Program Overview

History

The Department of History at Western Michigan University is concerned with understanding and interpreting societies' changes over time. The department has approximately 25 full-time teacher-scholars whose areas of specialization range from antiquity to the present and include the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Program Overview

• The history major provides well-rounded preparation for many occupations, requiring broad preparation in history and providing an opportunity to develop areas of special interest.
• The public history major provides professional and technical training for occupations in museums, archives, historic sites, and organizations, government programs, and consulting.

Beyond the Classroom

As a history student at WMU, you will be eligible to qualify for a number of different honor societies and fellowship opportunities. The department has an active chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international history honors society. Outstanding students may also become eligible for Phi Beta Kappa. Within the department, students with strong academic records can also graduate with honors in history and qualify for an Emeriti grant for independent research and internship opportunities.

Career Outcomes

Our faculty members are actively engaged in research and graduate education and can prepare you for graduate school and help place you at other institutions around the country. We also have a strong program in public history at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to prepare students who wish to work in museums, archives, and public programs.

Job Opportunities

WMU graduates with degrees in history are qualified to work in many different industries and types of organizations, including:

• Administration and legislation
• Advertising firms and agencies
• Broadcasting
• Bureau of the Census
• Campaigns
• Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Correctional facilities
• Department of State
• Health and human services
• Highway and street construction maintenance firms
• Housing and community development organizations
• Law firms
• Libraries and archives
• Media firms
• Museums
• Parks and recreation
• Peace Corps and Vista
• Police and fire protection
• Political parties
• Public interest groups
• Research foundations
• Schools and universities
• Social and welfare service organizations
• State and local government
• Transportation companies
• Travel and tourism

Sample Job Titles

Sample job titles, some requiring advanced degrees, include:

• Anthropologist
• Archeologist
• Archivist
• Biographer, writer, author, or editor
• Clergy
• Congressional aide
• Counselor
• Criminologist
• Demographer
• Economist
• FBI or CIA agent
• Foreign service officer
• Genealogist
• Government official
• Historian
• Historic preservation specialist
• Historic site tour guide
• Historical society staff member
• Indicter
• Insurance agent or broker
• Intelligence analyst
• International relations specialist
• Journalist or foreign news correspondent
• Lawyer, legal assistant, or paralegal
• Lecturer
• Librarian
• Lobbyist
• Market research analyst
• Media consultant, public relations specialist, or community relations director
• Museum curator, technician, or specialist
• Park ranger
• Peace Corps or Vista worker
• Political scientist
• Psychologist
• Research assistant
• Sociologist
• Teacher (social studies)
• Travel agent
• Urban planner or administrator

Program Location

The program is offered in Kalamazoo.

Other Programs of Interest

Other programs of interest include:

• Anthropology
• Art Education
• Art History
• Digital Media and Journalism
• Elementary Education
• French
• Gender and Women’s Studies
• German
• Global and International Studies
• Japanese
• Latin
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Secondary Education
• Public History
• World Religions and Cultures
• Sociology
• Spanish