History

Who Majors in History?

The student of history is a traveler in many lands. Like all travel, the study of the past-whether in a single course or a dozen-broadens and enriches the human mind and the human personality. We do not believe that history is a product-you cannot sell it, eat it, sleep with it, buy it, trade it, or give it to your mother as a birthday present. Instead the study of history helps us to become decent, literate, humane, compassionate, knowledgeable people who recognize that we cannot deal with the present or prepare to cope with the future without an understanding of the past. Moreover, it is from a study of the past that we acquire familiarity with the great tradition of human values and human dignity.

What Can I Do with a History Degree?

The study of history can lead to professional work in the field-as a teacher or professional historian in governmental and private agencies. It is also valuable for those going into other professions, such as government service, law, librarianship, journalism, publishing, labor, business, and theology. But also the study of history produces in general the kind of person who is capable of handling many different jobs and positions where the knowledgeable, the intelligent, the humane, and the perceptive are in demand. People who bring with them a broad understanding of their society and who have command of the English language, spoken and written, are of high value in many fields and to thousands of employers. This means that history majors have a wide variety of careers open to them.

What About a History Minor/Second Major?

History is unique: no field of knowledge is alien to it, since history encompasses all knowledge about the past. The study of history is a supportive and integrative discipline, designed to broaden your knowledge of the past, to support your study in other areas, and to bring to bear the discipline of history on other fields of knowledge. The history department encourages students to minor or to take it as a second major.

Interested in Teaching?

The Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science offers pre-professional preparation for those considering teaching history and social studies at the junior high and high school levels. Advising is mandatory.

Honors in History

If you perform well in your major courses you may be invited to pursue an individual research project working closely with a faculty member whose area of expertise matches the topic you wish to investigate.

Certificate Program

The Certificate in Public History prepares students for non-teaching careers as historians. Emphasis is placed on skills and knowledge necessary for public and private sector employment in historic preservation, historic site assessment, and archival management.

Internship Program

By providing practical experience in local museums, libraries, and public archives, internships help students prepare for jobs in public agencies or business.

Faculty

The faculty of the history department at Chico are highly trained and experienced with a reputation for popular teaching and serving student needs unexcelled in the University. Most have published their research, and others have work in progress. Together they offer a diversity of survey and upper-division courses in a wide range of fields.