The Major Historians study the past in its variety and complexity. With such an analysis, students of history gain multiple perspectives on the present and an aptitude to plan intelligently for the future. Although the lessons to be learned from the past are rarely simple, solutions to present-day problems rest on comprehension of historical forces and events.
History deepens our understanding of other peoples and cultures.
All courses offered in the History Department seek to examine the issues of race, gender, class, and cultural diversity. Majoring in history is excellent preparation for students interested in a teaching career, the legal profession, or advanced work in the discipline. Students wishing to become business executives, administrators, and public servants profit immensely by gaining the methodological skills of the historian. The study of history and its method prepares students for a wide range of careers while also sensitizing them to the complexity and diversity of the past and the present. History is an excellent foundation for a broadly based education in the liberal arts.