expertise in the area to plan and propose a 398, which should be the equivalent of an upper level 3 credit hour course. The department must review and approve proposals.  Applications must be submitted to the department chair by April 20 for  Summer and Fall semesters and by November 25 for the Spring semester.

HST 399. Directed Reading. (1h-3h) Under faculty supervision, students may design a concentrated course of reading in an area of study not currently available in the Department.