FAQs about History General Education Courses

WHAT HISTORY CLASSES MUST I TAKE TO MEET GEN ED REQUIREMENTS?

History courses meet requirements for two different categories in the MTSU General Education Program:  History and Humanities/Fine Arts.

The History category requires two courses (six credit hours) selected from HIST 2010 US History I, HIST 2020 US History II, and HIST 2030 Tennessee History.  This category is mandatory for ALL MTSU students and ONLY these courses meet the requirement.

The Humanities/Fine Arts category allows students to select one History survey course (three credit hours) from among HIST 1010 Western Civilization I, HIST 1020 Western Civilization II, HIST 1110 World Civilizations I, and HIST 1120 World Civilizations II to fulfill part of the nine-hour requirement. 

For more information on specific courses, see History Courses in the General Education Program

For more information on the MTSU General Education Program, see General Education Program, Implementation Fall 2004  http://gened.web.mtsu.edu/

WHY DO I HAVE TO TAKE SIX HOURS OF US HISTORY? 

Tennessee state law requires six credit hours of US History (selected from HIST 2010, HIST 2020, and HIST 2030) for all students at Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institutions. 

History is a required element of the General Education programs at all TBR colleges and universities, including MTSU.  The goal of the History requirement is “to develop in students an understanding of the present that is informed by an awareness of past heritages, including the complex and interdependent relationships between cultures and societies.”  For more information about the History category of the General Education Program, see http://gened.web.mtsu.edu/history.htm

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND WORLD CIVILIZATIONS?

Western Civilization courses HIST 1010 and HIST 1020 focus on the history of Europe, including the British Isles.  Western Civilization I covers the period up to 1715, and Western Civilization II covers the period from 1715 to the present.

World Civilizations courses HIST 1110 and HIST 1120 have a global focus that includes all human civilizations.  World Civilizations I covers the period up to 1500, and World Civilizations II covers the period from 1500 to the present. 

All Western Civilization and World Civilizations courses meet the Humanities/Fine Arts General Education goal:  “to enhance the understanding of students who, as citizens and educated members of their communities, need to know and appreciate their own human cultural heritage and its development in a historical and global context.Also, through study of Humanities and/or Fine Arts, students will develop an understanding, which they otherwise would not have, of the present as informed by the past.”  For more information about the Humanities/Fine Arts category of the General Education program, see http://gened.web.mtsu.edu/humanities_and_or_fine_arts.htm

SHOULD I TAKE WESTERN CIVILIZATION OR WORLD CIVILIZATIONS?

Any Western Civilization or World Civilizations survey course will meet the MTSU General Education requirement in Humanities/Fine Arts.  However, if you plan to seek teacher licensure, you MUST take a World Civilizations course.

DO I HAVE TO TAKE MY HISTORY GEN ED COURSES IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER? 

No.  You may take History survey courses in any order.  For example, you can take HIST 2020 US History II before taking HIST 2010 US History I, and HIST 1010 Western Civilization I is not a prerequisite for HIST 1020 Western Civilization II. 

You should always consult with your academic advisor about course selection.  In general, the university and the History Department recommend that you complete all General Education Program requirements in your first two years at MTSU.  The History Department recommends sophomore-level standing for HIST 2010, HIST 2020, or HIST 2030. 

CAN I TAKE A HISTORY SURVEY COURSE ONLINE?

Yes.  Both MTSU and the Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) offer History survey courses that meet MTSU General Education requirements in History and in Humanities/Fine Arts.  Online courses taken at other institutions are treated like any other transfer credits.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MTSU’S ONLINE HISTORY COURSES AND RODP ONLINE HISTORY COURSES?

MTSU online History survey courses are taught by MTSU faculty and almost all of your classmates are MTSU students.  You will have to pay an additional fee along with the standard tuition.  This fee covers the cost of the technology and electronic media that make your online course possible.

RODP is an online degree program offered by the Tennessee Board of Regents.  You must follow additional enrollment procedures and pay a higher tuition fee for RODP courses.  RODP online History survey courses meet the appropriate MTSU General Education requirements.  In most cases your instructor will not be a MTSU faculty member and your classmates will be from a variety of TBR and other institutions. 

For more information on RODP policy, procedures, and fees, consult with your academic advisor and the MTSU RODP advisors in the Fairview Building 001; see http://www.regentsdegrees.org/campus/mtsu.htm

WHAT ABOUT HONORS COURSES?  HOW CAN I TELL WHICH SURVEY COURSE SECTIONS ARE FOR HONORS STUDENTS, AND WHETHER I QUALIFY TO ENROLL IN THEM?

Honors sections of History survey courses are identified by the H in the section number; for example, HIST 1010-H01.  Entering freshmen who have a GPA of 3.5 or above and an ACT composite score of 25 or above (or SAT score of 1160 or above) are admitted to the University Honors College and may enroll in Honors classes.  Current and transfer students may enroll in Honors classes after completing 12 semester hours or more with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above.   For more information on the Honors program, see the University Honors College web page http://www.mtsu.edu/honors/.

MY HISTORY SURVEY COURSE IS CROSS-LISTED WITH ANOTHER DEPARTMENT—WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

It means that your History survey course has been approved for credit by another MTSU department or program.  For example, certain sections of HIST 1010 and 1020 are cross-listed for History and Women’s Studies and may be used to fulfill MTSU General Education requirements and/or Women’s Studies minor program requirements. 

I TOOK A HISTORY CLASS AT ANOTHER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY—DOES IT MEET MTSU GEN ED REQUIREMENTS?

History survey courses taken at other TBR institutions are equivalent to MTSU History survey courses and will fulfill the appropriate General Education requirements (History or Humanities/Fine Arts).  History survey courses from non-TBR institutions are evaluated by the Records Office and converted to the nearest MTSU equivalent.  

However, if your previous college or university required only Western Civilization or World Civilizations, those courses apply only to the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement and will not fulfill the History requirement in your General Education program.  If you are in the teacher education program and took Western Civilization at another institution, it fulfills the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement for General Education but not the World Civilization requirement for teacher licensure.

Review your transfer evaluation and consult with your academic advisor to see whether your previous History courses have been applied toward your MTSU General Education Requirements.  If you and your advisor have any questions about the transfer evaluation of your History courses, consult with the History Department’s Undergraduate Program Director. 

CAN I ADD A HISTORY SURVEY COURSE AFTER THE DEADLINE?

After the deadline to add a course on RaiderNet, only the History Department Chair or Undergraduate Program Director can approve late adds, and will do so only for students who have been purged and reenrolled.  Course instructors cannot approve late additions.   

CAN I DROP A HISTORY SURVEY COURSE AFTER THE DEADLINE?

After the last deadline to drop a class on RaiderNet, you may withdraw from a History survey class only in the case of unforeseeable and extraordinary circumstances.  The History Department Chair or Undergraduate Program Director, not the course instructor, will decide whether or not the situation warrants withdrawal.

To withdraw from all of your courses, consult the University College Advising Center in the McFarland Building; 898-2339.  For university withdrawal policy and procedures, see http://www.mtsu.edu/withdraw/