History matters. It tells us who we are and informs our decisions. History majors gain in-depth understanding of societies, economies, political systems, conflicts, and the skills to research, analyze, write, and persuade.
Engage with the past through the experiences of those who shaped it and were shaped by it – people like Napoleon, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Kim Jong-il, as well as lesser-known figures including samurai in Japan, enslaved people in the Caribbean, and soldiers in World War I.
You'll learn in small, discussion-based classes, receiving encouragement from professors who care about your personal and professional goals. Take advantage of immersive resources like our on-campus museums and local archives, as well as nearby Philadelphia, to bring the past to life.
Through opportunities such as internships and international travel, you'll deepen your focus while gaining marketable skills that develop your critical and creative thinking. Complete with senior research and perhaps a conference presentation, you'll graduate with a distinguished resume ready for a career in education, business, government, and beyond.
View Loading... requirements for the history major.
Widener's pre-professional pathways give you the flexibility to follow your interests while preparing for a professional career.
History majors can participate in the following pathways:
History is the best preparation for students interested in pursuing a law degree and our acceptance rates at regional law schools are high. By special arrangement with Widener’s law schools, history majors may choose a “3+3” option whereby they use their first year at the law school to complete the last year of their Widener undergraduate degree in history. History majors may also pursue a Loading... offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.
History majors who wish to teach social studies can seek certification. This comprehensive certificate permits graduates to teach secondary social studies courses, including history, political science, economics, geography, and world cultures in secondary schools. History majors gain the competency and knowledge base required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education from their coursework in history, economics, political science, comparative political systems, geography, non-Western cultures, and historical and social science research methods; from their professional education courses; and from multiple field experiences and placements in high school classrooms.
View Loading... requirements for the history secondary education certification.
Students may minor in history by taking a total of 21 semester hours in history (7 courses). Two of these courses may be at the introductory level.
View Loading... requirements for the history minor.
History majors can seek the Digital Humanities Concentration. Digital humanities is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field that incorporates new tools and methodologies for pursuing modes of inquiry and producing forms of scholarship and engagement in the humanities. It seeks to apply humanistic reasoning and research to important questions related to technology, such as social sustainability, big data, and privacy. Work in digital humanities includes public humanities, data mining/visualization, web design, textual analysis, educational technology, and ethics and technology.
View Loading... requirements for the digital humanities concentration.
Applying to Widener is easy—and free! Simply complete our Widener Application or the Common Application. You'll also need your official high school transcript and either an admissions essay or your SAT/ACT scores. We're a test-optional school, so there's no need to submit both.
Know you're interested in applying to Widener but unsure if you're ready to zero-in on a major? You can apply as an Exploratory Studies student with an undecided major. This program will help you start your college journey on the right foot while you explore which undergraduate program is the right fit for you.
We accept applications on a rolling basis—there are no hard deadlines. Apply when you're ready and we'll take a look as soon as we receive your app.
Key dates to keep in mind:
Once we receive your application and all materials, you can expect to hear back from us quickly. Along with your application decision, you'll also find out about any merit-based scholarship awards. You're automatically considered for merit scholarships as soon as you apply—you don't need to apply separately.
If you apply before November 1, you are considered an Early Action applicant which comes with benefits like:
All applications are non-binding, so why wait? Apply today!
Our admissions team will help you make the most of college-level credits earned after high school. We maintain strong partnerships and articulation agreements with numerous local community colleges and also accept a wide range of course credits earned at accredited colleges and universities.
Curious about how many credits may transfer? Email your transcripts to transfer@widener.edu and our transfer coordinator will personally review your coursework as an unofficial credit evaluation. Applicants are given priority during busy seasons, but you don't have to apply to work with our transfer coordinator.
Transferring doesn't have to be a guessing game—share your stats and we'll take it from there!
Widener University serves as a "second home" for students from around the world. We are located just outside of Philadelphia and close to New York City and Washington, D.C.—offering many unique professional and personal opportunities to explore.
Want to know what it's like to be an international student on campus or need assistance navigating English proficiency requirements? We're here to help, and our international admissions director will support you through the application process.
This support doesn't end with admissions—our International Student Support team will serve as a valuable resource throughout your Widener journey—meeting Visa/immigration requirements, getting acclimated to campus, and much more.
The history department hosts a wide variety of events per year, including urban excursions to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., historic site visits, symposia, Meet-the-Historian, and special guest lectures. You'll always be engaging with new people and ideas.
You’ll choose courses in American, European, and Global history and have the flexibility to double-major or minor. Plan a career by combining history with pre-PT or Digital Humanities. Studying history is the best preparation for law school and teaching, and the analysis skills you’ll gain are critically important for work in business and government.
You'll study history and also “do history.” Answering your own historical questions with archival research are hallmarks of our program. You'll also bring history to life for the Widener community and beyond through hands-on projects. Recent activities include a Humanities Summer Camp for middle school students and an archival “treasure hunt” for community members.
You'll gain insider access to a broad network of professionals in your field such as at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies or at the Pennsylvania Historical Association’s annual meeting. History majors present their research at conferences regionally and internationally, and students earn course credit for internships at archives, historic sites, and advocacy organizations.
Our region is rich with historic sites and you’ll join us on many excursions to see the past in the present. We’ll investigate local architecture and urban design, a Japanese garden, immigrant neighborhoods, and the decorative arts as historical sources. If your passion is world history, study abroad anywhere from Germany to China.
History majors have the opportunity to join various clubs and organizations across and outisde of campus, including the Phi Alpha Theta - National History Honor Society, and many more.
Our learning community is diverse, strong, and supportive. Our professors invest in your success through close mentoring and continual feedback. Get to know our History faculty.
“My research and teaching focus on East Asian and world history. I'm interested in how China, Japan, and Korea have historically interacted with each other, with the West, and with the rest of the world. My classes aim to help students critically assess original documents and form coherent arguments supported by historical evidence."
"Students become historians by "doing history" – they learn to think critically about the past, to develop research questions and conduct research, . . . and to have fun! History is an endlessly fascinating inquiry into the human past that can yield essential insights into the human present."
“I help students recognize that history surrounds us. We visit museums and reflect on the human relationships that created a painting, a chair, or a teacup. And we connect classroom lessons on slavery, the constitution, or the Civil War to ongoing public discussions. Students leave my classes asking new questions about the past and present.”
Widener faculty across many disciplines are finding creative ways to help students understand the current Coronavirus pandemic.
Profile of 1980 alumnus Terry Halvorsen, a history graduate who spent decades in military/public service and now works as an executive at Samsung Electronics.
History students often find internships—and gain course credit—at historic sites, museums, and archives like Philadelphia's Independence Hall or the National Museum of American Jewish History. These engaged experiences will set you on the inside track for a diverse array of careers.
Kapelski Learning Center, Room 311
