Department of History

Welcome!

Studying the past is a fascinating window into the human experience. Thus, the History Major is designed to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of history from different times and places around the world. In fact, several courses offer a more global examination of a particular topic, such as disease and medicine or modern cities. Beyond more lecture-based courses, history majors take two discussion-oriented seminars in which students are able to focus on more specific topics often in the field of a professor's expertise. Past seminars have examined, among other topics, the history of Portland, the history of the European family, women's health in post-World War II America, and issues in the French Revolution...   Read the Department Chair's letter

Alex Ritsema

Alex Ritsema - Class of 2017
History

"I know that the time I spent studying history at UP and being challenged by the department professors will carry over and help me in whatever field of work or continued education I decide to pursue."

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Anthony Vitali

Anthony Vitali - Class of 2017
History

"The history department ultimately inspired a passion to serve my community through historical education, a desire to advocate for social justice, and ambitions to spread human compassion as far as I could reach."

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Emily Dovel

Emily Dovel - Class of 2016
History

"As a history major I learned to analyze historical documents, to understand and critique ideas from a diverse set of cultures, and to express my own arguments in a cogent manner."

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Pearl Kahle

Pearl Kahle - Class of 2017
History

"My four years in UP’s close-knit history department was full of hands-on research and eye-opening classes."

Learn more about Pearl Kahle