“Nothing is more incongruous for people or groups than to have no history.  Ignorance of one’s own past leads fatally to a crisis and the loss of identity of individuals and communities.”

– Pope Saint John Paul II, Message for the 50th Anniversary of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, 16 April 2004

The History Department combines the rigor of a research university with the human scale of a liberal arts college.  It is dedicated to understanding the human experience in time and place, and to careful training in identifying and assessing information, executing research projects, and analytical writing and oral presentation.

History students learn in small, interactive classes with faculty committed to combining research and teaching. Studying with accomplished scholars who bring current developments in their fields to life in the classroom, students choose from a wide range of classes and seminars, increasingly incorporating digital tools for learning and studying. History faculty and students participate in a variety of interdisciplinary programs across campus, including the University Honors Program, Catholic University's flagship study-abroad program in Rome, Medieval and Byzantine Studies, Early Christian Studies, and other programs focused on Europe, Ireland, Latin American and Latino studies, and the Islamic world.

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    Hands-on history class

    Undergraduate Programs

    The department’s majors go on to a broad spectrum of careers, including business and marketing, media and information technology, journalism, law, government, teaching, and museums and public history.

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    Grad class

    Graduate Programs

    Our graduate programs are built upon particular faculty strengths, including medieval, modern European, U.S., and Latin American history. We foster a friendly atmosphere and close interaction between students and faculty.

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    History professor giving panel presentation

    Faculty and Research

    A Faculty Committed to the Synergy between Research and Teaching

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