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Department of History
Examine the past. Define your future.
History majors are politicians, entrepreneurs, community activists, entertainers, writers, lawyers, teachers, diplomats, and museum curators whose understanding of the past informs their journey to a fulfilling career. Our accomplished and diverse professors will provide guidance and mentorship as you develop skills in research, communication, critical thinking, interpretation, and problem solving.
Opportunity in every direction
“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
– Robert Penn Warren
Our widely published, award-winning faculty offer courses in their regional and geographic areas of expertise, including the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Islamic world. Faculty members hold particular strengths in the history of the North American West, US–Mexico Borderlands, Indigenous and Latine peoples, Environment and Health, Public History, Gender and Sexuality, Race and Class, Colonialism and Nationalism, and Comparative Global Studies.
Undergraduate program paths
History, Bachelor of Arts Accordion Closed
History, Bachelor of Arts – The BA program offers flexibility for you to customize your coursework based on the period or type of history you’re interested in. Two years of required foreign language courses help you deepen your cultural understanding.
History, Bachelor of Science Accordion Closed
History, Bachelor of Science – As with the BA, you can tailor your plan of study to your individual needs, whether you are preparing for graduate study or your professional career. The BS major requires you to select a minor.
Secondary Education – History and Social Studies, Bachelor of Science in Education Accordion Closed
Secondary Education – History and Social Studies, Bachelor of Science in Education – Our accredited education degree prepares you to teach history and social studies in secondary schools.
History minor Accordion Closed
History minor – If you’ve chosen another major but still love history, adding a minor allows you to select targeted courses that enhance your major course of study.
Accelerated Master of Arts Accordion Closed
Accelerated Master of Arts – Motivated undergraduates may qualify for our 4+1 program and receive both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.
Graduate program paths
History, Master of Arts Accordion Closed
History, Master of Arts – Our focus begins by understanding the relationship between the area surrounding the beautiful Colorado Plateau and the larger US West, then expands through the thematic areas of Borderlands, Environment, and Indigeneity as well as the broader intersections of race, class, gender, and colonialism across the Americas and the world.
Emphasis in Public History Accordion Closed
Emphasis in Public History – As a graduate student, you may choose to specialize in Public History, finding opportunities to intern with the National Park Service, the Arizona Historical Society, Arizona State Parks, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and Lowell Observatory.
Accelerated MA Accordion Closed
Accelerated MA – Motivated undergraduates may qualify for our 4+1 program and receive both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.
History in real time
NAU offers hundreds of study abroad programs across the globe. History students have recently studied in Australia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. After graduation, many students go on to graduate school and law school, while others have served as Peace Corps volunteers.
Earn credit for your degree on the job in museums or historical societies around the world through an international internship. You can also take part in global learning opportunities—including clubs and activities that connect you with our own international community—right here on the NAU campus.