As part of an ongoing series on students who graduate with a degree in History from the University of Scranton we offer a guest post from graduating senior, and recently inducted member of Phi Alpha Theta, Stephanie Aten. Stephanie is graduating with a double major in history and philosophy and a minor in biology. She also participated in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Program (SJLA) as an undergraduate. This fall she will begin course work in a master’s degree program in International Peace and Security at King’s College London in the United Kingdom:
I began my undergraduate career as a biology and philosophy major with a minor in history. After spending time abroad in London and Taiwan, I decided to change my major to history and make biology my minor. As a history major, I centered my study on both ancient and Islamic history. I took electives such as Ancient History, the Fall of Rome, History of American Women, and Civil War & Reconstruction. The two writing-intensive required courses, Craft of the Historian and Seminar in History, taught me how to conduct research and express my ideas in writing.
Completing an undergraduate history degree has been advantageous for my applications to a master’s program because it taught me how to effectively research and write papers in the humanities field. Although I am not pursing history at master’s level, the study of International Peace and Security incorporates important elements relating to my history degree. The degree itself is unique; it combines elements from both international politics and international law. I was first exposed to these subjects during some of my history courses such as Civilization of Islam and European History. The MA degree takes one full year and is comprised of two semesters of teaching and a mandatory 15,000 word dissertation completed over the summer term. It will allow me to pursue employment in both governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations, European Union, NATO, and Amnesty International.
Good luck Steph, be sure to send a postcard from London.