The making and remaking of the modern world—power and its legacies.
History Department
History Department
History students study records and relics. They examine the words and deeds of people who lived before us. They use all these sources of information to ask novel questions or to question others’ assumptions.
Their discoveries help all of us to become engaged citizens in a democratic society. And they use these skills to meet the demands of numerous career paths in an ever-changing world.
To study history “is to interpret the past for the purposes of the present with a view to managing the future.”
—John Lewis Gaddis, Ohio University Professor of History (1969-1997) and National Humanities Medal and Pulitzer Prize Recipient
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Doctoral programs in Ohio recognized by the Board of Regents since 1995 as deserving state subsidy
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The only university in Ohio designated by the state to focus on Contemporary History
Unlimited
Career options open to History majors
Knowing the Past to Shape the Future
Recognized leaders in their fields, our History faculty bring proven records of excellence to their daily collaborations with undergraduate and graduate students.
As newsmakers, book prize winners, and award-winning teachers, we advance a better understanding of the diverse people and places we study, helping our students and society to better understand our complicated present and to imagine a better future.
Research Areas We Focus On
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Cultural, Intellectual & Religious History
Ideas, beliefs, and their historical context—including guilt, democracy, social order, equality.
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Economic, Environmental & Technology History
The nature of technological change and resource expansion and allocation.
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International, Strategic & Military History
Military, foreign relations, strategic, naval, national security history, and more.
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Political & Policy History
Power, leadership, policies, and ideas across different cultures and eras.
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Women’s and Gender History
How gender notions affected culture, politics, and social practices of the past.
Congratulations to Dr. Dantas on 'Early Modern Atlantic Cities'
"The Atlantic city spatializes the processes that shaped a first age of globalization and illuminates practices and tensions of a shared Atlantic past."
History Student Experiences — Here and Abroad
Travel abroad and engage in applied history through local internships with the Southeast Ohio History Center, the library, local law offices, and more.
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Italy: Eternal Rome – Piety and PowerDiscover the rich religious and political history of medieval Rome over spring break, visiting sites and museums reflecting Rome's ancient, medieval, Renaissance and modern eras.
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Local InternshipsFind local internships at the Southeast Ohio History Center, the Kennedy Museum of Art, Alden Library's Archives and Special Collections, and more—and discover new things about our local history.
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Experience OHIOThis searchable tool showcases dozens of ways Bobcats are rolling up their sleeves to gain real-world skills and stand out as emerging professionals.
Careers with a History Degree
Alumni Engagement & Giving Opportunities
History News
History Events
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