Minor 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 begin by asking 'why' or 'how.' These questions demand complex answers about who we are and how we have come to be where we are. 

A Minor in History provides a foundation in historical thinking and teaches skill 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 form 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, 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: Any course offered by the Department of History is open to Minors. Students are encouraged, but not required to enroll in our seminar in historical methods (HIST 301) or the senior research seminar (HIST 696).