College of Letters and Sciences

HISTORY

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Find your future in the past.

History is our social memory. Studying it tells us who we are, where we belong and where we seem to be going. History takes us out of the present, broadens our horizons and makes us aware of human possibility.

A History degree equips you with a capacity for critical thinking and a fundamental understanding of human society — assets that add value to a breadth of career paths, from business to teaching and from journalism to law.

4-year plan


CAN WE BRAG A LITTLE?

Why study History at UW-Whitewater?

We pride ourselves on providing our students with rigorous training in writing, research and analytical thinking, and our history degree program is flexible enough to allow you to pursue your own interests, whether it’s a geographical area, culture, chronological period, or historical movement or event.

Our History Department is especially unique among UW System schools for its focus in public history. Armed with deep knowledge and practical skills, many of our alumni pursue graduate degrees in museum studies and go on to lead and influence historical and cultural sites, agencies and programs.

History is also a popular minor for International Business, International Studies, Geography, and Political Science majors looking to gain valuable insight and context into their area of study. And we’re No. 1 in the UW System for graduating social studies teachers.

What our History students do

Pink icon with a magnifying glass. Participate in undergraduate research
Teal icon with an airplane. Immerse themselves in history through travel study
Green icon with a pillar. Curate campus and traveling exhibits

Hands-on learning experiences

As you pursue your degree in History at UW-Whitewater, you will gain hands-on experience in many ways, from field experiences and internships to traveling abroad.

Internships
Our public history majors intern with historical agencies and societies in Wisconsin and beyond.

Community-based learning
A community-based learning course allows you to use history as you engage with the public.

Undergraduate research
History majors gain excellent writing and analytical skills through undergraduate research, and they get the chance to share their discoveries at our annual History Symposium.

 

Students gather around to look at an artifact.

 

Cross-cultural experiences

One of the best ways to explore history — and understand how the past influences us today — is to immerse yourself in it. UW-Whitewater has an excellent Global Experiences program with offerings that will appeal to history and public history majors.

 

A student stands among the remains of stone architecture in Scotland.

 

Travel Study
Take a semester-long course that culminates in a faculty-led international trip with your classmates. Courses and locations vary by year and semester.

Study Abroad
Spend a year, semester or summer abroad in an area rich in history such as Athens, Rome, London, Berlin, Lima, Havana, Seoul and Cape Town.

Campus and community involvement

In our department and across campus, you’ll find history-related organizations like:

  • Public History Club
  • Phi Alpha Theta (national honor society)

UW-Whitewater is also home to several language and cultural clubs, including those celebrating Chinese, French, German and Japanese culture.

What our graduates do

Purple icon with people at a whiteboard. History teachers and professors
Teal icon with a pillar. Curators and archivists
Pink icon with person wearing a tie. Program managers and directors

What can you do with a History degree?

Jobs for a History major are more varied than you might think. Our students take their history careers in many directions:

  • Collections manager/curator/assistant curator
  • Community planner
  • Foreign service
  • Government relations
  • Interpretive programs manager/interpreter
  • News reporter
  • Program director/coordinator
  • Non-profit management
  • Teacher (social studies; AP history)

… and many other professions! Our graduates work in a variety of careers using their excellent writing and research skills, and to places like:

  • American Family Insurance
  • Beloit College
  • Epic
  • Federal Aviation Administration
  • First State Heritage Park (Dover, Delaware)
  • Great Plains Art Museum at University of Nebraska
  • The Historical Society of the New York Courts
  • Janesville Gazette
  • Minnesota Historical Society
  • Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (Alabama)
  • Princess Grace Foundation (New York City)
  • Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau
  • Wisconsin Maritime Museum
  • Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Whitewater Historical Society

Graduate and professional school

Many History majors go on to master’s-level or Ph.D. programs in museum studies, public affairs, urban and regional planning, archaeology and more:

  • American University
  • Cooperstown Graduate Program, SUNY Oneonta (history/museum studies)
  • Illinois State University (history)
  • Marquette University (early American history)
  • University of Chicago (Middle Eastern studies)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (art history/museum studies)
  • University of Leicester (museology)
  • University of Toronto (museum studies)
  • UW-Madison (U.S. history)
  • University of York (U.K.) (medieval studies)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania (Holocaust and genocide studies)

Our Faculty

Our department has highly engaged faculty who are active in local, regional and national public history endeavors. They seek out partnerships to enrich the undergraduate student experiences, such as digitizing oral histories of indigenous peoples or bringing in notable speakers for our lecture series.

Our faculty are experts in a wide range of historical topics and periods, including:

  • Ancient and Medieval Europe
  • Early and Modern United States history
  • Atlantic World
  • Islamic Empires and Middle East
  • Asian-American History
  • Native American
  • Cold War
  • Public History
  • Modern Europe
  • Asia
  • Africa

 

Meet our faculty

Want to learn more about earning a History degree?
262-472-1103 | history@uww.edu

UW-Whitewater offers the following undergraduate History degree options:

Teaching Licensure:

Minors:

Certificates:

In addition to UW-Whitewater’s general education requirements, as a History major, you’ll take a set of core and foundational courses, such as:

  • Historical Methods
  • Capstone Seminar: European or U.S. History
  • Capstone Seminar: Africa, Asia, or Middle Eastern History
  • Senior Portfolio

You’ll also have a vast selection of electives and advanced courses available to you, based on your personal and professional interests, such as:

  • Empires and Invasions in the Pre-Modern Middle East
  • History of the Samurai
  • From Goddesses to Witches: Women in Pre-Modern Europe
  • American Revolution
  • Wisconsin History

An approved minor is also required.

Students pursuing the BSE will also complete the required education courses and teaching placements to fulfill licensing requirements.

To apply, you’ll complete the UW-Whitewater standard application for admission and indicate your interest in a History major.

Apply now

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