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Every person, every place, everything on earth has a history, a story of its past that can help us understand human existence and human behavior. The History Program’s major and minor draw upon a broad curriculum that encompasses regional, national, and international history, as well as such special topics as the revolutions in history and diplomatic history. The History Program offers two types of majors. The Bachelor of Arts degree has the traditional emphasis on language skills, especially through study of a foreign language. It is a good choice for students thinking about postgraduate study. The Bachelor of Science degree develops basic capabilities in statistics and computer science. It is a good choice for students interested in the modern social science approach to historical understanding.

The great advantages of historical study are:

1. Emphasis on developmental and evolutionary aspects of human experience.
2. Examination of many different fields of human activity.
3. Use of insights and methods of many other fields.

Students completing a bachelor’s degree in history may enter professional practice in academic history (teaching and writing), public history (archives and special research, consultancy) or publishing (print, electronic, film and television documentary). The history major also provides excellent preparation for careers in law, government, politics, foreign service, historical preservation and journalism.