BA in History

The history program at DePaul combines a breadth of chronological and geographical coverage with the opportunity to develop a concentration in a student’s fields of interest. Instruction emphasizes the humanistic as well as the social scientific dimension of the field. One-hundred and two-hundred-level courses (lower division) provide surveys of Asian, African, European, Latin American, North American and World and Comparative History. A main focus of these lower division courses is teaching students how to evaluate primary sources. Three-hundred-level courses (upper division) concentrate on historical debates within specific fields. All courses stress development of research, writing and oral communications skills. The history major gives students a broad base of knowledge and skills applicable to a variety of careers. Many of our graduates go on to work in the fields of education and law. Others pursue jobs in government and politics; museums, historical societies, and libraries; and business and commercial ventures. A wide range of employers find that history majors have honed critical analytical and communications skills, making them ideal candidates for positions of requiring responsibility and independent work habits. Program Concentrations/Tracks: Pre-Law, Public History. Learning Outcomes- Students will be able to: Describe and discuss historical facts, themes, and ideas. Identify, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize primary and secondary source evidence. Analyze an event, source, idea or person within its historical context. Critically evaluate change over time (the idea that the relationship between events over time suggests meanings that might be overlooked if the events were examined in isolation). Identify different perspectives on the past, whether those are historical, interpretive, or methodological in nature. Conduct research independently using primary and secondary source evidence. Express knowledge and reason effectively in writing. Career Options: Politics, Law, Governmental work, Curatorial and archival management, Library science, Education, Research.