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History

Bachelor of Arts in History

With a history degree, you can be an effective voice for growth and change in whatever career path you take. You’ll gain a broad understanding of the human experience over time and the critical-thinking skills needed to apply history’s lessons to the present. You’ll be prepared to form grounded opinions about current issues and events, from politics to public policy to social issues such as LGBTQ rights. Career paths are as varied as government, education, historical societies, archives, libraries, research foundations, media, and business.

History is the study of human change over time, but it’s so much more than that. History encourages a way of thinking unique among the traditional liberal arts disciplines. Skills developed as a history major include: public speaking, writing, research, analysis, organization, observation and attention to detail. Historians are trained to think critically and find facts to support a position, a quality highly valued by employers.

As a KU History major, you’ll receive valuable personal attention from faculty. Classes capped at 35 students are designed around students’ particular historical interests. You can take advantage of study abroad opportunities, internship options, and faculty-mentored research.

The Bachelor of Arts in History features such classes as:  

  • History of Pennsylvania
  • African American History
  • America in the Sixties
  • 20th Century Latin American Revolutions
  • History of Africa
  • Revolutionary America
  • China's Golden Age
  • American and World War II
  • The History of France
  • The World Turned Upside Down: Early Modern Europe
  • Europe of the World Wars

Career Opportunities
The department has designed a curriculum that prepares students for advanced study at the graduate level and for careers in a wide range of fields. Students interested in a more diverse career track may also apply what they learn to professions in law, government, museum work, and historic preservation. Business and industry commonly employ graduates with a history degree because of their advanced writing, analytic, and research skills.

This program is taught by the Department of History.

Sample Career Options

  • Archeologist
  • Archivist
  • Biographer
  • Educator
  • Event Planner
  • Foreign News Correspondent
  • Historian
  • Historic Preservation Specialist
  • Historic Site Tour Guide
  • Intelligence Analyst
  • Lawyer
  • Lobbyist
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Museum Curator
  • Paralegal
  • Peace Corps/Vista Worker
  • Court Reporter
  • Museum Technician & Specialist
  • Park Ranger
  • Public Administrator
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Research Assistant
  • Teacher, Social Studies
  • Technical Writer
  • Urban Administrator
  • Writer/Author

Bachelor of Arts in History with Paralegal Studies

The B.A. History degree with Paralegal Studies major has a 90 percent successful placement and continuing education rate and is approved by the American Bar Association. The program focuses on the paralegal profession and the limitations imposed by the unauthorized practice of law. 

History students have the option of completing an American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Studies Program along with their B.A. in History through a cooperative program with Lehigh Carbon Community College. All paralegal classes are offered on the KU campus. This is an exclusive agreement. Students in the History with Paralegal Studies program will gain an understanding of what paralegals can accomplish, as well as the limitations imposed by the unauthorized practice of law statute. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

LCCC’s Paralegal Studies program options are primarily offered through synchronous instruction. Paralegal Studies classes may be enhanced with asynchronous materials. Paralegal Studies students must take at least nine-semester credits or the equivalent of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction.

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Social Studies

The Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education offers qualified graduates provisional certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Social Studies Education. Learn more about a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Social Studies.

Minor in History

Six history courses must be taken. At least nine credits of these must be taken at the 200 level or above.

Quotation Mark

I'd tell prospective students that it is incredibly unique how much the professors care about the individual students. I also think that a lot of students think they can only do a history degree if they are interested in doing history after college. That is just not the case these days and history has served me well.

Isabelle Waddelow ' 20
  • History (BA)

    Note: writing skills are embedded in each of these SLOs.

    1. Historical Content: Students will describe historical phenomena from different world regions, time periods, or approaches.
    2. Research Skills: Students will apply research skills into historical projects.
    3. Critical Thinking: Students will critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of historical accounts.

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