History and Geography

Chair: Aran MacKinnon
Professors: Stephen Auerbach, W. Brian Newsome, Chuck Fahrer, Mark Huddle, Aran MacKinnon, Doug Oetter, Stephanie Opperman, William Risch, Amy Sumpter, Eric Tenbus
Associate Professors: Jessica Wallace, James Welborn

Assistant Professors: Ashleigh Ikemoto
Lecturers: Amber Burgamy, Joshua Morrow, Chris Reed, Daniel Scallet

Please see GCSU's Campus Directory for department and faculty office locations, phone numbers, and email addresses, and the department website for additional department information.

 

Mission

History and Geography are essential to a liberal arts education and important to the education of persons in all walks of life. Through its offerings in the core, its majors, its minors, and its certificate programs , the Department of History and Geography has as its mission to provide students with the following:

• a working knowledge of past and place;
• an understanding of the connections of past and present;
• intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning;
• an ability to conduct historical and geographical research, to examine and analyze material critically, and to communicate knowledge and ideas effectively;
• preparation for advanced study and professional careers in history, geography or other occupation;
• and the capacity for lifelong learning and responsible participation as citizens of today's world.

The central mission of the Geography Program is to develop in our students a comprehension of the spatial patterns and processes that influence life on Earth. Our students are trained to recognize the interdependent physical and social causes of human and natural phenomena through the application of spatial principles. Through spatial analysis, our students apply their understanding of biophysical processes, human settlement patterns, and cultural expression to promote global interconnectedness, solve environmental problems, and create secure local economies. Our geography program provides a broad-based liberal experience that supports acquiring knowledge, synthesizing information, and cultivating critical thinking in a holistic, cross-disciplinary context.

Student Success

Earning a college degree is a significant milestone in one's life and requires dedication to one's studies and tremendous effort to succeed. In support of this, we are engaged in student success through a robust variety of High Impact Teaching Practices and student-centered engaged pedagogies and a clearly charted, attainable four-year program of study. First, we directly support the vital First Year Academic Seminar experience in which students are introduced to the faculty and students who make up the departmental community and are provided an overview of the subject matter covered in the major, explore career possibilities, and develop techniques for getting the most out of college courses and activities. The Department supports engaged learning activities such as undergraduate research work, internships, study abroad and study away programs, and essential capstone courses. We also encourage students to develop an intentional sense of their acquired skills and outcomes through our methods courses and the crafting of a senior portfolio that reflects skills, experiences, and achievements from the chosen degree programs.

Programs

The Department of History and Geography provides two degree programs of study that prepare students for success in careers, for graduate school and to be well-rounded citizens of the world..

 

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History is a traditional course of study designed for students interested in further professional training, especially in secondary education and graduate work in history.

 

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Geography involves students in issues of environmental conservation, urban and regional planning, and global economic and cultural studies.

 

We offer minors in both History and Geography.

We also offer two innovative certificate programs:

Geographic Information Science (GISc) involves the application of spatial information and mapping technologies to solving complex problems which exist over space.  Since most human pursuits and environmental events of interest occur on the surface of Earth, GISc applies to many fields of academic inquiry, from geography and ecology to marketing, sociology, public health, and political science. 

A certificate in Global Foodways Studies will help you find employment with government agencies dealing with food and agriculture issues, food-oriented non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work on sustainability and food security issues, and food processing, preparation, and distribution firms. Students can also focus on international and national food policy and local food governance systems and food enterprise management for careers. 

Internships

A variety of internships offering practical experience in geography and history-related work are available through the department, including such opportunities as work at historical societies and preservation sites. For further details consult the department chair.

Student Organizations

The department sponsors three organizations for undergraduate students. The History Club is open to all individuals interested in historical events and research. The local chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honorary association, is open by invitation to students with exceptional records. The Geography Club is open to anyone interested in geographical issues. 

Career Information

The study of history and geography prepares one directly for many occupations and indirectly for many more. Graduates in history often go into work related to history, such as teaching or administration at the secondary or college level or into work at historical societies, archives, museums, parks, or historical sites. Library work, government service, and many other areas not directly related to history are also open to history majors. History is an excellent background subject for those going into the law, the ministry, journalism, and media work. Many business positions are open to history majors, especially those requiring breadth of knowledge, research and writing ability, and skill in organizing information.
Geography, with the strong foundation it provides in the physical systems of the planet as well as the structural study of human society over the centuries, opens up a number of career pathways. These careers include, among many: teaching, civil service, environmental protection, land management, energy conservation, urban and regional planning, mapping science, national security, geospatial technology, and international development.