History
 By a conventional definition, history is the study of change over time. In fact, it's more subtle than that: historians use evidence to discuss (and debate) what we know about the past. And because using evidence to prove a point is a very useful skill, history is one of the most common majors for those who want careers in law, business, and government.
At Hollins, the history major is designed to give you breadth and depth. Students take classes in both United States and world history; and in their senior year all students write a thesis. The senior thesis is your chance to become an expert in a particular field. Working with two professors, you develop a topic, investigate sources, and write your conclusions. While the thought of a 50-page research paper may appear daunting, every course in the department helps prepare you to use primary sources, to define historical questions, and to write expository essays.
Learn to Make Your Own Kind of History
You'll learn how to analyze primary sources and to formulate original ideas rather than relying on a rote mastery of facts. We prefer seminars over classroom lectures for most courses. Upper-level classes include instruction in methodology and writing as part of the course work.
The department offers an integrated curriculum: every course leads up to your senior thesis. We stress learning how to locate and use sources and documents creatively, so that by the time you're a senior you'll be ready to undertake a 50-page research paper. The emphasis is on creatively: you pick the topic and the method, so you can use what you've learned in English and sociology and art to help you make your own kind of history. Writing the senior thesis is a challenge, to be sure, but many of our majors describe the thesis as the academic accomplishment of which they are most proud.
In the past, history majors have
conducted thesis research at such places as the University of California at Berkeley, the Baltimore City Archives, and the George C. Marshall Library. They have used sources ranging from diaries, letters, and interviews to films and archaeological artifacts. Recent topics include:
- Magic and the Medieval Church
- Mexican Society during the Second World War
- The Desegregation of Roanoke
- American Women in the Vietnam War
- Women Revolutionaries during the Paris Commune of 1871
- Rhetoric in Pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts
INTERNSHIPS: The Best Way to Test Career Interests and Build a Resume
History students do a variety of internships all over the country. The Roanoke Valley, a metropolitan area of 225,000, also offers a number of valuable internship possibilities. In addition to numerous internships in congressional offices, history students have recently interned at the following places:
- Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, Memphis
- First Union Bank, Charlotte
- D.C. United Soccer Team
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Washington, D.C.
- Southwest Virginia Historic Preservation Office, Roanoke
- Virginia Department of Archives, Richmond
- Roanoke Valley History Museum, Roanoke
- White House (First Lady's office), Washington, D.C.
- Marriott, Palm Beach, Florida
- Mardi Gras Museum
Expand Your Horizons With Study Abroad
Study abroad can be invaluable to history majors because you can visit the landmarks you study in class, tour the museums, and observe the cultural and political dynamics of a country as a resident. Hollins directs two international study programs of its own, one in Paris and one in London. In addition, students can take advantage of a wide range of other study abroad opportunities, including programs in Argentina, Ghana, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the School for Field Studies.
Hollins Graduates: Where are they now?
Majors in history are accepted at some of the nation's best graduate and professional schools and find employment in a variety of fields. Here's what some of them are doing:
Law School: Georgetown University, Case Western Reserve University, Dickinson University,
University of Massachusetts, Hamline University, Vanderbilt University, College of William and Mary
Graduate School in History: Duke University, University of Connecticut, Notre Dame, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Other Graduate Programs:
Film: American University
American Studies: College of William and Mary, Penn State
Public Policy: University of Georgia
Hollins history majors get good jobs -- not just in fields related to history--because they can think creatively and write quickly and effectively. Recently, alumnae have found employment as a risk-management specialist for a hospital corporation; in publishing; at Sotheby's manuscript division in London; as a corporate software trainer for a Fortune 500 company; in public relations; as college and high school teachers and administrators; as a newspaper reporter; in government and politics.
|
