Learning Outcomes: History

History program goals and outcomes

  1. Goal: By carefully considering the development and interplay of factors such as culture, politics, religion, gender, race, and economics, students should learn to understand the contextual basis for major issues facing different societies.

    Outcome: Students will demonstrate an ability to contextualize and effectively analyze the role that two of six factors (culture, politics, religion, race, and economics) played in specific historical societies.


  2. Goal: By examining primary sources and various historical narratives, students should learn to sort through competing interpretations of the past in order to arrive at an informed and well-reasoned understanding of historical developments.

    Outcome: Students will demonstrate an ability to explain how historians' use of source material and intellectual assumptions produce particular historical narratives.


  3. Goal: Students should be able to construct a chronological framework of western and non-western history.

    Outcome: Students will construct an accurate periodization of either American or World History and analyze the implications of their categorization.

Connections to Malone University Mission

The learning outcomes for all majors flow from the Malone University mission statement and educational goals. The mission “to provide students with an education based on biblical faith in order to develop men and women in intellectual maturity ...” has implicitly guided the development of program outcomes. History major goals 1, 2, and 3 are especially important in developing students in intellectual maturity as students of history.

History Major Outcomes Related MU Educational Goals
1 - thinking historically C: "think critically and creatively"
2 - craft reasoned and well-researched arguments concerning cause and effect, consequences, historical importance, accuracy in presentation of the past, and the use of history C: "think critically and creatively and communicate effectively"

D: "attain expertise in at least one profession or academic discipline"
3 - developing a chronological framework  A: "understand and critically engage those bodies of knowledge and cultural influences that have shaped the world"