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Faculty: D. Beer, J. Case, S. Floyd, G. Miller, A. Plug (Chair), S. Waalkes, J. Welling

The Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences uses the tools of history, philosophy, political science, and sociology from a Christian perspective to understand more fully the nature of human existence and the development and structure of human societies. Departmental teaching equips students with the skills and insight necessary to engage the world in an informed and responsible manner. Departmental research investigates questions facing human societies in order to promote a deeper understanding of the nature of human interaction, reality, and truth. In all these activities, the department seeks to integrate Christian faith with learning in such a way that faith may shed light on the academic disciplines of the department and that, conversely, these disciplines may inform and deepen the Christian faith of the community. 

Through a study of forces such as culture, religion, politics, gender, class, and race, the department helps students become virtuous citizens and responsible shapers of Church and culture. In doing so, we provide an occasion for students to ask penetrating questions, scrutinize deeply held commitments, cultivate a love for truth and a more mature faith. Together these tasks enable us to develop and sustain a Christian view of the world of human life. Additionally, they enable us to promote in unique ways Malone University’s central aim, namely, to seek “Christ’s Kingdom First.”

The department offers four majors: History , Integrated Social Studies  (a teaching major), Philosophy , and Political Science . The department also offers minors in History , Philosophy , Political Science , and Sociology . 

History

Mission Statement

The history program trains students to identify, describe, and analyze forces that have shaped societies over time, in order to serve the church, community and world.

Program Goals and Outcomes

Goal: By carefully considering the development and interplay of factors such as culture, politics, religion, gender, race and economics, students should learn to understand the contextual basis for major issues facing different societies.
Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate an ability to contextualize and effectively analyze the role that two of six factors (culture, politics, religion, race and economics) played in specific historical societies.

Goal: By examining primary sources and various historical narratives, students should learn to sort through competing interpretations of the past in order to arrive at an informed and well-reasoned understanding of historical developments.
Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate an ability to explain how historians’ use of source material and intellectual assumptions produce particular historical narratives.

Goal: Students should be able to construct a chronological framework of western and non-western history.
Outcome: Students will:

• construct an accurate periodization of either American or World History and analyze the implications of their categorization.

Integrated Social Studies

Mission Statement

The Integrated Social Studies major prepares students to obtain state licensure allowing them to teach social studies courses in grades 7-12, to demonstrate knowledge in history and social sciences content fields, to plan instruction, to practice teaching, and to affect their students’ learning-in order to enable them to serve the church, community, and the world as effective teachers.

Program Goals and Outcomes

Goal: Prepare students to demonstrate knowledge in history and social sciences content fields.
Outcome: Students will:

• pass the required content area courses.
• complete an additional assessment based on National Council of Social Studies standards.

Goal: Prepare students to demonstrate an ability to plan instruction.
Outcome: Students will:

• complete the Teacher Education Proficiencies Portfolio.

Goal: Prepare students for successful student teaching.
Outcome: Students will:

• complete the Formative Evaluation for Student Teachers.

Goal: Prepare students to demonstrate how their instruction affects student learning.
Outcome: Students will:

• complete the Evaluation of Candidate Work Sample.
• complete the Social Studies Unit Assignment.

Goal: Prepare students to master social studies content areas required for state licensure to teach social studies in grades 7-12.
Outcome: Students will:

• pass the social studies content knowledge portion of the Ohio Assessments for Educators exam.

Philosophy

Mission Statement

The philosophy program aims to help students think critically and write clearly about life’s most enduring questions, many of which concern God, morality, knowledge, and human nature. The program’s courses also aim to provide students with a broad understanding of philosophy’s history that is nested in, but not exclusive to, the Western philosophical tradition. The philosophy program aims to encourage a love for truth, help students to clarify and rigorously examine their cherished beliefs, and promote a distinctively Christian understanding of the world and human life.

Program Goals and Outcomes

Goal: Provide students with a sound understanding of the Western philosophical tradition.
Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of key figures and texts in the Western philosophical tradition.

Goal: Equip students with the ability to use logic and critical thinking when assessing a range of philosophical topics.
Outcomes: Students will:

• demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate arguments using both informal and formal logic.
• demonstrate a sound grasp of a philosophical topic and an ability to assess various positions regarding that topic.

Goal: Help students reflect on how Christian faith and philosophical reflection are compatible sources of knowledge and wisdom.
Outcome: Students will: 

• demonstrate an ability to think and reflect carefully on the relationship between faith and reason.

