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Degrees in History at SLU

Whether you see yourself working in a lab, collaborating on a satellite, teaching students, or shaping public policy, the faculty in SLU's history department are here to help you develop into a global leader.

Thinking about a History Major or Minor? Hear from students and faculty.

Majoring or minoring in history will give you skills in writing, oral presentation, and research; these skills can be applied in a broad range of fields from medicine to business. For students interested in the sciences, for research or medicine, having a major or minor in history will diversify their academic training and enhance their applications to graduate and medical schools.  The history major and minor provide STEM majors a more holistic education.

History majors and minors learn to communicate effectively, reason creatively, and understand the human impact and issues connected to a career. People with these skills become leaders in their fields.

The major and minor offer small classes and one-on-one mentoring.  Students in history courses are guided by professors who are outstanding writers, engaging speakers, and leading experts in their fields. The department’s award-winning teachers are deeply committed to helping students grow as thinkers and, in the best of the Jesuit educational model, as human beings.

Students who come in with AP or 1818 credit already have a class under their belt for this major and minor.

As a student in the history program, you can do an internship for credits. In the department's internship program, history majors and minors have diversified elementary school curriculum and created podcasts about popular historical figures like Pocahontas and Al Capone. From policy to marketing to medicine, history internships give minors the opportunity to put their historical skills to work in the real world.

Graduate Experience in History

The graduate program in history at Saint Louis University is one of the oldest in the country, granting its first Ph.D. in 1919. Today, the department continues that tradition of excellence by training students in a variety of historical fields.

The department offers a U.S. News & World Report Top 100 history doctoral program. The reputation of our program is based, above all, on the strength of our faculty, whose research and publications have won national and international recognition.

Ph.D. programs are offered in three specialization areas: medieval European history, early modern European history and United States history. M.A. programs are also available in these three areas as well as modern European history and world history.

Explore Graduate Concentrations