Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in History

Why study history?

We study the past to gain insight for living in our present. At the collegiate level, studying history comprises much more than memorizing names or dates. Historians examine change over time and are most interested in questions that ask 'why' or 'how.' These questions demand complex answers about who we are and how we have come to be where we are. 

A major in History teaches skills in research, evaluation, analysis, and communication that allow us to better understand what it means to be human in an increasingly complex and interdependent world. As a department we are: 

Welcoming: In our teaching and research, faculty are committed to recovering and centering voices of people whose historical experiences have been marginalized through systemic racism, gender and sex prejudice, and class bias. We welcome all students in our classrooms. 

Relevant: The study of history at the collegiate level prepares students for global citizenship and teaches them to construct evidence-based arguments, even in the face of uncertainty, bias, and incomplete information. Our courses develop skills in critical thinking, analysis of qualitative and quantitative sources, research methods and practices, and effective communication –all of which transfer to any number of future careers and occupations. 

PersonalCourses in the department are usually small, and the larger courses always include trained Graduate Teaching Assistants to give individual attention and feedback. All our required seminars are capped at fifteen students, and each afford the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member. 

Prominent:  Faculty in the department are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their field, and they bring this advanced knowledge into the classroom

Flexible:  Students must take only two required courses - a seminar on historical methods (HIST 301) and a senior research seminar (HIST 696) or honors thesis (HIST 690 & HIST 691). Because few courses have sequential prerequisites, History is easy to take as a minor or as a second major.