125 credits
required for program
- Minor Available
- PSEO/Early college online classes
Learn to examine the settings and contexts of some of the most influential events in history.
History may be the right degree for you if you:
- are interested in time periods, people, and cultures
- love history
- have an interest in law, government, public administration, ministry, business, or education
Why study history at Northwestern?
Due to small class sizes, you can engage with your professors on a deeper level. You’ll have the chance to integrate your faith into every part of your learning.
Being located in the Twin Cities provides many history-related opportunities. Including museums, historical archives, and the department sponsors field trips to cultural sites.
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The history program prepared me for my career as an attorney by cultivating my research, writing, and analytical skills. Reading through primary sources from an older age, processing the material, and considering how it may apply to contemporary issues is the cornerstone of a history major which closely parallels the process of legal analysis that is fundamental to practicing law. Northwestern offers a campus community unlike any other, where I found myself surrounded by exceptional classmates, caring mentors, and outstanding instructors who helped sharpen me both intellectually and spiritually.
The strong liberal arts education I received at Northwestern prepared me for the rigorous academic environment of graduate school at Oxford. The history program taught me valuable skills that I use every day, such as the ability to conduct research, process complex information, and communicate my findings in an effective way. Moreover, the integration of faith into the history program not only helped me to grow spiritually, but gave me context which has proven very helpful in the study of Christian societies such as the Byzantine Empire, which I now study.
I would even say that having a history degree gives me a leg up in comparison to some of my fellow students as it taught me to write and helps me to understand complex situations.
Careers in the history field
There are a variety of career and academic pathways that begin with a degree in history.
What types of work are related to this degree?
- Public Policy or community affairs
- City management
- Program administration
- Research
- Intelligence or Foreign Service
- Campaign management
- Staff administration
- Special interest advocacy
- Lobbying
- Administration and management
- Fund raising or fund development
- Grant writing or research
- Archivist or museum work
- Interpreter/tour guide/naturalist
What will I learn?
You will expand your knowledge of the political, social, cultural, and religious history of a variety of geographical regions and time periods.
HIS 3125
History of the Christian Church from Apostolic Times to the Present
A study of the Christian church from apostolic times to the present. Emphasis is on the development of institutions, traditions, doctrine, ideas, expansion, the relationship of church and state, denominationalism and sectarianism and the interactions of the church with secular and intellectual movements.
HIS 3156
History of Russia from Earliest Times to the Present
A study of the history and development of Russia from the ancient world to the present with special emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics to be studied will include Russian political, social, cultural and religious history.
HIS 3115
Old Testament Archaeology
A survey of the methods and results of archaeology as applied to sites and topics of Old Testament significance. Special emphasis is placed upon the interpretative and apologetic uses of archaeology.
HIS 3116
New Testament Archaeology
A survey of the methods and results of archaeology as applied to sites and topics of New Testament significance. Special emphasis is placed upon the interpretative and apologetic uses of archaeology.
Still have questions about this program or how to apply?
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Discover the Department of History & Related Fields
Professors at Northwestern are focused on their students first. Our faculty include experts in their respective fields who want to help you grow in your faith while you earn your degree.
