Program Overview

Introduction to the History Program at Radford University

The history program at Radford University offers students the opportunity to explore the past, understand the present, and develop universal skills in thinking, research, writing, and speaking. These skills are highly valued by employers and can be applied to a wide variety of fields.

Degree Options

• Bachelor of Arts: This degree requires completion of the B.A. foreign language requirements. History majors, particularly those planning graduate work in history, are strongly urged to pursue a B.A. degree.
• Bachelor of Science: To complete this degree, history majors (with the approval of their advisors) must complete two courses from a list of approved B.S. degree requirement courses.

Program Details

Location and Format

• The program is located on the main campus in Radford, VA.
• The format is in-person.

College and Department

• The program is part of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.
• The Department of History offers small class sizes and the opportunity to work directly with award-winning, published, and engaging professors.

Hands-on Experience

• Students have the opportunity for hands-on experience in applied history through digitization projects, website development, and internships in museums, archives, and libraries.
• The Department of History's Center for Archives and Digital History provides a place where students can learn and apply practical skills in the preservation and organization of historical documents.

Why Study History at Radford?

• Students can take an applied history program and gain practical experience in archives, digitization, and research.
• Students can learn how to take their research and develop digital history projects.
• Internships are available during the school year or summer months.
• A capstone experience is included during the senior year of study.
• Numerous opportunities exist to present research.
• Several program-specific scholarships are available.
• A Digital History program at the undergraduate level is commencing in spring 2024.

Careers and Internships

Graduates from the history program have gone into a variety of fields, including law, law enforcement, foreign service, journalism, digital marketing, museums, libraries, historical preservation, archives, park management, and secondary and collegiate education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for historians, journalists, librarians, and lawyers is $64,540, $55,960, $61,660, and $135,740, respectively.

Opportunities for History Students

• The History Club brings fellowship and fun history-related activities with other students.
• Internships are available at local sites such as Smithfield Plantation, Christiansburg Institute, and the Wilderness Museum.
• The History Department offers several scholarships to help support students' education.

Admissions Requirements

A degree in history requires students to take 40 semester hours of history courses, plus 6-8 more hours to meet requirements for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. As part of their program of study, students must earn 120 total semester hours to be eligible for a degree.

Related Programs

• Social Science, B.A., B.S.: This program is suitable for students who want to be history teachers. It offers small class sizes and the opportunity for hands-on work with award-winning faculty. Academic excellence awards are given to students each year.

Practical Skills in a Digital Environment

The Department of History's Center for Archives and Digital History is a place where students can learn and apply practical skills in the preservation and organization of historical documents. Students work directly with growing collections of letters, diaries, manuscripts, and other documents, digitizing, transcribing, creating metadata, and making materials accessible on websites that they help design.