The past informs our future
Discover a world of history at Bridgewater College. As a history major, you’ll choose from classes that cover everything from early U.S. history to modern Africa and Afghanistan. Get to know the world we live in and how it came to be.
What to Expect
- The department’s faculty are active and award-winning scholars who take teaching seriously and work closely with students to plan their courses of study and their careers.
- Special opportunities to present undergraduate research at conferences, as well as internships and experiential learning in archives, law firms, museums and historical societies.
- It challenges you to understand the historical and contemporary world and offers numerous opportunities to travel to many of the areas studied in the classroom.
Courses
Knowledge of history equips students to participate in core social, political, economic, and cultural institutions by tracing the trajectory of those institutions and empowering students to contribute to their future development. Courses in the history major range from United States, European, and non-Western history, professional development, and a seminar in Theory & Practice of History.
History of the United States to 1877
HIST-201
The United States from settlement to Reconstruction. Major themes include the development of a new society, evolution of democratic behavior, and the growth of sectionalism. Includes both social and political approaches.
Topics in European History
HIST-380
A study of major themes, questions, events, and problems in European history. The course will include the examination of primary documents and/or artifacts and explore the implications of the theme on the cultures, economics, and social systems of the region.
War and Peace Across the Pacific
HIST-390
Examines key events in the relations among Japan, China, and the United States since the mid-19th century, exploring not only diplomatic and political but also cultural relations among the three societies. Topics include migration, WWI, internationalism of the 1920s, WWII, Chinese Civil War, and Cold War.
Specific requirements for this major can be found in the College Catalog.
Required Courses Meet the Faculty
Careers
Students pursuing majors and minors in the department have a variety of career interests including law and law enforcement, secondary and higher education, museum and archival work, religion, government service and international
organizations.
Learn more about career paths, employment and advancement in history from the American Historical Association.
Career paths include:
- Government Services
- International Organizations
- Law and Law Enforcement
- Museum and Archival Work
- Religion
- Secondary and Higher Education
Graduate Schools:
- Clemson University (History)
- Northwestern University (Politics/International Relations)
- University of Delaware (Public History)
- University of Pittsburgh (Security and Intelligence Studies)
- University of Richmond (Law School)
- University of South Carolina (Public History)
- West Virginia University (Doctoral History Program)
Past Perfect: History Buff Found Her Future in Preserving the Past
Tabitha Pryor Corradi ’07 received guidance from her Bridgewater College advisor on how to translate her passions into a career.
Study Abroad
Find new ways of learning through the lens of other cultures. You won’t just earn credits while having new experiences, you’ll also have a transformational, global perspective. The department offers distinctive experiences, including trips to the United Nations, South Africa, Belgium, France, and Britain.
BC2DC
Through the Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program, you’ll be matched with an internship related to your interests, participate in career workshops and networking events to develop your professional skills and complete an academic course in the evening.
