HISTORY MAJOR - GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In order to graduate from Black Hills State University and a South Dakota Board of Regents institution, all students are required to produce an Academic Portfolio. As seen under the Portfolio Checklist, the requested documents are intended to indicate your growth as a historian as well as your depth of knowledge.

An Academic Portfolio is required of all History and History-Education graduates . All history graduates are required to submit portfolios by Noon on the first day of finals week, just before graduation.

A portfolio is useful to students when applying to graduate school or for employment.

We recognize that some graduates may not have retained copies of the requested documents. We ask that you look deeply, in binders and on computer hardware. If you still cannot find what you need, gather what you can find and come speak with one of the History faculty members. We shall see what we can work out.

Portfolio Checklist

Directions:

Each assignment will have a cover page identifying the student, the course, the title (if there is one) of the paper or other work, the semester, year, and instructor.

Descriptions of Required Elements:

Reflective Essay: Students will review the materials they have included in their portfolios and write a brief essay describing what they have gained from the History program and how their perceptions and abilities have changed over the course of the program.

Transcript: Students will provide a current, unofficial copy of their transcript from DegreeWorks. It should include courses for which they are currently enrolled.

General Education level courses:  (HIST 121 Western Civilization I, 151 United States History I, 152 United States History II, or 257 Early American Indian History and Culture): Students will provide a writing sample from one of the above courses, ideally done while at BHSU.

Upper-Level European History: Students will provide a paper from any 300 or 400 level European History course. The paper should include the proper use of citations in Chicago style.

Upper-Level American History: Students will provide a paper from any 300 or 400 level American History course. The paper should include the proper use of citations in Chicago style.

Upper-Level Non-Western History: Students will provide a paper from any 300 or 400 level Non-Western History course. The paper should include the proper use of citations in Chicago style.

Additional Upper-Level: Students will provide one additional paper from any upper-level class. Ideally, this paper will be the student’s best work that is not already included in any of the other required elements. The paper should include the proper use of citations in Chicago style.

HIST 480 Historical Methods & Historiography : Students will provide a rough draft and final Historiographic paper from this course, demonstrating their understanding of a historiographic approach to a historical issue. The paper should include the proper use of citations in Chicago style.