In this section

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • To find and critically analyze information drawn from the widest range of formats and cultures
  • To work collaboratively and to communicate in a range of mediums
  • To continue building cultural competence and emotional intelligence
  • To recognize the processes by which narratives of the past are created
  • To approach the worlds of the past using multiple lenses
  • To recognize the powerful impact of the past on contemporary issues and problems

WHO YOU COULD BE

  • Attorney
  • Educator
  • Policy Analyst
  • Nonprofit Director
  • Digital Project Manager
  • Civilian or Foreign Service Officer
  • Archivist, Librarian, Public or Research Historian

OVERVIEW

Far from being dead and gone, history continues to shape our world in ways large and small. Understanding this means opening up a conversation about how human beings have lived their lives in many places and times around the world—how they have understood themselves, their relationships to one another, and their place on the planet. History courses invite students to engage in the practice of doing history alongside faculty—discovering and assessing sources, considering controversies, forming interpretations, building arguments and ultimately creating their own narratives about the past.

As creative thinkers, skillful analysts, and expert researchers and writers, history students possess the skills needed to succeed in a wide range of careers. Whether they work in schools, high-tech or government offices, courtrooms, libraries, nonprofit organizations, or academia, our students stand out for their ability to tackle difficult problems, evaluate evidence, and work collaboratively, all skills at a premium in our changing economy.

 

Graham Taylor '07
ALUMNI
Graham Taylor '07

"[Studying history] helped me understand multiple perspectives on many issues, which has proved critically important as I work to engage people on controversial issues, improved my writing skills, and also helped me determine the authenticity of information that I encounter."

SAMPLE COURSES

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Students make the world their classroom by studying abroad and engaging in independent research projects or internships:

  • Walter Stackler '25, student research grant, "Protests and Politics: A Media Analysis of Taiwanese Third Party Electoral Success Post-2014"
  • Patch Gleason '23, student research grant, "Evolution of Urban Sound"
  • Lane Morse '23, student research grant, "Pacific Northwest Poetic History Project"
  • Olive Mullen '20, student research grant, "Preserving LGBTQ: An Oral History Collection"
  • Erin Budrow '20, student research grant, "My American Dream: Marvel Comics and the Captain America Series as Representatives of U.S. Social History from 1964-2016"
  • Fran Leskovar '20, student research grant, "The Setauket Gang: The American Revolutionary Spy Ring You've Never Heard About"
  • Kyra Zapf '20, student research grant, "Succession Anxiety Through Clothing in the Court of Henry VIII"

JOBS

Our alumni work at:

  • Consulate General, Guadalajara, Mexico (public affairs officer)
  • Cornell University (associate professor, science and technology)
  • Bellevue Art Museum (education coordinator)
  • Seattle Sounders Football Club (general counsel)
  • Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine (project archivist)
  • Accumentra Health (healthcare analyst)

CONTINUE STUDYING

Our alumni continue their studies at:

  • George Washington University (law school)
  • Oregon Health & Science University (public health)
  • Stanford University (history)
  • University of Puget Sound (Master of Arts in Teaching)
  • University of Washington (museology)
  • University of California, Riverside (public history)

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Oaxaca, Mexico
STUDY ABROAD IN OAXACA

Prof. John Lear helped to found the Oaxaca study program, which establishes a foundation to understand the history of U.S./Mexico relations and the Mexican experience in the U.S.

Adelaide Beeman-White '20
STUDY ABROAD IN COPENHAGEN

Adelaide Beeman-White '20, a History and Environmental Policy & Decision Making double major, studied in Denmark, one of the programs that is especially popular with history majors.

Granada, Spain
STUDY ABROAD IN GRANADA

Lauren Hall '17, a History major and Spanish minor, found that studying in Granada gave her an opportunity to take additional classes on Spanish history beyond her studies at Puget Sound.