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History

All Majors

Overview

So, are you "good" at history because you can memorize some names and dates? Henceforth, that's not enough! Sure, in the history department at Bryan College we do discuss names and dates, and we want to learn from history. All of those little details create context for interpretation (the real part of doing history which makes sparks fly!). Rub brains with your profs and your peers in an effort to find YOUR historical voice, AND in the process have the privileged position of watching to observe what one relationship throughout the course of history has radically and consistently caused individuals to change the course of their lives.

Here's one example of a student's work on this topic: "I guess it is safe to say that I view history the way I view life; I do not think I can separate the two. In general, I tend to view the world with a "why should I care" mentality. Except, it is not a flippant or superficial sort of question; I literally and very seriously want to know why I should care. Once I know why, I care very deeply. In the case of history, I work through it by asking questions. I then expect it to provide me with the information necessary for me to reason out answers that explain why things have happened the way they have, and why it applies to me. History means absolutely nothing to me unless I can dialogue with it and learn from it; then I care." Click here for the full essay.

Dig Deeper

Our Commitment to You



Dr. Travis Ricketts explaining early civilizations
We like history; we love our students. Teaching is what takes place in the lives of our students as we work through what we call "Life 101" using the discipline of history and the search for truth, which while never relative, is often elusive.

As one of our recent graduates wrote, "I wanted to thank you for all of the time and energy you have put into me and my education over the past four years. Being a history major has been so amazing, and I have learned more than I ever thought possible! Thank you for pushing me to do my best and encouraging me along the way. I will never forget the lessons I have learned here, both from history and from life."

Click for the Four-Year Plan for Each Option

  • For those who are sure that they want to teach at the elementary or secondary level, the history licensure major is available. This option, offered with the cooperation of the education department, meets the requirements of the state for licensure. 
  • For the student who loves history, the history major is another option. This provides opportunity for an abundance of history courses, and an opportunity, while maintaining broad exposure, to begin to craft specialization within the field. For those who prefer this second option but still want to be certified to teach in the public school system, we suggest that students get their history degree, and then after graduation with the BA, earn an MA in education that comes with a licensure component.

Potential Jobs

A survey of alumni reveals that graduates from our discipline are missionaries, history and economics professors and teachers, archivists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, home school mothers, journalists, coaches, State Department employees, military officers, and students in medical school. 

Graduate Schools

  • Indiana University at Indianapolis
  • St. John's College
  • University of Reading, England
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • University of Tennessee
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Virginia School of Law
  • Washington & Lee University
  • Kansas State University
  • Wheaton College
  • Liberty University

Minor

Sampling of Classes

  • Historical Writing
  • World War II
  • Food in Italian History, Society, & Art
  • American Political History
  • Chinese History
  • Heresy and Orthodoxy in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
  • American Civil War
  • History of Free Market Thought

Faculty