History
Bachelor of Arts
Introduction
Make sense of the human experience across time, place, and identity.
Studying history is more than learning about dates, events, and important figures. It’s also about gaining the context and critical-thinking ability to analyze the present—and plan for the future.
The history major at John Carroll University gives you the flexibility to focus on regions, time periods, and themes that interest you most. You’ll learn and discover in a close-knit, engaging environment with faculty members who are passionate about history.
This multifaceted major prepares you for a vast range of careers, from museums and academia to public history and politics. The reading, writing, and research skills you’ll gain serve as solid preparation for graduate and professional school.
Immersive Learning
Gain real-world experience at museums, cultural sites, and community organizations around Northeast Ohio and beyond. Internship sites have included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Global Experiences
Spend a semester, summer, or spring break abroad. Faculty-led travel courses take history majors to places like Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo.
Academics
Program Overview & Outcomes
In addition to gaining a historical perspective from throughout time and cultures, you’ll also engage in reflection on questions of social justice and develop an appreciation for the diversity of the human experience. As a history major at JCU, you will:
- Think critically and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of historical arguments
- Become a competent researcher who can discover pertinent primary and secondary sources
- Learn to clearly and elegantly express a complex, thesis-driven argument in writing
- Develop skills in public speaking and oral presentation
Many JCU history students pursue a double major in areas such as political science, philosophy, English, economics, or education.
Related Programs
Still deciding on your program of study at JCU or considering a second major? Here are some other academic areas to explore.
Pathways
Your Path Forward Starts Here
Plan your future from day one. Finish faster with accelerated degrees or secure your spot with early assurance partnerships.
4 years
Bachelor of Arts
Study the past to make sense of the present. Our flexible History major pairs close faculty mentorship with rigorous reading, research, and analysis that prepare you for careers in museums, public history, law, policy, and more.
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A JD in Less Time, for Less
Future in Focus
Your first year of law school counts as your senior year at JCU—so you earn both degrees in six years instead of seven. That's a full year of law school tuition you'll never pay.
Your Teaching Career, Accelerated
Future in Focus
Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—earning your teaching license and master's while finishing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate, and your financial aid still applies. Get into the classroom sooner.
Your MBA, Accelerated
Future in Focus
Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—building executive-level skills while completing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate with financial aid applied. An MBA for the cost of a few extra courses.
Onward
JCU's Distinct Promise
Pathways are just the beginning.
Onward makes them happen.
From your first semester forward, Onward connects your goals with the people, experiences, and support that help you build momentum with purpose.
Careers
Where Our Alumni Go
Our alumni teach, preserve, and promote history in schools, museums, heritage sites, libraries, and more. They pursue careers in business, politics, and public service. Many go on to history or related graduate programs or pursue law school.
