Bachelor of Arts in History
Experiential Learning
As a history major at URI, your experience will take you beyond the classroom and help you engage with the field in unique ways.
Capstones
Our capstone sequence is the quintessential history experience. You will go through the steps required to produce a history research paper and then you will write it. You will learn research methods, historiography, and how to formulate your own hypothesis that will end in a thesis. You will work with primary source documents. The end result of the capstone is a “professional” history paper.
Minors
Certain minors offer hands-on experience, most notably our Underwater Archaeology minor.
Israel Archaeology Field School
The URI Digs Israel summer program provides students with the opportunity to be an integral part of an ongoing archaeological excavation in Israel. Students will participate in all aspects of the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath, including: digging and surveying on site; assisting in remote sensing and other archaeological sub-specialties; recording data; and caring for, and analyzing artifacts. Additionally, students will read and discuss material linking archaeological work to epistemological, ethical, and social issues surrounding the work.
Students will have learn from top scholars about topics relating to the site, the archaeology of Israel, and archaelolgical methodology, and they will spend their weekends in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Courses
An example:
HIS 391 – Directed Study or Research. Students can complete directed studies on various experiential topics, an oral history of WWII with local veterans, for example, or the reading of original medieval texts while learning Latin and paleography.
Internships
The University’s Center for Career and Experiential Learning is a good place for students to begin their search for an internship.
Another option is for students to contact one of the Rhode Island Historical and Preservation Societies.