History

If you major in history at Augustana, you’ll be in a program nationally recognized for innovative teaching of history. You’ll learn through experiencing history — it is possible — instead of just memorizing facts.

Becoming historically minded, you’ll develop skills it takes to solve contemporary problems: data analysis, empathy, information literacy, perspective-taking.

You’ll choose one of five Compass Points to fit your current passions, career goals and vision for the future:

• History communication – How the public engages with the past (for museum studies, library science, digital history, journalism, documentary-making, historic preservation).
• Social change – What history tells us about current inequalities and social change (social services, human rights work, religious work and more).
• Nations and global politics – Complex interactions between people and systems, local concerns and global movements (law, politics, international relations, public relations, peace studies).
• History education – Learning to teach not just history, but historical thinking (for teaching in the secondary schools).
• Information analytics – Tailoring your major to your particular goals (examples include civic and workplace leaders in STEM, sales, business, health fields, and more).

Distinctions

• Augustana offers a major and minor in history, and a history teaching major.
• More than 50% of history students have two or more majors. History is ideal for combining with any study of the intersections of people, places and cultures: geography; sociology and anthropology; religion; political science; women, gender and sexuality studies, and more. Most pre-law students choose a history major.
• The six faculty members all have a Ph.D. and are leaders in innovative education methods, published research and international programs. Dr. Lendol Calder was honored as the Illinois Professor of the Year and is a finalist for a national teaching excellence award.
• Augustana history professors encourage and guide students to study abroad, take internships and participate in academic conferences — and $2,000 with Augie Choice supports any of these experiences.

Recent grads

• Charlotte Newport '25 is a J.D. candidate at The University of Texas School of Law.
• Neleigh Rush '25 is the assistant director of annual leadership gifts at Penn State University.
• Katie Sanders '25 is pursuing a master's in museum studies at Johns Hopkins University.
• Maja Johnson '23 is in Uppsala University's Master's Programme in Scandinavian Studies in Uppsala, Sweden.
• Stephanie Carreno '23 is a library associate for the Palatine (Ill.) Library District.
• Lauren Hall '22 is a middle school social studies teacher for the Rock Island-Milan (Ill.) School District.
• Rosalie Looijaard '22 is a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at Boston University.
• Matt Payton '22 is a special education teacher at Sterling (Ill.) High School.
• Megan Hoppe '21 is an adjunct faculty member at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.
• Monica Thompson '21 is an associate attorney at Evans & Dixon, LLC, in St. Louis, Mo.
• Mikaela Ferrara '20 earned a master’s in museum studies from George Washington University and is a collections specialst at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.