Why History?

We don’t just study the “past.” We study history that is being made and remade at this very moment in our own backyards and throughout the globe. As historians, we bring to classrooms not only our own deeply researched understandings of history but also an open and questioning spirit. We encourage our students to question us; to “rewrite” history as they learn.

For many decades, our department has ranked among the top 20 departments of major US research universities. Our teaching emphasizes the connections between the local and the global. Our award-winning faculty members are dedicated to teaching, scholarship, and service at the U, in Minnesota, and beyond. The department collaborates with several workshops and centers that provide a rich intellectual community where faculty and students come together to share their scholarly endeavors.

Our urban location gives our students access not only to a vast and diverse living learning laboratory—where they can pursue public history projects—but also to internship and career opportunities across a wide spectrum of industries. The vibrant and culturally diverse Twin Cities area offers a multitude of leadership paths and life choices for new graduates with a passion for history and commitment to education, historic preservation, and public service—including many career opportunities in non-profits like foundations and museums as well as in educational institutions, both K-12 and higher ed.