Opportunities for Students in the History Department
As a student in the History Department you will have exciting opportunities to develop skills that will prepare you for a career in teaching, historical preservation, museum, archive, and library work, as well as careers in public and private institutions, the law, nonprofits, and business. Most important, a degree in History fosters critical thinking, research, analysis, writing, deliberation, creativity, communication, and content mastery – desirable skills in virtually every profession!
The History Department is committed to providing outstanding undergraduate instruction where curiosity is nurtured and encouraged and students have the chance to work directly with professors on research projects and professional development. The Department of History at SVSU has a tradition of excellence and has received more university honors for our teaching, innovation, research, and service than any other department on campus!
The Department of History also offers numerous opportunities to socialize and engage with fellow students through the History Club and Phi Alpha Theta, a national honor society. The Department of History also offers several scholarships for students. These prestigious awards include the Daisy Margaret Van Benschoten Memorial Endowed Scholarship; William S. Hoffmann & John R. Willertz Endowed Scholarship; and the Dr. Heidi L. Febert Memorial Award.
As you can see the Department of History at SVSU offers unique, stimulating, challenging, and valuable resources and opportunities which support the success of all of our graduates!
National Honor Society In History
Phi Alpha Theta is a national honor society that recognizes and celebrates students who have excelled in the study of History. The Department of History is proud to support the Alpha-Omicron-Rho chapter of the honor society at SVSU.
Phi Alpha Theta is "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 and teachers together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways."
Phi Alpha Theta has over 400,000 members and approximately 970 chapters nationwide.
To gain membership, students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours (4 courses) in History, achieve a minimum GPA of 3.1 in History and a GPA of 3.0 or better overall. A maximum of 3 credit hours of online, transfer, or AP credits may be applied to the membership eligibility requirement. Membership is not limited to History majors. As members, students will join a community of scholars dedicated to the advancement of history.
For additional information please see the link and contact the chapter advisor Dr. Nameeta Mathur, nmathur@svsu.edu. http://phialphatheta.org/
History Department Scholarships
The History Department offers several scholarships for History students. These prestigious awards include the Daisy Margaret Van Benschoten Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the William S. Hoffmann & John R. Willertz Endowed Scholarship, and the Dr. Heidi L. Febert Memorial Award.
We encourage all of our students to apply! Please find more information about these awards and applications with the following links.
- The Daisy Margaret Van Benschoten Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- The William S. Hoffmann & John R. Willertz Endowed Scholarship
- The Dr. Heidi L. Febert Memorial Award
Please contact the History Department chair, Dr. Jules Gehrke, jgehrke@svsu.edu, with questions and requests for additional information.