Program Overview and Student Learning Outcomes

History is the study of the past. In examining the past we learn about how our contemporary world has come to be. At the same time, we sharpen our vital skills of critical thinking and analysis.

Historians study complex historical processes and developments through the fundamentally human capacities of critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and constructing arguments. We conduct original research in primary source materials and analyze them in their historical contexts, wrestling with ambiguity and conflicting points of view toward the goal of broader understanding of the human condition.

Majoring or minoring in History is an excellent way to prepare for a career in a wide array of fields, particularly those that require effective communication and informed insight, such as law, politics, teaching, journalism, public relations, government service, library and information sciences, publishing, and business.

In addition to these important skills, the History curriculum identifies the following specific student learning outcomes:

1. Students can explain historical change and continuity.
2. Students can write clear expository prose and orally present their ideas according to disciplinary conventions.
3. Students can identify, interpret and evaluate primary sources and other relevant information.
4. Students can identify the main historiographic issues in a specific area of concentration.

Student Learning Outcomes & Curriculum Map (PDF)