History

As a history major, you will learn about the past and about the world. History is a living and changing discipline; even though it is about the past, historians are always thinking of new ways to interpret that past. You will learn to think about the past this way too and to question their own assumptions about historical events and patterns, developing their own conclusions informed by careful reading and discussion.

Program distinction includes a public history concentration, a rich variety of internships, travel courses to England and Rome, engaged teaching inside the classroom and at local historic sites, intensive faculty mentorship on individual research projects, an opportunity to earn honors in the major with extended research and generous research grant opportunities.

You will take courses across all the world's geographic regions, broadening their understanding of global cultures. Courses cover distinct historical eras and themes in North America, Latin America, Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, and East, Southeast and South Asia that range from prehistoric times through the turn of the twenty-first century.

Learn more about the Department of History.

Each history student at Stetson University engages in independent research and completes a senior research project with faculty guidance. Recent research topics include the evolution of women's roles in the U. S. military, Polish-British Military relations in World War II, contracts and social capital in the NBA, Eleanor Roosevelt's human rights activism, Romano-Celtic relations in ancient Britain, Mongol rule in Iran, Jewish-American culture in the golden age of comic books, an examination of how high school history textbooks differ in the treatment of slavery and the effect of the anti-Vietnam movement on U.S. policy.

The History department offers several competitive grants for majors to supplement their scholarship with hands-on experience in archival research or presentation of their research at academic conferences. Members of the History honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, may submit their research to present at the biannual Phi Alpha Theta Undergraduate Research Conference.

Members of the department's faculty are most focused on teaching and on you, as a student, and your success. Our faculty include three Fulbright Scholars, one who has received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award from the German government, one who has received a McEniry Prize for Excellence in Teaching and two Hand Research Award recipients.

• Martin Blackwell, PhD, Indiana University
• Paul Croce, PhD, Brown University
• Mayhill Fowler, PhD, Princeton University
• Eric Kurlander, PhD, Harvard University
• Emily Mieras, PhD, College of William and Mary
• Nicole Mottier, PhD, The University of Chicago
• Kimberly Reiter, PhD, University of Virginia
• Leander Seah, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• Margaret Venzke, PhD, Columbia University

History majors excel at original research, critical thinking and analysis of trends through time, and each student completes a challenging senior research project during their final year, all skills which prepare them for a variety of careers. History majors frequently pursue graduate programs in:

• Law
• Public history
• Public administration
• Library and information science

History majors often build successful careers in:

• Museums, historic sites and consulting
• Politics and public administration
• Education
• Law
• Business

Versatility is among the primary outcomes of a history degree from Stetson University, with career paths across multiple industry sectors. For some graduates, a history degree is a stepping-stone to more advanced degrees in law, policy and public administration, especially given the program's concentration in public history. In terms of degree outcomes, a background in history leads into more than two-dozen different occupations, from teaching to human resources.

Source: Burning Glass Technologies 2019.

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