The Department of History provides liberal arts students a comprehensive understanding of the historical forces that have shaped the world’s civilizations. Students gain valuable training in historical analysis: the examination of documents, the construction and proof of an argument, and the accurate presentation of findings. No matter what vocation a student chooses after graduation, knowledge of historical processes and forces is valuable in understanding the world in which we live. Students can expect to significantly improve their skills in critical reading, evidentiary research, writing, and oral presentation.
The department’s array of courses includes the ancient world to the present and all geographical areas. All faculty have PhDs and are accomplished researchers and authors. History department courses support a number of auxiliary programs as well: Urban Studies, Women’s Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, Latin-American Studies, and Russian Studies.
John Bordelon (’06), who works for the Human Capital Group, Inc., in Nashville, recently wrote, “I have found that most knowledge of history, such as the significance of the Whiskey Rebellion, has so far proven useless in daily life. Fortunately, our history faculty taught much deeper lessons: to ponder problems of the past as they relate to the present, to listen to he voice of the defeated, to craft an argument, to dissect an argument, etc. In sum, they taught me to think.”
Hailey Hopper David (’06), student at the University of Memphis School of Law, writes, “I often apply the skills I learned as a history major, whether it be in doing research, understanding precedent, developing an argument, or writing a brief. In learning these skills, my history major gave me something much more valuable than a knowledge of past people and places – it gave me the ability to discover anything I desired.”
