History and Political Sciences

Yntema (Department Chair), Cooper, DeStefanis, Fatherly, Green, Robinson, Rose, Washington.

Mission and Programs

The Department of History and Political Science, with nine full-time faculty, defines its mission as supporting both its majors and the Integrative Studies Program in order to teach critical thinking and writing skills, to help students develop an appreciation of our diverse world, and to prepare students for careers and professions.

The department offers majors and minors in History and Political Science, houses the interdisciplinary major in International Studies, and the Legal Studies minor. Faculty from the department also teach INST 150 Issues in the Western Experience, INST 160 Geography, and sections of other Integrative Studies courses including INST 382 African Cultures & Colonialism. The department also contributes to the Education Department, Women’s Studies, Black Studies, Environmental Studies, and the Honors program.

Integrated Social Studies Teacher Licensure (grades 7 - 12)

Requirements for students seeking social studies teacher licensure are listed in the Teacher Education Programs handbook available in the Education Department. Social studies licensure candidates must follow the history major. Requirements for the history major and teacher licensure may differ somewhat, but both must be met to become licensed and the major must be completed to receive a Bachelor’s degree. To be recommended for teacher licensure, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better, have a 2.5 grade point average in the teaching area, be in good standing with the Education Department, have positive recommendations from student teaching, and have successfully passed the appropriate Praxis II exams.

Program Outcomes

History: Fulfillment of the requirements in History qualifies students to pursue graduate work in history. Students entering Ph.D. programs prepare for careers in college-level teaching and research. Students also may follow up a B.A. in history with a master’s degree in library science or master’s program in public history, which will qualify them for positions in museum studies, archival work, or historic preservation. When the B.A. in History is undertaken in conjunction with the “Integrated Social Studies” program in the Education Department at Otterbein, graduates are qualified to teach history and/or social studies in the secondary schools. Because the discipline of history spans both the humanities and social sciences, students acquire a broad foundation of knowledge, which, when combined with the analytical and communication skills gained in pursuing a degree in history, are applicable to many career fields. As a result, graduates have found employment in such areas as law, journalism, government service, administration, and business.

Political Science: Fulfillment of the requirements in Political Science qualifies students to pursue professional employment in government service and public administration at the federal, state, and local levels. Graduates also are qualified for employment in non-governmental organizations that serve social and/or legal services. Students are prepared for graduate work in political science, international relations and the foreign service, and public administration. Graduates also may pursue law school. When undertaken in conjunction with the “Integrated Social Studies” program in the Education Department, graduates are qualified to teach civics-politics and/or social studies in the secondary schools. The liberal arts foundation of a political science degree offers skills that can be valuable in many career fields, including law, journalism, business administration, and research.

International Studies: Fulfillment of the requirements in International Studies qualifies students to pursue graduate work in political science, international relations, and programs to train foreign service officers. Graduates also are qualified for employment in non-government organizations that serve international publics. The competency in foreign language required by the International Studies major enhances employment opportunities for students in many career fields, including international business, journalism, and education.