Welcome to the History Department
The field of history has changed significantly in recent
decades at the same time that public interest in history has grown.
From the development of the field of women's and gender history to
new perspectives on cultural analysis and cultural diversity, the
discipline of history has expanded in scope, theory, and methodology.
Moreover, increasing attendance at historical sites and museums and
interest in documentary films and the History Channel has spurred
the growth of the field of public history, which offers professional
training designed to meet this demand.
The History Department's curriculum reflects these changes
even as it maintains Loyola's traditional strengths in Medieval, Modern
Western European, and United States history. In our Core offerings,
students now may choose between courses in European, American, World,
and East Asian history. For upper-level undergraduates, the department
offers a variety of courses in African, Asian, Asian American, African
American, Latin American, and women's history. Our faculty and courses
play a significant role in Loyola's interdisciplinary programs including
International Studies, Asian/Asian American Studies, Black World Studies,
Urban Studies, and Women's Studies. At the graduate level, the History
Department was one of the first in the nation to offer a master's
degree in public history, and now is one of the first to offer a Ph.D.
in the field.
The strength of the History Department lies in the achievements
and quality of its twenty-seven full-time faculty. They have a national
reputation for scholarship, as reflected in their extensive records
of publication with major scholarly presses and journals. Three current
faculty members have received awards from the John Simon Guggenheim
Foundation, three have been Fulbright Senior Scholars, and eight have
been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships. History
faculty members bring their expertise to the classroom. The department
is known for the fact that its senior faculty teach both introductory
and advanced undergraduate courses. It offers many small classes,
which facilitate close interaction between faculty and students. During
each term approximately 1,800 students enroll in history classes.
They appreciate the quality of the teaching provided and the personal
attention they receive.
The History Department offers an undergraduate major;
master's programs in history and public history; a master's program
in history and library information science (jointly with Dominican
University); and a doctoral program in history. Graduates are prepared
for careers in teaching and public history, but they also have transferable
skills and many undergraduate majors make careers in law, business,
government, and research institutions.
Please take time to explore our web site, and for more
information or to speak to an advisor stop by our offices on the fifth
floor of Crown Center on the Lake Shore Campus.
Our Mission
The curriculum of the history department is designed
to develop a deep understanding of the human past and to provide students
with insight into the world in which they live through a perspective
of time and change. History courses include a consideration of ideas,
values, and value systems, and thus enhance students' understanding
of and appreciation for both their own and other cultures. At the
same time our curriculum teaches historical writing, analysis, and
research, and it fosters an appreciation of historical prose as a
distinctive form of literature.
Barbara H. Rosenwein
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