History

History is the story of life and what it means to be alive. Historians help others understand complex issues by researching, evaluating, and assessing complex and often conflicting information.

More than names and dates

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” William Faulkner’s famous line about the power of history will ring true to anyone with a passion for learning more about the leaders, civilizations, crises, and revolutions that all add up to shape the world we know today. Our history students explore the stories of the past— from Mexican revolutionaries, to legal history in Illinois.

Using stories to connect the world

Students learn to connect the world through those stories and understand how the past affects us. Our courses teach students to explore primary and secondary sources as the first step toward creating an individual research project that unlocks the past.

We want students to understand the interconnectivity of the globe. Our program focuses both on U.S. and non-U.S. history to show how our stories affect each other.

Students wishing to become high school history teachers can major in Social Science Education with a concentration in History.

History News

  • By the numbers

    Forget the should.Free the possible.

  • Global Public Health

    Minor inSolving world problems.