Department of History

Our Vision

Have you wondered why an event occurs when it does? This is the essential question of the historian. Why did Rome fall in 476 AD? Why did the Church fracture when challenged by an obscure monk in 1517? Why did a highly civilized and cultured society allow for the rise of Adolf Hitler in 1932? The answers go beyond mere names, dates and places--these serve as the outline for far more interesting stories. History done well provides intriguing stories about how human society has functioned in the past, prompting us to think about ourselves in the present and suggesting paths for our future. History done well offers us morality tales as we learn of people challenged by enormous ethical dilemmas and their responses that highlight the continuing struggle between good and evil. History done well offers a glimpse into our identity as a people, a nation, a civilization, and a global community.

From ancient civilizations to modern Europe, from across Asia to the Americas, from politics to economics to warfare to food, clothing and sports, studying the past helps us to learn about human nature and human behavior and human motivations. You will develop an understanding of the major events and themes across the eras and around the globe while acquiring the necessary skills to read, write and speak about history. Studying history will take you beyond the “facts” to reveal the multitude of interpretations offered to help us understand our past. Is there a particular aspect of history that interests you? As a CUW History student, you’ll choose an area of emphasis in American, European, or Global history. Additionally the program provides a solid foundation in the Liberal Arts and helps you to develop as a critical thinker and effective communicator across a variety of media. If you choose History as your major, you’ll discover just how engaging and useful history can be!

Studying history involves more than reading books. Your learning will revolve around a process that is applicable in many other fields. You’ll start by locating, evaluating, and organizing historical information. Once you have digested the content and various interpretations, you begin to craft the historical information into written or oral form. Through this rigorous procedure, the history major develops the ability to summarize, analyze, organize, and synthesize texts from a variety of sources---written, oral, visual, digital, etc. History coursework requires discipline, organizational skills, and the ability to think critically. You will learn to work independently as well as to function as part of groups. Did we mention how useful this is in basically every single work setting?