Majors, minors & more
History
College of Arts and Sciences
- Offered as:
- Major
- Minor
- Graduate program
Overview
History is the ongoing effort to understand the diverse people, institutions, and cultures of the past. Historical inquiry builds knowledge of past events and in doing so helps inform the decisions we make about our future. At WSU, faculty specialize in many areas of historical research and teaching, including environmental, world, American west, religious, gender, military, and diplomatic history.
Degree options
Bachelor of arts in history:
- General History
- History Pre-Law
- History Education
- Social Studies Education
- Asian Studies
- History
- Asian Studies
Specialization tracks available
- Strengths of the program
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- Learn from history professors who enhance their professional development through extensive travel, research, and teaching abroad.
- Faculty members are distinguished for considering teaching as their primary mission.
- Several history professors have won major teaching awards.
- Many opportunities for studying abroad.
- The Pre-Law Resource Center helps students prepare a path to law school.
- Numerous internships are available.
- Scholarships and financial aid
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A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.
For all students at WSU
Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.
To get all the financial help WSU can provide, you'll need to do these two things:
- Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration, including departmental awards.
- Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need. Get started here.
Click here for more info about about WSU scholarships and financial aid
For history majors
The College of Arts and Sciences awards more than $50,000 in scholarships each year. For more information, see the CAS scholarships page.
- Careers in history
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What you can do with a degree in history
• Public history, cultural resource management, park management, interpretation of historical sites
• Primary and secondary education
• Information sciences, library sciences
• Curating, archiving
• Research and analysis for intelligence operations, government services
• Nonprofit management
• Business management, personnel management, and marketing
• Law
• Journalism, technical writing, and editing
Skills you can market with a degree in history
• Ability to view events in context
• Clear and persuasive writing
• Ability to plan and conduct independent research
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to assess conflicting interpretations
• Insight into human nature and civilization
• Knowledge of past peoples, societies, and cultures around the globe
• Ability to recognize and assess changes over time
• Capacity to make clear and fair arguments based on appropriate evidence
- Alumni
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• Jessie Harris (B.A. 1996), an associate at Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller LLP of Spokane, the largest independent law firm between Seattle and Minneapolis.
• William Lang (M.A. 1967), director of the Montana State Historical Society and editor of the Montana Magazine (state history journal).
• Michael Malone (Ph.D. 1996), recipient of an endowed assistant professorship at Montana State University and author of a book nominated for the Bancroft Prize (the most prestigious award in history after the Pulitzer Prize).
• Robert Swartout (Ph.D. 1978), chair and professor at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, and recipient of several Fulbright scholarships for research in Korea.