History

  • BA
  • Major
  • Minor
Sculptures on Montclair campus

History is the knowledge and study of the past that helps us understand the present and ourselves. History graduates are critical and creative thinkers, who are skilled and astute researchers and among the best communicators.

As a student of history, you will learn to question the world around you. You will gain knowledge of history, analyze and interpret original sources, and contextualize them in papers, digital media, podcasts, online discussion posts, and internships at leading institutions. The knowledge and skills you learn will translate into a wide variety of fulfilling careers.

You will build a strong foundation for a range of careers such as teaching; law; government service; politics; business; journalism and creative writing; publishing; library science; policy research; human resources; and positions with local, state or national archives, museums and historical societies or restoration agencies.

The program offers several options to best meet your needs for reaching your goals. Choose to major in History or major in any other discipline and minor in History. You can also become certified to teach and even earn your bachelor’s degree in History together with an MBA in as little as five years through a combined degree program. Choose your own pathway!

Concentrations and Minors

History graduates are critical and creative thinkers; they are skilled and astute researchers and among the best communicators. They are problem-solvers accustomed to bringing together the expressive power of the humanities and marry it to the analytical capabilities of the social sciences. 

The study of history offers a strong foundation for a range of careers. As a History major, you will be well-prepared for careers in areas such as teaching; law; government service; politics; journalism and creative writing; publishing; library science; business and policy research; human resources; and positions with local, state or national archives, museums and historical societies or restoration agencies. 

See the curriculum.

Learn to engage with historical texts from a scholarly perspective while cultivating analytical research and writing skills with an emphasis on the presentation and communication of historical knowledge. This program offers public and digital history courses that will prepare you to apply history to real-world issues. 

Study the fundamental concepts of digital history to equip you with the skills you need to navigate the vast landscape of digital resources, databases and archival materials. Engage in hands-on activities to harness the power of digital archives, analyze primary sources using digital methods, and develop proficiency in data visualization techniques. 

Through the BA in History with the Public and Digital History Concentration, you will be prepared for a career as a historical consultant, museum professional, government historian, archivist, oral historian, cultural resource manager, curator, film and media producer, historical interpreter, historic preservationist, policy adviser or local historian. 

See the curriculum.

The History minor begins with the courses on Writing History, United States or European history, a global history course, and then two upper-level electives of your choosing, and it ends with the Capstone in History course, for a combined total of 18 credits. 

Choose from among dozens of courses such as Emergence of the Modern United States, Contemporary Europe, Modern Latin American History, Emergence of the Modern World, Feminist Ideas in Western Thought, or The Holocaust. 

The minor in History serves as an excellent complement to majors in Business, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical Sciences. The History minor allows you to diversify your job portfolio, offering prospective employers the critical thinking, research and writing skills they demand. You will receive training in the skills of doing history while learning about cultures and societies from throughout the world. 

See the curriculum.

Major in History and Teach!

History majors can earn certification to teach in New Jersey elementary or secondary schools.

BA in History with Teacher Certification in Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6 

This program combines the required courses for the BA in History, and the Teacher Certification Pre-Professional Sequence, Elementary Ed Professional Sequence, and Clinical Sequence/Student Teaching courses that are necessary for degree certification in grades K-6. 

Students who wish to pursue K-6 teacher certification in Elementary Education must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the BA in Elementary Education program as a second major. 

120 credits of coursework are required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. 

See the curriculum.

BA in History with Teacher Certification in Social Studies (Preschool-Grade 12) 

This program combines the required courses for the BA in History with those required for Teacher Certification. To meet the approved program for certification in social studies, coursework is required in each of the following: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science and sociology. 

Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Social Studies must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the BA in Secondary Education program as a second major. 

120 credits of coursework are required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. 

See the curriculum.

Combined Programs

Student taking notes in class.

BA/MA in History

A Combined degree program enables undergraduate students to enroll in graduate courses in their senior year, which can be counted toward the completion of both their bachelor’s and master’s degree requirements. The ability to take these “swing courses” allows students to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a shortened period of time, typically within five years.

Career Opportunities

The skills that you develop in studying English—reading, writing, thinking, research—matter in the workforce, in democracy, and in your personal life. English majors learn to interpret difficult texts, conduct independent research, evaluate conflicting arguments, understand cinematic vocabularies of image and sound, and communicate effectively. They acquire and develop skills that not only help to land them a job, but also strengthen their chances for promotion after they’ve landed it, when employers and supervisors recognize their talents for research, analysis, communication, and persuasion.

Our graduates are informed citizens, independent researchers, careful readers, artful writers. They become teachers at every level, kindergarten through college, at home or in remote areas of the world. They are editors, lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs, policy analysts, public relations personnel and public servants across many industries, including:

Teacher
Lawyer
Economist
Business

Historian
Journalist
Researcher
Archivist

Curator and Museum Worker
Publisher

Featured Faculty

Leslie Wilson

  • Associate Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
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History

The Department of Political Science, Law, History, and Anthropology explores the institutions, ideas, and cultures that shape human societies across time and around the world.