Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
South Dakota State University. Department of History
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The teaching of history at South Dakota State University developed alongside the college. From the beginning, students in all divisions of the college were required to take basic history courses. As time went on and the numbers of students and teachers multiplied, the Department of History was able to carve out its own niche. At times, other disciplines were taught through the department and the name was occasionally changed to reflect these areas. In 1905, the department was known as the Department of History and Political Science, this lasted until 1967. After a year as the Department of History, in 1968 the name changed to the Department of History and Geography to reflect the number of geography courses taught. In 1973, a separate geography department was established and the history department was reorganized into a resemblance of today's department. / The courses offered by the Department of History are intended to prepare majors for careers in teaching, government, and service-oriented occupations, and to provide a necessary background for graduate work or other specialized training. / History is now merged into the Department of History, Political, Sciences, Philosophy, and Religion.