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History Department

History & Religious Studies Special Opportunities

Internships

Students undertake internships in areas that relate to their academic field and future career goals. During the January Term, history majors have served as teaching aides, clerks at law firms, or as members of museum staffs. Semester long programs in Washington, D. C., Boston, Philadelphia, or New York also mix classroom experience in urban universities with internships in congress or other institutions in the public and private spheres. Recent internships for Hartwick history majors include working with the Foreign Service in El Salvado, The Franklin Dlenao Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, N.Y., and The Archives for European Integration in Pittsburgh, PA.

Religious Studies Minor

Many of our students add the religious studies minor with other majors and minors including history, English, art, philosophy, biology, mathematics, accounting, business administration, political science, sociology, and psychology. These combinations provide a well-rounded educational experience in the liberal arts, suited to almost any career path.

MUSEUM STUDIES MINOR

By minoring in museum studies, history students have the opportunity to explore the Yager Museum of Art & Culture’s exceptional collection of Native American artifacts and local history. History faculty work closely with Hartwick’s Museum Studies faculty, and Professor Chad Anderson’s “Native American Artifacts and their Stories” course is taught in the Yager Museum. This hands-on experience provides students with valuable experience working with material culture and public history. Research from these cross-departmental collaborations has prepared students to succeed in highly competitive graduate programs and professional careers.

Off-Campus Experiences

January Term

The department has offered off-campus abroad programs in France, England, Japan, and the Czech Republic. Faculty guide students on explorations so they may consider how the creation of a national history involves including some past events and excluding others.

We offer January courses that go off-campus to explore sacred spaces in New York City and Washington DC. Because Oneonta is located within a few hours’ drive from various important Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu monasteries and centers, we incorporate field trip experiences into regular course offerings. On the local level, we offer a course that works with the region’s hospice organization.

Students gain an appreciation of the world’s societies and their cultural, religious, political, and economic heritage through excellent off-campus programs offered by our colleagues in other departments.

J Term Study Abroad Options

Semester-Long Study Abroad

Students interested in a more in-depth study abroad experience have pursued semester-long programs at universities in Austria, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and Wales. One student was so inspired by her study abroad experience that she added French to her history major, which landed her a one-year position teaching English at the University of Nice on France’s Mediterranean coast. History majors have also used their semester abroad experiences to refine their interests for graduate study in history after Hartwick.

Global Education

Emerson & Duffy Scholarships for Off-Campus Internships and Independent Study

Studying off campus can be a rewarding experience, but the question often arises: how do I afford it? For history majors at Hartwick, one solution is the Emerson and Duffy International Scholarships. The Emerson Scholarship provides up to $5,000 to support an internship outside the U.S. The Duffy Scholarship also provides up to $5,000, but the independent studies it supports can be in regions of the United States unfamiliar to the student, as well as in other countries. History majors have been given generous awards through the Duffy Scholarship to support a range of international independent studies, from studying Italian in Rome to doing photography in New Zealand and even delving into the history of the British Expeditionary Force in World War Two in the Imperial War Museum in London.

Scholarships & Fellowships

PHI ALPHA THETA HONOR SOCIETY

For over forty years, the history department has been proud to have a chapter of the national history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta. The organization has been part of Hartwick College since 1968 when Professor Emeritus of History, Leonard Pudelka, helped establish the local chapter, Nu Theta.

Phi Alpha Theta’s mission states, “we are a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students, teachers, and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication of our members in a variety of ways.”

Members are inducted by invitation and must have taken at least four history classes, have a history GPA of 3.1 or higher and an overall GPA of 3.0.

For further information about Hartwick’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, please contact the faculty advisor, Professor Chad L. Anderson, [email protected].

National Honor Society for Religious Studies & Theology

Department sponsored membership in the honor society for students studying religion.

Theta Alpha Kappa

HISTORY CLUB

Hartwick’s History Club promotes diversity and inclusion and welcomes all who are interested in history. History Club focuses on creating a space where all students can feel accepted and appreciated through their common interest in history.

HISTORY MAJOR AWARDS

The History department is proud to recognize the accomplishments of our students each year at Honors Convocation.

It is a privilege to be able to nominate history majors for the following awards:

For a rising junior or senior history major with a good academic record. Saxton Fellows serve as undergraduate research assistants or tutors within the history department.

For a rising sophomore and a rising junior who have demonstrated academic achievement and promise in the field of history.

For an outstanding junior history and international relations major with a good academic record and financial need.

For a history major who has an excellent academic record and is planning a career in teaching.

For a rising senior history major who has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and strong character. The Faculty Scholar in History is eligible to be considered for the John Christopher Hartwick Scholarship.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

Hartwick history graduates are heavily recruited by the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) MPA Program. Our graduates consistently standout and are actively engaged in all the Cornell MPA program has to offer. They are successful and have forged exciting careers in the public and private sectors.

The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs program requires: strong writing and communications skills, solid data analytical skills, and the desire to engage in the world to make it better. These form the foundation of a Hartwick College degree.

CIPA