B.A. History
History is one of the most versatile undergraduate majors you can choose, because it touches on all forms of human endeavor, from arts and languages to science and economics. In studying history, you learn about lost worlds, travel to other times and places and discover hidden truths about human nature and God’s creation.
At Concordia University, Nebraska, we provide our students with a broad knowledge of history and equip them with the skills necessary to study and understand the past. You will leave the history program as a strong written and oral communicator and exceptional analytical thinker, which will serve you in studying the history and provide you with the tools you need to be successful in your future, no matter your choice of career.
Discover the past and learn more about human nature and God’s creation!
Program Highlights
WHY STUDY HISTORY AT CONCORDIA?
Concordia Nebraska’s history program contains a diverse selection of over 25 courses that span
- Time (Ancient Rome, Early American Nation),
- Geography (Latin America, Modern China) and
- Topic (Immigration, the Constitution).
All of Concordia’s history faculty have a terminal degree and are experts in their field of study. With small class sizes, our faculty capitalize on the opportunity to personally mentor history students throughout their four years on campus and help them achieve their academic and personal goals on their way to successful careers.
Concordia University’s strong relationships with local institutions, such as the Nebraska National Guard Museum, located in Seward, or the Nebraska State Historical Society in Lincoln, means that students not only receive an excellent education inside the classroom, but will also be able to apply their history knowledge in a real-world setting.
MEET OUR EXPERT FACULTY
As experts in history, our faculty and instructors bring years of experience to the classroom.
Meet our students
In the history program at Concordia, you are taught how to analyze documents and become a critical thinker, as well as become an effective communicator through writing and presentations.
Accreditation
Concordia University, Nebraska is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Degree Goals
A history program graduate from Concordia University, Nebraska will be able to:
- demonstrate their understanding of different peoples and cultures in past environments and how those cultures changed over the centuries.
- recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience, including ethnicity, race and language, as well as political, economic, social and cultural studies over time and space.
- demonstrate ethical use of sources and be able to cite their research.
- Analyze, synthesize and evaluate historical information.
- communicate basic historical principles through written and verbal means.
History, Geography, Intercultural Studies and Modern Languages Minors
- American Sign Language
- English as a Second Language
- Geography
- Geospatial Technology
- History
- Mandarin
- Missional Leadership
- Spanish
- World and Intercultural Studies
Career Outcomes
Library Archivist
- Preserve important historical documents and material
- Archive and catalog material
- Make digital copies of documents to help preserve history
Historian
- Research, analyze, interpret and write about the past by studying historical documents and sources
- Evaluate information from sources to answer questions about historical events and people
History Teacher
- Offer classroom instruction to students
- Help students learn to critically analyze historical events
FAQs
There are a great number of reasons why earning your degree in history is a good idea. As one of the core disciplines of the liberal arts, history provides a classic mode of learning. By studying the past, history majors learn to
- think with rigor,
- write with clarity and precision,
- organize and assess evidence,
- analyze problems and
- interpret complex events.
Another reason to study history is because it is interesting. History deals with real people and events, not abstractions. And everything has a history, so you can focus on the area of history you find intriguing — nations, wars, theme parks, music.
The short answer to what you can do with a bachelor’s degree in history is: a lot. Because history is such a diverse major, with a strong liberal arts focus on communication, critical thinking, research and analysis, those who choose to study history are often primely placed to go into a variety of different careers, such as
- History teacher or professor,
- Historian in a museum,
- Archivist at a library,
- Author of historical novels,
- Documentary filmmaker.
Concordia’s graduates are successful in a variety of areas. Recent alumni can be found working as legislative aides, as history educators across the country, as attorneys, as pastors and other church workers.
There are many diverse and interesting museums near Concordia’s hometown of Seward, Nebraska for those who are interested in history. Local museums include:
- The Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward houses thousands of artifacts dedicated to telling the history of the Nebraska National Guard, including World War II memorabilia and medals awarded to Nebraska National Guardsmen stationed on the Mexican border after Pancho Villa’s raid in 1916.
- Morrill Hall in Lincoln features exhibits related to natural history, including prehistoric reconstructions of mammals, reptiles and dinosaurs, weapons through time, and the hall of Nebraska wildlife.
- The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, a museum and library dedicated to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Germanic settlers in the Russian Empire.
- The Strategic Air and Space Museum, built to commemorate the aircraft of the Strategic Air Command and provide a venue for restoring, preserving and displaying historical artifacts and aircraft.
The history faculty here at Concordia Nebraska also encourage students to consider a study abroad experience. Some students choose to spend an entire year or semester abroad through exchange programs. Recent history students have spent time in Cambridge, England, Italy and China. You might also choose to take advantage of the many shorter, for-credit trips that go across the country and around the world to such diverse locations as the Holy Land, New England, and various places in Europe.
Related Programs
Secondary Education
With a degree in secondary education from Concordia University, Nebraska, you will be equipped to teach grades 7-12, encouraging intellectual and emotional growth at a critical time in the lives of your students. You’ll engage in rich coursework, collaborate with faculty and gain invaluable experience first shadowing a professional teacher and then teaching in your own high school classroom.
World and Intercultural Studies
The world and intercultural studies program at Concordia is a 48 hour cross-disciplinary major designed for students with interests in international service, communication, world missions, language or cultural studies. World and intercultural studies can be an effective stand-alone major, or you can choose to pair it with majors or minors in business, communication, sociology, theology and more so you can combine your passions and find the career that best suits you.
Geography
The geography program at Concordia University, Nebraska will help you explore why places are diverse economically, politically and culturally, and how humans shape and are in turn shaped by our environment. At Concordia Nebraska, you will combine rigorous scientific study with deeply conceptual theoretical analyses to learn more about God’s world and our place in it.
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1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.
2Average Class Size for Representative Subject Most Aligned with Major, Over Last 5 Years.