Political Science

Mission Statement

The mission of the political science program is to provide students with an education based on the four sub-fields of the discipline (Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations), to develop students’ research and writing skills, and to provide students with the tools to analyze politics and government from a biblical and theological perspective, so that they can develop in intellectual maturity, wisdom, and Christian faith; and so that they can serve the church, community, and world.

Program Goals and Outcomes

Goal: Provide an education based on the four sub-fields of the discipline (Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations).
Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate knowledge of each of the four sub-fields of political science.

Goal: Develop students’ research and writing skills.
Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate aptitude in research methods and writing proficiency.

Goal: Provide students with the tools to analyze politics and government from a biblical and theological perspective.
Outcome: Students will: 

• demonstrate the capacity to analyze politics and government from a biblical and theological perspective.

Special Program

Bliss Institute Internship

The Bliss Institute Internship offered by the Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences in partnership with the University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, is designed to enhance and further educational opportunities available to eligible students. Such internships afford Malone students the opportunity to experience practical politics first hand. The objective of this program is to provide a flexible and responsive learning environment where students are able to interact with political career professionals and apply classroom theory and technique to actual workplace settings.

Programs

• History, BA
• Integrated Social Studies, BA
• Philosophy, BA
• Political Science, BA

• History Minor
• Peace and Reconciliation Minor
• Philosophy Minor
• Political Science Minor
• Sociology Minor

• Law School Preparation

Courses

Courses that qualify as upper-level western history courses are designated with (w) and upper-level non-western courses with (nw).

• HIST 105 - History Seminar
• HIST 111 - World History I: The Ancient World to 1500
• HIST 112 - World History II: The Modern World
• HIST 211 - American History I: Colonial Era to the Civil War
• HIST 212 - American History II: Gilded Age to the Present
• HIST 321 - The Civil War and Reconstruction (w)
• HIST 323 - The Quakers (w)
• HIST 324 - Medieval Europe (w)
• HIST 335 - Religion in America (w)
• HIST 341 - African History (nw)
• HIST 351 - History of Modern China (nw)
• HIST 356 - History and Politics of the Modern Middle East (nw)
• HIST 357 - Islam and the West (w or nw)
• HIST 358 - History and Politics of East Asia: China and Japan (nw)
• HIST 360 - Classical Greece and Rome (w)
• HIST 362 - Ohio History and Government (w)
• HIST 366 - History of World Missions (w or nw)
• HIST 381 - History of Latin America (nw)
• HIST 435 - Early Modern Europe: Renaissance and Reformation (w)
• HIST 436 - Modern Europe: The Enlightenment to the Present (w)
• HIST 442 - History Senior Seminar
• HIST 445 - Women in American History (w)
• HIST 450 - Advanced Topics
• HIST 455 - U.S. Since 1945 (w)
• HIST 461 - History of World Religions (nw)
• HIST 480 - Internship

• PHIL 200 - Central Questions in Philosophy
• PHIL 211 - Introduction to Logic
• PHIL 232 - Ethics: God and the Good Life
• PHIL 262 - Theories of Human Nature
• PHIL 301 - Political Philosophy
• PHIL 343 - Philosophy of Religion
• PHIL 345 - Epistemology
• PHIL 354 - Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL 355 - Renaissance and Modern Philosophy
• PHIL 401 - Current Ethical Debates
• PHIL 450 - Advanced Topics

• POL 201 - Introduction to American Government
• POL 212 - Introduction to World Politics
• POL 267 - Comparative Politics
• POL 301 - Political Philosophy
• POL 305 - American Constitutional Law
• POL 312 - Social Welfare Policy Analysis
• POL 316 - American Political Thought
• POL 325 - The President and Congress
• POL 331 - United States Foreign Policy
• POL 340 - War, Peace, and Revolution in the Christian Tradition
• POL 342 - Terrorism, Insurgency, and Cyber-War
• POL 347 - The Global Economy
• POL 356 - History and Politics of the Modern Middle East
• POL 358 - History and Politics of East Asia: China and Japan
• POL 363 - Political Theology
• POL 431 - Internships
• POL 440 - Bliss Institute Internship
• POL 450 - Advanced Topics
• POL 460 - Political Science Senior Seminar

• SOSC 200 - Globalization and Cultural Geography
• SOSC 212 - Cross-Cultural Experience Part I
• SOSC 213 - Cross-Cultural Experience Part II

• SOC 201 - Principles of Sociology
• SOC 202 - Problems in Society
• SOC 256 - Sociological Research Methods
• SOC 310 - American Minorities
• SOC 340 - Sociology of Gender
• SOC 355 - Sociology of Religion
• SOC 362 - The Sociology of Crime and Deviance
• SOC 450 - Advanced Topics

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