History

History is both a major and a minor at F&M. Our program is designed to provide opportunities to encounter peoples, cultures and political systems from across time and from around the globe. When you study history at F&M, you’ll explore humanity through historical theory and research, inspecting the questions, challenges, successes and failures that have shaped our world. You’ll learn the essential skills of historians, gaining the ability to research thoroughly, read critically, analyze sources accurately, and write and communicate your findings clearly.

By the time you graduate, you will be able to: 

• Recognize history as an intellectual process involving selection and evaluation of material and construction of arguments. 
• Understand history as a series of major turning points and the process of change over time.
• Read and understand primary, secondary and tertiary sources and identify the place and purpose of each for historical study. 
• Develop critical awareness of your own approach to the past.

Curious about what history classes are like at F&M? Peruse our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what’s available to you. 

You’ll discover in a short time that the study of history extends far outside the classroom. F&M’s history department has a long tradition of encouraging students’ intellectual growth through research opportunities, off-campus study, independent research and more. Our goal is to provide close supervision and mentoring to students in the classroom and around the world.

Research & Independent Studies 

Do you want to research Lancaster’s history in World War I? Or maybe you want to uncover the complicated history of the women’s suffrage movement? You can at F&M. As you dive into the intricacies of the past, you’ll discover historical areas or ideas you want to further explore. The good news? You won’t have to wait until graduate school to launch your investigation.
Explore research at F&M

Off-Campus Study

At F&M, you’ll find extraordinary opportunities to study abroad. Our history majors have studied in Australia, Austria, China, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Spain, and Tanzania, to name a few places. You, too, can make study abroad integral to your experiences and research.
Explore off-campus study at F&M

The History Club

The History Club, an F&M student organization, is an intellectual and social opportunity to enhance your academic experience. The History Club examines historical events with a critical eye and perspective and provides students the opportunity to discover more about history. 

Museums & Libraries

F&M’s Phillips Museum of Art and the nearby North Museum, a natural historical collection at the southern end of campus, offer comprehensive materials on historical topics. Additional resources for history students include F&M’s two research libraries: Shadek-Fackenthal Library and Martin Library of the Sciences, which houses F&M’s archives and special collections.
Explore the F&M College Library

By studying history at F&M, you’ll gain a holistic outlook that provides a strong background in critical thinking, analysis, writing and public presentation — skills highly valuable in any post-graduate pursuit. 

Fellowships

It’s not uncommon for history majors to pursue fellowships, which offer often-funded experiential learning opportunities such as advanced study, research, internships, service, travel, and more. Our graduates have pursued teaching and public service fellowships with organizations such as Teach for America and Americorps. They also go on to complete fellowships overseas with the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, for which F&M is recognized as a top-producing institution. 
Explore fellowships at F&M

Graduate School

Many of our history majors choose to pursue graduate school after F&M, with a significant number enrolling in law school. Our graduates have completed their advanced degrees at the best universities, including:

• American University
• Columbia University
• Drexel University
• Johns Hopkins University
• New York University
• Rutgers University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Villanova University

Career Paths

History at F&M provides a strong foundation for many professional professions. Our graduates hold diverse positions such as:

• Attorney
• Business executive
• College professor
• Editor/publisher
• Filmmaker
• Foreign service diplomat
• Government official
• History teacher
• Journalist
• Judge
• Law clerk
• Marketing writer
• Social worker