Welcome to the History Department

History is our collective memory, an understanding of our heritage, of who we are and how we came to be. The history major not only provides students with the knowledge and tools of history, but also provides a sense of roots, as well as a broader perspective on the diverse regions and peoples of the world. Training in history teaches students how to think, how to analyze different kinds of problems, and is solid training for such careers as teaching, law, business, historic preservation, or museums.Watch Video »

»Being a History Major at Chapman

The history major at Chapman University provides students with the knowledge and tools of history, but also provides a sense of roots, and a broader perspective on the diverse regions and peoples of the world. The BA in history teaches students how to think, how to analyze different kinds of problems, and provides a solid foundation for such careers in teaching, law, business, historical preservation, or archival management.

What makes Chapman’s History Department unique? An award-winning undergraduate student online journal; best history honors society in the nation for the last five years; classroom visits by Eli Weisel (the author of Night and Noble Peace-Prize winner); Hailey Giczy (09) winner of the American Historical Association’s Raymond J. Cunningham Prize for the Best Article by an Undergraduate among numerous other regional student paper awards. These are just some examples of how our majors are not just studying history – they are making it.

For more information about the History Department, download the department's brochure.

+-Students Making History!

2012-2013 Cheverton Winner On Friday, April 26, 2013 at the 5th Annual Campus Leadership Awards, Wilkinson College student Priya Shah (pictured left), a History/Spanish double major, was awarded the Cheverton Award for the 2012-13 academic year. Read more ...

Pat Conference Chapman History seniors headed down to San Diego on Saturday, April 20, 2013 for the annual Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference. Read more ...

Voce Novae Voces Novae: Chapman University Historical Review Has Done It Again! For the third time the history e-journal, Voces Novae, has won the national prize for Best Electronic Journal by the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society.Read more ...

+-Classes for History Majors

All History Majors take the following classes, in addition to 4-100 level classes, 3-200 level classes, and 4-300 level classes of their choice.

HIST 296 History Seminar

This sophomore-level seminar focuses on the critical reading of texts, developing historical arguments, debates among historians, and changing historical interpretations. Topics vary each semester, and have included “Armenian Genocide,” “Holocaust and Historians,” “Great Issues in American History,” and “Empire and War in East Asia: History and Memory.”

HIST 398 The Historian's Craft

This junior-level course introduces students to the philosophy of history and historical thought, historical methodology, and the craft of doing history.

HIST 496/HIST 498 Integrated Senior Seminar I & II

This year-long sequence during the senior year serves as the capstone experience for the History major. The central project is a major, original research paper that students will present at the Phi Alpha Theta Regional History conference and publish in Voces Novae, the department’s on-line history journal.

History majors consistently research and write award winning senior theses that have won over 25 Phi Alpha Theta (History Honors Society) regional awards as well as national undergraduate awards.