At Notre Dame, we train you to interpret the past to better understand the many paths humanity has taken to reach the present. As the world becomes cluttered with fake news and false information, it is more important than ever to sift good data from bad and use well-chosen evidence to achieve deeper understandings of ourselves and our societies. While the study of history may sometimes lead us to distressing observations, it also reveals humankind’s many moments of brilliance, creation, and innovation on a global scale.
As a student of history at Notre Dame, you’ll have the opportunity to study everything from ancient Chinese history to the space race to the dawn of artificial intelligence. We engage the past in a multitude of ways in and outside of the classroom, from study abroad to deep dives in Notre Dame’s own archives.
You will make history in a literal sense by traveling the globe to conduct research and uncover hidden aspects of the past. With the guidance of our award-winningfaculty, you too can make history by discovering the evidence and writing the histories that will inspire the historians of tomorrow.
What will I study?
Everything and everyone has a history, and at Notre Dame, you can study it all. Our courses span the globe in content and chronology, from pre-history to the present. You’ll have the opportunity to explore the past in myriad ways: through archival visits to analyze documents that are hundreds of years old; through music, film, and art; and even in live-action games in which you might rewrite the French Revolution.
In the Honors Program, students have the opportunity to conduct a research project of their own design under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Our students have conducted research in numerous global settings, from Australia to Rome, as well as a variety of U.S. locations.
What can I do with a history major?
Our majors go on to pursue careers in a broad range of fields, from academia to law to journalism to public history. Because history students are trained to read and write critically, they possess the skills to succeed as future educators, museum professionals, and public policy shapers. Historical study is powerful precisely because it equips students to succeed in a number of professions in a rapidly changing workforce.
Alumni spotlight
George Seyfried graduated with degrees in History, Accountancy, and Economics from Notre Dame in 2022, and is currently a Financial Institutions underwriter with Chubb Insurance. Seyfried credits his history degree for helping him pursue a career in finance:
“Notre Dame’s history department does a great job of equipping students with both practical and valuable skills. My time at Notre Dame trained me to ask better questions and understand the bigger picture, and I believe this perspective is a competitive advantage as I begin my career as a financial institutions underwriter. Understanding incentives, cycles, behaviors, and risk is critical in most business settings, and I believe Notre Dame's history department provided a very strong foundation.”
