History Program Overview
Why History?
The study of history develops an awareness and understanding of the past, a sensitivity to the rich variety of human experience and an appreciation for the extraordinary human capacity for good and evil. It provides both context and direction for understanding current events and enables students to place their own lives and times within a much broader perspective.
Students of history learn to reason critically and analytically, to synthesize large bodies of information and to express themselves clearly in writing and speech. History develops skills that have obvious applications to a wide variety of career pursuits in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In addition to teaching, graduates work in archives, libraries, museums and research institutions. Some obtain positions in journalism, publishing, management, advertising and marketing. Others pursue careers in law, in government, cultural agencies and the park services.
History at Saint Francis
Saint Francis University students earn a bachelor or arts degree in history which prepares them to begin a career or pursue graduate study. Students are encouraged to use their electives to focus on areas within history that they find most interesting.
We challenge our history students
to REACH HIGHER . . .
Program Highlights
A favorable student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 within the major allows for an average class size in advanced courses to be fewer than 10 students. Faculty members, who work full-time, are accessible and committed to student learning and can develop strong relationships.
Highly-qualified faculty publish books and articles, pursue active research agendas and bring government, industry and research expertise to the classroom experience. Writing well and thinking critically are two skills that are developed in the major.
Experiential learning opportunities are emphasized through internships, off-campus academic programs, student research projects and a regional research conference at which students present their projects to peers and faculty from various colleges and universities. Trips to local and regional museums and to historic sites, such as Gettysburg, are included in the curriculum.
A global perspective allows students to take an array of courses on the United States as well as on Europe, Russia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Students can choose to take courses on social or economic history and can study eras from ancient history to the recent past. Advanced courses are available on diverse topics such as the Cold War, women's history, the Vietnam War, Ancient Greece and Rome, the Civil War and Medieval Europe.
An interdisciplinary approach incorporates the perspectives of other disciplines by requiring courses in fields such as political science, economics, sociology and psychology as integral elements of the history program. Many of our students opt for a double-major in history and another field.
Independent study projects may be pursued by students under the guidance of a faculty member. This encourages students to develop their understanding of history topics that are of particular interest to them.
The University Archives house former Congressman Bud Shuster's papers, the PATCO papers, and other valuable primary materials. Opportunities for archival research, under the direction of our faculty, abound.
The Duquesne University Law School Early Admissions Program allows qualified students to enroll in law school after three years at Saint Francis University.
Specialized Advising is available for students interested in internships, law school, graduate school or study abroad.
High Success Rate for Graduates - more than 96 percent of our recent graduates have found employment soon after graduation or enrolled in graduate or law school.