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The History and
Political Science
Department
Questions and Answers about the History Major
If I major in History, what can I do after Houghton?
Plenty! Alumni who majored in history pursue a wide variety
of careers, because the skills developed in a history major are skills
needed in many vocations. Some history majors teach at the elementary,
secondary or college level. Some are lawyers; others work in business
and industry. Some graduates are journalists, writers, ministers, or physicians.
Others pursue careers in historical preservation, museum management or
public history. One is even a Benedictine monk. The list is almost endless.
In fact, if you major in history, the real question is, what do you want
to do after Houghton?
What areas of History are offered at Houghton?
The first year begins with survey courses in Western or World
Civilization. From there the curriculum concentrates on period courses
(e.g., American National Period, 19th Century Europe, Medieval Europe),
area studies (e.g., Latin America, Africa), and topical offerings (e.g.,
Church History, Intellectual History, Economic History). Internships and
applied work in government agencies and even our own college archives
are also options for some upperclass students. In addition, qualified
juniors may apply to do honors work in history, an experience that focuses
on independent research and writing skills. Finally, members of the faculty
frequently help devise independent studies for students who have special
interests in areas not covered by regular courses. This kind of flexibility,
combined with Houghton's fine library and interlibrary resources, means
that you will be able to do serious work in virtually any area of history
that interests you.
Why Study History at Houghton?
The study of the past has been an important part of educational
curriculums since the ancient Greeks, and still holds a central place
in a liberal arts education. People are naturally curious about how things
used to be and how events and people long since gone have influenced the
present. If you are fascinated by the past, then a major in history is
worth considering. Understanding the present by examining the past is
not easy. In whatever sphere -- politics, religion, culture, economics,
social relations -- the study of past human experience requires research,
analysis, interpretation, organization, and communication. But in return
you will gain a valuable perspective on our contemporary situation and
develop disciplined habits of mind which are the mark of the liberally
educated person and which will be of value in every area of your life.
Why should you come to Houghton to study history? First, our professors
all hold Ph.D. degrees and are published research historians who have
made a commitment to undergraduate teaching as well as to historical
research. They know that your development as a thinking person takes
their time and careful guidance; at Houghton the student comes first.
Second, our professors in all fields take seriously the application
of Christian faith to their academic disciplines. Our history faculty
works hard at examining history from a Christian perspective.
Questions and Answers about the Political Science Major
What is the structure of the Political Science Major?
- The core consists of seven required courses that touch on
the wide range of political science investigation. Beginning with
an Introduction to Politics, the student moves to American
Government and International Politics. Statistics and Social
Science Research Methods Provide necessary tools. A Survey
of Political Thought and a Senior Seminar round out the
core.
- Electives are chosen from American-domestic courses (e.g.,
state and local government, national public policy, the presidency,
the congress, constitutional law, political parties and interest groups)
or international affairs courses (e.g./ comparative politics, American
foreign policy, East Asian politics, American foreign policy, East
Asian politics, politics of Russia and Eastern Europe, Middle East
politics).
- Internship and Applied Work for qualified upperclassmen.
In addition to the internship, qualified students may apply in their
junior year to do senior honors work in politics which concentrates
on independent research and writing under the tutelage of a professor
in the department. Independent study in special areas not covered
by regular courses is also possible.
What Are the Distinctive Features of Houghton's Program?
A Balanced Curriculum. A strong core curriculum is supplemented
by concentration in either American-domestic or international-comparative
fields.
An Interdisciplinary Approach. Students of politics recognize
the contribution of other disciplines, particularly of history and
the social and behavioral sciences, to their work. Instructors use
this approach and students are encouraged to complete a wide variety
of courses in other disciplines.
Internship Experiences. Qualified majors in political science
are encouraged to combine theory with political practice in an internship
experience at the local, state, national or international level of government.
Students may participate in an established program or, with the instructor's
guidance, design on of their own choosing.
Professional and Caring Faculty. Houghton faculty are professionally
trained scholar-practicians committed to teaching at the undergraduate
level. Students greatly profit from advice and counsel of caring professors
concerned with individual student needs and development.
What Can I do with a Political Science Major After
Graduation?
- The skills developed in the study of political science -- critical
thought, analysis, interviewing, research, writing, oral presentation,
statistics and methodology -- combined with the accumulated substantive
knowledge of the discipline have value in themselves. They are also
applicable to a wide variety of career options.
- Law school and the study of Law.
- Graduate study and preparation for a career in teaching.
- Federal jobs in nearly any agency or branch of government.
- Appointive, elective and civil service jobs at state, city, county,
and township levels
- International opportunities with the US Department of State, embassies,
USIA, AID, and the Peace Corps.
- Both American and multinational businesses look for people with
such skills.
- Careers in journalism, writing, and think tanks.
- A vocational interest in community, town and county organizations,
political parties, community groups in environmental, school and political
reform issues.
Contacting the Department
We invite you to consider a major in History or Political Science
at Houghton College. You are, of course, welcome and encouraged to
visit us on campus. If you would like to talk with one of us one the
phone, please contact us. We will call you back as soon as possible.
You can e-mail Dr.Peter
Meilaender (Peter.Meilaender@houghton.edu) if you have questions
about the History and Political Science departments, or write to:
History/Political Science Department, Houghton College, Houghton,
NY, 14744. You can also call toll-free (800) 777-2556, or locally
at (585) 567-2211.
Department Faculty
A. Cameron Airhart
Ph.D. (Cameron.Airhart@houghton.edu)
Professor of History
B.A., Northwest Nazarene College, 1976; M.A., Ph.D., University of California
(Santa Barbara), 1979, 1985.
David Benedict
Ph.D.(B.david.Benedict@houghton.edu).
Professor of Political Science
Former American diplomat in Mexico, Taiwan, and the People's Republic
of China, former Soviet analyst in the U.S. State Department's Bureau
of Intelligence and Research, teaches courses in international politics
and comparative government, as well as area studies in East Asia,
Russia and Eastern Europe. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of
Pennsylvania.
William R. Doezema
Ph.D. (William.Doezema@houghton.edu)
Professor of History
B.A., Calvin College, 1969; M.A., Ph.D., Kent State University, 1974,
1978.
David A. Howard Ph.D.(DavidA.Howard@houghton.edu).
Professor of History
B.A., Gordon College, 1965; M.A., Ph.D., Duke University, 1967, 1972.
Peter
C. Meilaender Ph.D. (Peter.Meilaender@houghton.edu).
Associate Professor of Political Science:
Chair of History and Political Science
BA, Kenyon College, 1993; M.A., Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 1997,
1999.
Ronald Oakerson
Ph.D.(Ron.Oakerson@houghton.edu).
Professor of Political Science
Has served as a senior research faculty member at Indiana University;
Senior Analyst and Assistant Director of Research for the US Advisory
Commission on Intergovernmental Affairs; and Associate Professor of
Political Science at Marshall University. Presently in conjunction
with teaching courses in American politics, he continues to assist
the US Agency for International Development on a project in Cameroon,
West Africa. He holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University.
Meic
Pearse D.Phil. (Meic.Pearse@houghton.edu).
Professor of History
BA, Wales, 1978; DMS, Polytechnic of Wales, 1981; MPhil, Oxford, 1989;
DPhil, ibid., 1992.
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