Research Seminar (History Majors)
South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy is often heralded as nothing short of a miracle. But the 1994 elections were the product of a century-long quest for equal rights. This research seminar explores the history of the 20thcentury liberation struggle in South Africa. Each student develops a research and writing project within the field of South African history using extensive primary and secondary source material in order to make an original contribution to the scholarship. Initial readings and class discussions will provide the background and inspiration to begin work.
History as an Academic Profession (Graduate Course)
The 2015 #ILookLikeAProfessor and the subsequent #womenalsoknowhistory campaigns sought to challenge stereotypes of what it meant to be a professor and historian. While these campaigns called for us to think about gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and generation in the profession, the American Historical Association’s Career Diversity for Historians initiative and its “Where Historians Work” database push us to think about all the ways that historians can use their skills in the academy and beyond. What does it mean to be an historian? How can we achieve and succeed in careers as historians? This course is designed to help graduate students complete the Ph.D. and learn the professional skills needed to make the transition from graduate student to practicing, professional historian. The course hopes to prepare graduate students in our history program to seek, find, gain, and succeed as a history professor, but we will also explore possibilities beyond the academy. Students who plan on a non-academic career should inform the instructor at the beginning of the term so other appropriate assignments can be substituted for some of those listed in the syllabus.
Jill E. Kelly 