In 2001, the faculty of the Department of History added a new "gateway course" to the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. History 300: The Historian’s Craft is now required for all new majors, including incoming transfer students.

The course originated as a team-taught, experimental course created by Professors Ronald Atkinson and Mark Smith in 1997. In its present form, History 300 is intended to be one of a pair of small, writing-intensive courses -- the "capstone course" Senior Seminar is the other -- focused on developing and enhancing students’ skills in historical research, analysis, and writing.

Professor Katherine C. Grier, director of undergraduate studies for the Department of History, has taught The Historian’s Craft three times and is a strong advocate for the course. "I see History 300 as an opportunity for students to discover the challenges of doing original research using primary documents. I try to show them that research and historical writing are creative activities, requiring both persistence and imagination. I also use the course as a medium for practicing skills at taking apart and analyzing historical arguments. I want majors entering upper-division classes to be more confident about tackling courses in subject areas that are new to them -- Asian history or early modern Europe, for example." While most history majors will not become professional historians, she notes, all will benefit from the core skills History 300 emphasizes.

Sections of History 300 have been in high demand as the number of majors in the department has grown dramatically over the past two years. Starting in Fall 2003, at least three sections of the class are planned for each semester, including one in the evening. Dr. Grier hopes that the course will become part of the sophomore experience for most history majors.

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