History, Political Science, & Disaster Science

The Department of History, Political Science, and Disaster Science emphasizes 21st-Century skill development and application in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, research, and written presentation. Students can pursue various concentrations in our programs that include internships and allow flexibility in skill acquisition and content application. Graduates will be prepared for a variety of graduate programs history, political science, disaster science, and law school; careers in emergency management, secondary education, and public history; and 21st-Century employment and entrepreneurial opportunities that require critical thinking, problem solving, and effective implementation of skills in practical circumstances.

The Bachelor of Arts in History emphasizes 21st-Century skill development and application in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, research, and written presentation. Students will concentration in U.S. History, World History, Public History (internships), or Social Sciences. Graduates will be well-prepared for a variety of graduate programs in history, law school, and social sciences; careers in secondary education and public history; as well as many different employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Graduates will enjoy opportunities to learn practical skills in internships at local museums (such as the Southern Forest Heritage Museum) and other institutions connected to public history as well as travel and tourism.

Possible careers in history

Political Science students will not only develop their knowledge of Political Science as a systematic study of politics and government but will also acquire a firm grasp of the fundamentals of reading, writing, and critical thinking and a broad familiarity with the basic principles of several academic disciplines in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.  The value of such an education becomes more evident when one considers that educated citizens are better able to carry out the responsibilities of citizenship (and are more likely to become political leaders) and employers are increasingly seeking graduates who can speak and write clearly, who are computer literate and understand how to use technology, who know about their own and other countries, cultures and societies, who can solve problems creatively, and who have developed that flexibility of thought which a more narrowly-focused technical education rarely encourages.

Students who earn this baccalaureate degree will produce the high quality work that will make them eligible for a Political Science graduate program; or entrance into law school; or graduate education in library science; or elementary education with alternative certification program; or secondary education in social studies with a Secondary Education Minor or alternative certification.  The BGS-POLI degree will also make graduates more attractive for immediate employment in the public sector at the federal, state and local government level. 

Some students may not intend to pursue those careers that have traditionally been associated with a Political Science degree (i.e., Law School or elective office); instead, they may wish to acquire a foundation in Political Science to complement another area of expertise such as business administration, criminal justice, government, or human service.  The increasing realization of the relevance of Political Science to these and other fields means that such career possibilities are likely to only increase in the coming years.

Entry to Law School requires a high score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). In order to accomplish that, one’s research skills, analytical skills, and writing skills must be honed razor sharp. In the Pre-Law Concentration carefully selected courses will build and exercise those crucial skills to maximize your likelihood for a strong performance on the LSAT.  

There are several academic disciplines that are considered to be traditional preparation for law school -- History, English, Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, or Business, for example.  But it is also possible to include in your undergraduate studies the Fine Arts and Music, Engineering and the Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Education, or Nursing, for example. Taking a broad range of challenging courses from demanding instructors is considered excellent preparation for legal education. The inherently broad nature of the BGS degree with Concentration in Pre-Law allows you to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges you, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop and broaden your research skills, analytical skills, and writing skills. You should expect that Law School will build upon and further refine the broad range of skills and knowledge you’ve acquired, whereas the absence of these skills and knowledge will make Law School an especially difficult challenge.

Pre-Law studies are designed to maximize one’s likelihood of success at getting into Law School (i.e., a high LSAT score) and doing well once admitted. But the broad repertoire of skills and knowledge acquired in this degree also make the graduate highly desirable for many other career pursuits including Graduate School

The HPDS Department also offers a concentration and minor in Public History. Public History is a diverse field that includes working in public and private organizations such as museums, archives, parks, local, state or national government historic sites, and institutions that include historic preservation and interpretation as part of their mission.  An important component of our public history program are internships where students get hands-on experience working at local or regional historical site.  Below includes a list of our past, regional partners who have hosted interns:

The Southern Forest Heritage Museum
The Kent House
Fort Polk Military Museum
The Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum
The Central Louisiana Special Collections (LSUA Archives)
The Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum at Camp Beauregard 
Inglewood Farms

To learn more about the field of Public History visit the National Council on Public History.

To apply for one of our internships:

The Program 

Louisiana State University at Alexandria (LSUA) is an affiliated program with the Northwestern State University (NSU) Army ROTC. NSU is the “host” for LSUA Army ROTC program. Freshman and sophomores attend classes at LSUA and labs on the NSU campus. Junior and senior level classes are attended at NSU campus. The Army ROTC courses are college electives focusing on leadership and management skills that will earn them a minor in Military Science. Upon completion of the ROTC program, the student will commission as officers in the U.S Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. 

