A History of Success in Many Fields

Research, writing and perspective help history majors find success on countless career paths.

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Program Overview 

The History Department at Stonehill takes students on a journey of exploration through time and space. Watch ancient Carthaginians at war, Irish immigrants braving the frigid Atlantic for a New World, atomic scientists weaponizing nuclear power and much, much more.

No dry litany of dates and events, the study of history at Stonehill College involves students directly in the process of historical discovery, debate and interpretation.

Few majors are more diverse, or more dynamic, for students of history will study nation-states and individuals, personal diaries, and ancient artifacts, drawing on the most cutting-edge research methodologies in the humanities and social sciences for answers. Exploring the breadth of the human past and the forces of historical change equips history majors with the broad and informed perspective to be leaders of change in the 21st century.

Leading Scholars, Inspiring Teachers

Our students are educated by dedicated teacher-scholars from the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the country. With their guidance, students focus both on decisive events and broad patterns of culture that have shaped our world through a series of introductory and advanced courses.

Recent Accolades

Organizations involved in assessing U.S. colleges and universities continually cite Stonehill as being among the best in the nation when it comes to value, outcomes and a commitment to making the world a better place. See full list of accolades.

Sample History Courses

Heretics, Reformers and Radicals: Women & Power in American History

Core/First-Year Seminar
This course focuses on women who challenged the gendered hierarchies of their eras. We will examine a collection of women from the 17th to the 20th centuries who developed new modes of exercising power in American public life and overturned longstanding ideas about the weakness and subordination of women.

U.S. Popular Culture

This course is an investigation of U.S. popular culture focusing on its ability to illuminate important themes in the nation’s social, economic, and political development. A special emphasis will be given to twentieth-century popular culture. Important questions and themes will include popular culture’s role in perpetuating attitudes regarding race and gender.

Revolutionary History: Hamilton

Core/First-Year Seminar
The hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” has inspired audiences around the world with its hip-hop styled interpretation of the life and times of Alexander Hamilton and his band of revolutionary brothers. But how familiar are we with the actual history the musical presents? This course examines both the irreverent musical and the revolutionary history that informs it, analyzing the biographies and historical contexts of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, Elizabeth and Angelica Schuyler, and the famous duel that ended one founder’s life and another’s promising career.

A World at War

Organized violence represents one of the most common of human activities. Warfare shapes, and is shaped by, deep seated political, social, economic, religious, and technological values and attitudes. For good or ill, warfare has played, and continues to play, a key role in shaping the world we live in. The course explores warfare and its consequences from a world historical perspective from Paleolithic times to ancient China and the Middle East to modern day forms of state and extra-state violence.

Looking Back to Prepare for What’s Ahead

The History Department provides its students with the intellectual tools to read critically, to conduct research effectively, and to write and communicate persuasively. These skills provide an ideal foundation for a dynamic range of professions and careers such as:

  • Law
  • Education
  • Business
  • Museums
  • Public history
  • Journalism
  • Library science
  • Non-profit leadership
  • Public service

Outcomes Six Months After Graduation

Stonehill history graduates gain the flexibility to pursue a broad array of opportunities. Our students have gone on to attend top graduate programs as well as launch careers in a variety of fields.

100%
Class of 2019 Placement Rate

100% of Class of 2019 history graduates are employed, enrolled in top graduate programs or engaged in postgraduate service six months after graduation.

Where Our History Graduates Work

Stonehill history majors are involved in studying history not only in the classroom but also in a professional environment. Many have had successful careers as judges, lawyers, professors, senior archivists, researchers, teachers and authors, among many other occupations. Continue exploring where our graduates work.

I plan to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist and my history courses have provided me with an advantage due to the emphasis on writing skills, critical thinking and problem solving. While a history major is not the traditional route to a career in speech-language pathology, the skills I have learned have definitely been an asset in every class I have taken.

Partnerships & Special Programs

Stonehill College has developed academic affiliations with colleges and universities that enable our students to augment the degree they earn at Stonehill with graduate and undergraduate degrees that further enhance their opportunities.

Earn Two Degrees in 5 Years

The Skyhawk Accelerated Dual Degree allows Stonehill students to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Stonehill College in five years. Eligible students receive early and expedited admission to their graduate program of interest and can begin working toward a master's degree in education, data analytics or marketing during their senior year.

Learn More About Our History Program

  • Program Requirements

    To view program requirements for History, please search our online course catalog.

  • History Internships & Opportunities

    History majors and minors are strongly encouraged to pursue an experiential learning/internship opportunity as part of their program of study.

  • History Graduate Outcomes

    Stonehill history majors are involved in studying history not only in the classroom but also in a professional environment.

Contact Information

James Wadsworth

James Wadsworth

Professor of History/History Department Chair, Recipient of the Chet Kevitt Award in 2017 for "The World of Credit in Colonial Massachusetts: James Richards and his daybook, 1692-1711"