As a history minor at Cornerstone University, you will study the past to gain insight into the future. Historians are challenged to seek patterns and identify cause and effect relationships in the history they read. You will learn how to draw from various sources, ask and answer critical questions about the past and identify patterns that may drive us into the future.
We have partnered with several museums and libraries in West Michigan to help cultivate future historians. You will graduate from Cornerstone with a built-in internship experience to prepare you for your future career.
Opportunities
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Grand Rapids City Archives and Records Center
The Potter's House
Careers
History majors are valued for their critical thinking and attention to detail. Here are some career opportunities available to you as a graduate of the history program.
Opportunities
Historian
Research analyst
Librarian
Archivist
Administrative specialist
Museum assistant
Post-secondary history instructor
100%
Of Humanities Divison students from the class of 2019 were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.
15:1
Student-to-faculty ratio with an average class size of 22.
100%
Of students participate in internship or practicum experiences.
Course List
The history program at Cornerstone is designed to inspire your intellect, deepen your character and prepare you to lead in your career with influence and wisdom.
HIS-103 Introduction to History
This course is designed for History majors and minors. Students will be introduced to the study of history, analysis of primary and secondary sources, historical interpretation and historical writing. Students will prepare for their post-graduation careers and examine specific work environments.
HIS-113 World Civilization I
A broad survey of the political, social, economic, religious, and cultural developments of ancient, medieval, and early modern Europe with emphasis placed on the contributions of Western civilization but including study of African, Far Eastern, and Middle Eastern societies. The course begins with Egypt and Mesopotamia and concludes with the 1500s.
HIS-114 World Civilization II
A study of major Western and non-Western nation-states from 1500 to the present including ideological developments such as the Enlightenment and Romanticism. Interwoven throughout are themes of industrialism, imperialism, revolutions,
communism and the Cold War.
HIS-221 United States History I
The political, social, religious, diplomatic and economic history from Colonial times through the Civil War. Topics include colonization, the American Revolution, Constitution-making, the early national period, the Jacksonian era, the Age of Expansion, slavery, sectionalism, and Civil War.
HIS-222 United States History II
A survey of American history from 1865 to the present. The course combines a topical with a chronological approach. Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, Industrialism, Populism, and Progression are followed by a study of the domestic and diplomatic events of Twentieth-Century presidential administrations.
My history major has taught me critical thinking. I have learned to do my own research and not just accept what someone else says at face value.
Ruth Deem (’21)
Faculty
CU professors are devoted to the success of our students. Select a faculty member to learn more about their campus involvement, research interests and teaching responsibilities.