Enrollment 

If you’re a high school junior or senior and are interested in enrolling in Army ROTC talk to your academic advisor about the opportunity that ROTC can provide. You can find a great deal of information on the GoArmy (goarmy.com/rotc) website. Please feel free to contact us for school specific information. 
 
If you’re interested in enrolling in Army ROTC and are currently a college student, you can start by talking to the Army ROTC Enrollment Officer, Mr. Raymond McDowell at 318.357.6501 or mcdowellr@nsula.edu located on NSU campus. You will receive a personalized plan detailing the Army ROTC basic or advanced elective course and about the incentives available, including opportunities to compete for two-, three-, or four-year merit-based scholarships. 
 

Lateral Entry  

Lateral Entry Cadets typically decide to join ROTC in their sophomore year of college, thus require Basic Camp, a four-week course at Fort Knox Kentucky, to learn what normal-progression Cadets have learned in their first two years of military science classes, during their freshman and sophomore years of Army ROTC.                                                                                                                        

Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) 

The Simultaneous Membership Program allows you to attend Army ROTC and serve in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard at the same time. It gives you an opportunity for additional training and experience. Cadets serve as officer trainees in the Army Reserve or National Guard while completing college. You can earn Army Reserve/National Guard pay and benefits in addition to your Army ROTC allowances. 
 

Scholarships

 No matter whether you are an incoming freshman or have already started on the path to earning a degree, ROTC has scholarships available to help pay for college. Contact Mr. Raymond McDowell at 318.357.6501 or mcdowellr@nsula.edu, for more information. 

ROTC college elective curriculum 

Army ROTC will give you valuable real-world tools and leadership skills that will benefit not only your professional career but your personal life as well. 

 Army ROTC is a college elective curriculum you take along with your required college classes. It prepares you with the tools, training, and experiences that will help you succeed in any competitive environment. You will have a normal college student experience like everyone else on campus, but when you graduate, you will be an Officer in the Army.  
 
Army ROTC is a one-of-a-kind experience. The challenges you face and the obstacles you’ll overcome will prepare you for future success. Army ROTC is one of the nation’s top leadership programs, with many benefits to joining. 

Contact Us

NSU Department of Military Science 
Room 103, Gov. James A. Noe Armory 
(across from Turpin Stadium) 
 
Our mailing address: 
 NSU Department of Military Science 
418 Caspari Street, Building 31 
Natchitoches, LA  71497 
Phone:  318-357-5157 
Fax:  318-357-6520 
nsurotc@nsula.edu 

More Information on ROTC Program below: 

Military Science (nsula.edu) 
Northwestern State University Army ROTC (NSULA) | Facebook 
NSULA_ROTC (@NSUDemonROTC) / Twitter 
NSULA ROTC (@nsula_rotc) • Instagram photos and videos 

Disasters and emergencies happen. When they do, we want to be confident that someone who knows what they are doing has taken charge of minimizing its ill effects on our lives, our health, and our property. Disaster Science and Emergency Management (DSEM) is a rapidly-developing academic discipline, driven by the realization that if some key actions are taken in advance of the disaster or emergency, then the outcome of the event can be much easier to manage and the impact made significantly less worse than if we had done nothing.  DSEM therefore aims at increased understanding of disaster/emergency-related issues affecting local, national, regional, and global politics and policymaking with an emphasis on implementing the “best practices” of managing disasters and emergencies. The study of DSEM also helps a person understand the structure, operation, and interrelationship of local, state, and national governments, and how their respective emergency management agencies relate to each other before the crisis, during, and afterwards.

A bachelor’s degree with the Disaster Science and Emergency Management concentration can lead to a career in federal, state, or local government, especially in their Emergency Management operations; private-sector emergency management; consulting; international organizations that have an emergency management or disaster relief aspect; nonprofit organizations; policy advocacy; journalism; or electoral politics, among others.   It is excellent preparation for graduate study in this field, which can lead to a career in research and/or college or university teaching.  One can also benefit from studies in DSEM, without pursuing it as a professional career, simply by being a knowledgeable resource who can help family, friends, and neighbors understand the nature of an unfolding disaster or emergency and what to expect Emergency Management authorities to do (or not do) about it, thus making you a highly valuable person in your own local community during a crisis.