Abraham Lincoln Status in the Nation's capitol

Social Sciences

History

The Associate in Arts in History degree earned at Rose State College fulfills all of the requirements necessary for students to transfer to a history baccalaureate program at a four year college or university. Our general education history degree curriculum includes required course work in U.S., European, and Ancient and Medieval History and is supplemented with related coursework in the areas of African American, American Indian, American West, LGBTQ+, Oklahoma, and Women’s History.

Students who successfully complete the 62 credit hour degree program will not only have familiarized themselves with the complex cultural, economic, intellectual, political, and social dynamics and processes that constitute the past, but through critical analysis and inquiry students will develop a greater appreciation of how that past continues to shape the present as well as the future.

Why Choose to Pursue a History AA Degree?

Not only is Rose State College an affordable and convenient education option for students in the central Oklahoma area, but the College boasts a highly diverse and extremely educated group of historians committed to excellence in teaching. In addition, the small class size, typical of Rose State College, permits students and history faculty to interact on a much more personal level. Indeed, faculty are readily available to help students beyond the limitations of the classroom because Rose State College faculty are committed to and place a high priority on instruction. 

History Mentorship Program

The Rose State College History department has instituted a new mentorship program to help History majors by providing tenured faculty members’ insights into enrollment, degree management, and transferring to a four-year college. So often, students find it difficult to decide in what classes to enroll or how to move forward after Rose State College. With our mentoring program, a student will be able to establish a one-on-one relationship with a member of the History tenured faculty to consult for help in making decisions regarding:

  • Degree plans/options available
  • Enrollment
  • Layout of your degree plan to stay on track for graduation
  • Which courses do/do not count for credit and/or transfer to another institution
  • Degree checks
  • When specific history courses will be offered so your rotation matches the scheduling
  • Course substitutions when necessary
  • Transfers to other institutions (deadlines, application process, etc.)
  • Applications for scholarships, workshops, presentations, and other events related to your degree

We believe this program will benefit our students and our history degree program to maximize the potential of both.  Please email or schedule a visit with Dr. Aaron Bachhofer at abachhofer@rose.edu.

The Value of a History Degree

Numerous opportunities are available for those who earn undergraduate or advanced degrees in history. These include but are not limited to the following:

  • Archivist/librarian for a library, museum, or a depository containing history-related collections
  • Consultant or preservationist who advises cities, states, or private contractors who restore historical buildings and sites
  • Corporate historian who catalogs and maintains a company’s history
  • Curator who manages or works at a museum or historical society
  • Editor who works at a press that publishes historical monographs and studies
  • Employment as a researcher for a government agency, the foreign service, or law enforcement
  • National and state monument and park ranger or guide
  • Professor/Teacher employed at public and private schools, colleges, and universities
  • Research Assistant for a publishing company
  • Research/Technical Advisor for the film industry

In addition, many students use an undergraduate degree in history as a springboard to law school.

History Links

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Course Equivalency Project (PDF)
This link allows students to see which individual history courses transfer or do not transfer to various colleges and universities in Oklahoma.

History Museums and Organizations

Oklahoma Heritage Association
Oklahoma Historical Encyclopedia
American Historical Association
The World History Association
The National Museum of the American Indian
Western History Association
The Smithsonian
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The British Museum web site
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
National Women’s History Museum
National WWII Museum

Faculty

Aaron Bachhofer
Aaron Bachhofer
Professor Social Sciences Department
(405) 733-7414

S. Matt DeSpain
S. Matt DeSpain
Professor of History/Director, Native American Studies Program Social Sciences Department
(405) 733-7527

Craig  Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Professor of History Social Sciences Department
(405) 733-7418

Mary Vick
Mary Vick
Professor of History Social Sciences Department
(405) 733-7316
Tuesdae Pelt-Willis
Tuesdae Pelt-Willis
Professor Social Sciences Department
(405) 733-7533