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Good electives for history?

 
Old 06-02-2010 at 04:41 PM   #1
zunizoon
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Good electives for history?
Any history majors have any recommendations on what electives would go well with history?

Thanks for the help (:
Old 06-02-2010 at 04:43 PM   #2
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Languages are always fun.
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Old 06-02-2010 at 04:44 PM   #3
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^ I second that.

I would guess that sociology or political science would also work really well with history.
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Old 06-02-2010 at 04:52 PM   #4
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Thanks guys!
Old 06-02-2010 at 06:14 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zunizoon View Post
Any history majors have any recommendations on what electives would go well with history?

Thanks for the help (:
I find that mathematics courses that involve 'formal' reasoning are a great addition to your reasoning techniques in history. My history papers have much clearer arguments after I've become seriously interested in math (not in the applied sense of computation) and logic, and I find that 'sketching out' my argument in first-order logical symbols (roughly, of course) before actually writing the paper up really clears up any issues I have with the argument. I'd definitely recommend that you either take some logic courses (maybe a challenge, since a lot of them are upper-year) or look into it yourself - it really helps.
If you don't want to spend 4 years doing math, there's a computer science course that introduces you to Boolean logic and discrete mathematics - a good introduction to a more formal way of reasoning...

For graduate work, you'll need to take languages as well - generally French and/or German, but it depends on the area of study, of course.

(I'm a history major, by the way)
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Last edited by Mahratta : 06-02-2010 at 06:24 PM.
Old 06-02-2010 at 07:23 PM   #6
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Indigenous Studies.

If you want to focus on anything North American, it's a good foundation to have.

Anthro can be good as well.
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Old 06-02-2010 at 07:39 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mahratta View Post
For graduate work, you'll need to take languages as well - generally French and/or German, but it depends on the area of study, of course.

(I'm a history major, by the way)
As for the languages, is it for graduate studies in the Arts in general? Or history specific?
Old 06-02-2010 at 07:40 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lorend View Post
Indigenous Studies.

If you want to focus on anything North American, it's a good foundation to have.

Anthro can be good as well.
I considered Anthro, but bad experience in first year with that course...haha.
Old 06-02-2010 at 07:44 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zunizoon View Post
As for the languages, is it for graduate studies in the Arts in general? Or history specific?
All MA programs in Humanities or Soc Sci from what I've researched.

Some schools allow you to take whatever you want, while others you have to take a specific language. I have to take French next year (it's mandatory for all MA students at Carleton), I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Which Anthro did you take, and with who?
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Old 06-02-2010 at 07:48 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lorend View Post
All MA programs in Humanities or Soc Sci from what I've researched.

Some schools allow you to take whatever you want, while others you have to take a specific language. I have to take French next year (it's mandatory for all MA students at Carleton), I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Which Anthro did you take, and with who?
The thing about languages is that I'm in ROTP and will have to be in service after I graduate, but can still pursue a Masters at RMC after serving a few years. Since this is Canada, I'm certain I do need French, but there is a French offered to those who are in service as an officer after university. So I'm not sure if there's a formal regulation. Do you know if there are specifics in regards to french? Or do you just need to have, lets say, a full year of french? (in general of course)

As for the anthro, it was Cultural Anthro with Dr. Arratia. I skimmed through the textbook before the course started and seemed interesting enough, but the prof was just... Resulted in me not going to class ever, and somehow getting an 8 (:
Old 06-02-2010 at 08:26 PM   #11
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I'm a Multimedia student and I take history as my electives so I was going to recommend perhaps Multimedia 1B03 as an elective.

Its a good break from all the reading and essay writing and its an enjoyable course.

I get my break from all the Multimedia projects by doing History and doing the readings and essays instead so I figure just turn the tables.
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Old 06-02-2010 at 08:32 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sew12 View Post
I'm a Multimedia student and I take history as my electives so I was going to recommend perhaps Multimedia 1B03 as an elective.

Its a good break from all the reading and essay writing and its an enjoyable course.

I get my break from all the Multimedia projects by doing History and doing the readings and essays instead so I figure just turn the tables.
I was actually thinking about multimedia 1b03, except I'm pretty bad with photoshop and what not. Bad as in, I can upload a picture and make a caption...that's about it haha.
Old 06-02-2010 at 08:54 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zunizoon View Post
I was actually thinking about multimedia 1b03, except I'm pretty bad with photoshop and what not. Bad as in, I can upload a picture and make a caption...that's about it haha.
Well you learn Photoshop techniques in the course so you don't actually have to be good at it to start. Practice helps with things like Photoshop anyway, you'll never get better at if if you don't try and practice techniques using the software.


I would recommend it.
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Old 06-02-2010 at 08:57 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sew12 View Post
Well you learn Photoshop techniques in the course so you don't actually have to be good at it to start. Practice helps with things like Photoshop anyway, you'll never get better at if if you don't try and practice techniques using the software.


I would recommend it.
Does it take a lot of time to do assignments and such? And I'm guessing I would need to purchase photoshop.
Old 06-03-2010 at 07:17 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zunizoon View Post
The thing about languages is that I'm in ROTP and will have to be in service after I graduate, but can still pursue a Masters at RMC after serving a few years. Since this is Canada, I'm certain I do need French, but there is a French offered to those who are in service as an officer after university. So I'm not sure if there's a formal regulation. Do you know if there are specifics in regards to french? Or do you just need to have, lets say, a full year of french? (in general of course)

As for the anthro, it was Cultural Anthro with Dr. Arratia. I skimmed through the textbook before the course started and seemed interesting enough, but the prof was just... Resulted in me not going to class ever, and somehow getting an 8 (:
I had Arratia for the then-mandatory third year class (my first degree was in Anthro). I hated the class, and we all bombed the exam (I went from a 9/10 to a 6, and most of my classmates did the same...we literally had no idea wtf she was asking on the exam, it was awful. Since then she's apparently gotten much easier).

For languages, you need what would be equivalent to a second year course at Mac. I have to take an intro course and a reading french course, but that's Carleton. You need more than just basic knowledge, as you're expected to be able to read, and then translate things. You end up having to take some kind of competency test in the language in MA programs before you can pass.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zunizoon View Post
Does it take a lot of time to do assignments and such? And I'm guessing I would need to purchase photoshop.
They have computer labs with the program you can access.
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Last edited by lorend : 06-03-2010 at 07:22 PM.



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