Academics > Majors and Areas of Study > History

If you have ever wondered what's behind today's news stories, History may be the area of study for you. History is the study and interpretation of the past, but it also attempts to instruct the present generation by a process of comparison and contrast between past experiences of the human race. History shares a great deal of common insight with related social sciences such as economics, political science, psychology, and sociology, but is equally at home among the humanities and has particularly close ties with literature. The study of history may indeed prepare you to do the kinds of things you feel need to be done in today's world. The History Department offers both major and minor programs.

Departmental Objectives

The purpose of history courses is to acquaint students with the origins of contemporary civilization, its political, economic, social, and cultural aspects; to awaken a consciousness of other cultures, ways of thought, and standards of value; to recreate as fully and as accurately as possible significant periods of history; and to teach students how to find, analyze, and interpret historical evidence and to develop a sense of historical perspective.

Career Opportunities

The great virtue of the history major is its versatility. Since its principal thrust is the objective examination of humans immersed in the total web of ideas and actions which constitutes the reality of life, students will be well prepared to undertake a career in a wide variety of fields. History-related careers and professions include: archival and information management; business and management; government services; insurance; journalism and editing; law and legal assistance; librarianship; ministry; museum and historical organization; public relations and policy making; research; scholarship and higher education; social work; and primary and secondary teaching. Recent Thiel graduates with history majors and minors have entered business, graduate school, law school, and public school teaching.

Library

The Thiel library has extensive source material for reading and research and a professional library staff to assist students in all areas of library use. In addition to an excellent collection of books, the library subscribes to a variety of journals in specific study areas and serves as a depository for government documents. The library is a member of the OCLC computer network, which includes 900 American libraries, greatly augmenting the library's inter-library loan and cataloging capabilities.

Special Opportunities

A Junior Year Abroad allows a student to broaden his/her outlook through travel. Thiel also has a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, International Honor Society in History as well as housing the Greenville Area Historical Society adjacent to the campus. The department encourages history majors to take advantage of "hands on" opportunities through internships at local and regional historical organizations and through cooperative educational experiences involving projects in local history. Additionally, the department has an off-campus professional experience which enriches each student's theoretical knowledge. A history major who desires to teach can also obtain elementary or secondary school certification through additional required coursework in the Education department.