Program Overview
History Program
The History program at Montclair State University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the past and its relevance to the present. History graduates are critical and creative thinkers, skilled and astute researchers, and among the best communicators.
Program Description
As a student of history, you will learn to question the world around you, gain knowledge of history, analyze and interpret original sources, and contextualize them in papers, digital media, podcasts, online discussion posts, and internships at leading institutions. The knowledge and skills you learn will translate into a wide variety of fulfilling careers.
Career Opportunities
The program offers a strong foundation for a range of careers, including:
- Teaching
- Law
- Government service
- Politics
- Business
- Journalism and creative writing
- Publishing
- Library science
- Policy research
- Human resources
- Positions with local, state, or national archives, museums, and historical societies or restoration agencies
Program Format
The program is offered in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online components.
College or School
The History program is part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Area of Study
The program falls under the categories of Arts, Culture, and Design; Business, Mathematics, and Technology; and Public Service and the Humanities.
Concentrations Offered
The program offers two concentrations:
- General History
- Public and Digital History
Cost Information
In-state tuition is $7,839 per semester. For more information on the cost of attendance, please refer to the University's website.
Concentrations and Minors
General History
History graduates are critical and creative thinkers, skilled and astute researchers, and among the best communicators. They are problem-solvers accustomed to bringing together the expressive power of the humanities and marrying it to the analytical capabilities of the social sciences.
Public and Digital History
This concentration offers public and digital history courses that will prepare you to apply history to real-world issues. You will study the fundamental concepts of digital history, equip yourself with the skills needed to navigate digital resources, databases, and archival materials, and develop proficiency in data visualization techniques.
Minor in History
The History minor begins with courses on Writing History, United States or European history, a global history course, and then two upper-level electives of your choosing, ending with the Capstone in History course, for a combined total of 18 credits.
Major in History and Teach
History majors can earn certification to teach in New Jersey elementary or secondary schools.
Elementary Education
The BA in History with Teacher Certification in Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6 combines the required courses for the BA in History with the Teacher Certification Pre-Professional Sequence, Elementary Ed Professional Sequence, and Clinical Sequence/Student Teaching courses.
Subject Area Specialization
The BA in History with Teacher Certification in Social Studies (Preschool-Grade 12) combines the required courses for the BA in History with those required for Teacher Certification. To meet the approved program for certification in social studies, coursework is required in each of the following: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology.
Combined Programs
BA/MA in History
A Combined degree program enables undergraduate students to enroll in graduate courses in their senior year, which can be counted toward the completion of both their bachelor's and master's degree requirements.
Career Opportunities
The skills developed in studying history matter in the workforce, in democracy, and in personal life. History majors learn to interpret difficult texts, conduct independent research, evaluate conflicting arguments, understand cinematic vocabularies of image and sound, and communicate effectively. They acquire and develop skills that not only help to land them a job but also strengthen their chances for promotion after they've landed it, when employers and supervisors recognize their talents for research, analysis, communication, and persuasion.
Our graduates are informed citizens, independent researchers, careful readers, and artful writers. They become teachers at every level, kindergarten through college, at home or in remote areas of the world. They are editors, lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs, policy analysts, public relations personnel, and public servants across many industries, including:
- Teacher
- Lawyer
- Economist
- Business
- Historian
- Journalist
- Researcher
- Archivist
- Curator and Museum Worker
- Publisher
Featured Faculty
The History Department faculty are actively engaged in research and teaching, offering a wide range of study on Africa, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Central America, and South America. Our students are committed to learning historical content and research and writing skills that prepare them for careers in the public and private sector as well as graduate school.