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  5. Why Study History?

Why Study History, Seriously?

Curiosity.

History Majors are incurably curious. They want to poke around the past and peer into its hidden troves. They know that the past is one of the greatest remaining frontiers for human exploration.

Career opportunities.

History Majors gain employment in a host of fields: Editing and Publishing, Foreign Service and Government, International Business, Journalism and New Media, Non-Profit Organizations, the Park Service, and Teaching.

Some of our majors, choose to keep going with their studies, in History or other fields, like Archaeology, Geography, Journalism, Law, Library Science, Museum Studies, Religious Studies, World Languages, and many other fields.

Critical and creative challenges.

Historians enjoy the intellectual challenges of puzzling out the past, finding and decoding lost treasures, and creating new knowledge about the fascinating individuals who lived in brilliant, bygone eras.

And because history matters!

It matters to our families, our communities, and our world. It matters to who we are, and who we hope to become.

History Majors learn advanced skills.

The world is hungry for data and eager for those who can process all that information. Historians know how to research, interpret, and evaluate knowledge and present it with authority, precision, and nuance.

History Majors learn to know more.

The faster the news of the world comes at us, the more we value expertise and deeper knowledge. Historians know how to read the latest event in the context of thousands of years of human experience and wisdom.

History Majors learn to lead.

The world is changing, and it always has been. Historians study those changes in order to recognize significant patterns and understand effective adaptations.

Why Bradley University?

  • Smaller Classes and Personalized Attention: Class size in History courses average about 20 students and courses for majors only are often 12 or less. You can count on meeting other students in the program and on faculty knowing your name.
  • Focused Programs: Our History and Social Studies Major is designed to achieve teaching certification in four years and our History Major is designed to allow the possibility of a double or even triple major in four years.
  • Leadership Opportunities: Our smart, social students enjoy getting together for games, events, and field trips through History Club and are recognized for their accomplishments through Phi Alpha Theta, the national History Honor Society.
  • Scholarships and Awards: Through the generosity of alums and former faculty there are a number of scholarships and awards available for students on the basis of need and merit.
  • Study Abroad Opportunities: We often offer short-term history courses in great cities around the world taught by our own faculty—including Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Sydney. And students are encouraged to pursue longer stays.
  • Experiential Learning: Our curriculum includes many opportunities for collaborative work in exploring the methods of historical investigation, research seminars, independent reading and research, and support for internships.