History B.A.

Program Description

The History major is the essential foundation of knowledge. It provides the context for a liberal education, the tools to understand ourselves and our contemporary world, and the skills for an educated person to live a more fulfilled and gratifying life in a wide range of careers.

What careers can this major prepare you for?

The major program not only prepares students for teaching and for graduate study in history but many students have found history an appropriate preparatory foundation for careers in law, library science, international work, the foreign service, the ministry, business, government and archival and museum work.

What skills are developed within this major?

History majors will develop the following skills: better understanding of our society and the times in which we live; better understanding of ourselves and how to place our own society in historical perspective; the ability to balance present-mindedness with historical memory. They will acquire skills such as the ability to conduct research, to communicate effectively through written or oral communication, critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and problem-solving. They will understand the roles which individuals and groups have played in shaping their worlds and will enjoy examining societies very different or very similar to our own.

Admission to Major

After admission to the university, a student obtains an “Entrance Interview” packet from the History Department in RT 1319 that explains the advising procedures and asks the student for a writing sample and answers to a few questions. Once this information has been gathered, the student calls the History Department at 216-687-3920 to arrange for an initial advising appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Director will evaluate transfer credits for the major and give the student a copy of the filled-out check-sheet. Following this advising session, students will receive a letter with the name of their individual faculty advisor in the department.