Independent studies further expand the opportunities for the student to engage in any appealing area. Past independent projects have addressed women's history, science, slavery, and various topics in Public History. Moreover, students are able to further their historical interests with participation in History Club activities and those of Central's chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honors society. The History Department believes that one of the important ways people establish who they are is through an accounting of what they have done over time. Since all human activities provide resources for this understanding, the History Department includes in the study of history all social and cultural activities in which people have engaged.
History emphatically is more than past politics.
To ensure that its students have the opportunity to know the variety that characterizes the human experience, the History Department offers courses in all periods from ancient to modern, and in most regions, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America as well as the United States. Since history involves more than the simple setting forth of facts, the department exposes its students to the variety of interpretations and arguments that have characterized historians' study. It also seeks to make them aware of the difficulties in coming to agreement in these matters. Engagement in such investigation assists students in developing their reasoning as well as advanced reading and writing skills providing excellent preparation for graduate and professional study in Public and academic history and related fields such as law and business. The department offers two options to the standard major leading to either secondary education certification or a focus in Public History.