BA in History

Loyola University of Chicago

The major in history prepares students for graduate and law schools as well as for careers in such fields as teaching in secondary schools, curatorial and educational positions in museums and historical associations, foreign service, library science, public administration and journalism. Moreover, history courses may be especially pertinent to students of business, language or public health who wish to learn the traditions of other nations and cultures. No other undergraduate discipline provides more practical experience in presenting written and oral arguments and in defending those arguments with evidence. While other disciplines help develop writing skills or understanding of political behavior, history combines the skills of those disciplines with the vast span of human existence and the breadth of a global perspective. Our curriculum is designed to develop a deep understanding of the human past and to provide students with insight into the world in which they live through a perspective of time and change. History courses include a consideration of ideas, values and value systems, enhancing students' understanding of and appreciation for both their own and other cultures. At the same time, our curriculum teaches historical writing, analysis and research, and it fosters an appreciation of historical prose as a distinctive form of literature. History is a form of inquiry and understanding that encompasses all aspects of the human experience and illuminates how the past causes the present and thus the future.

College of Arts and Sciences