Lakeland College

About History

History is about life -- the way people in the past made lives for themselves, the cultures they created, the political and social forces that shaped them, and how those forces continue to influence the world today.

History lends perspective to the educated mind, allowing students to understand the social, economic, political, intellectual, and religious structures that have shaped the modern world. The field encourages students to think critically and creatively, to take evidence about how people once lived and use it to create valid historical arguments and interpretations. These skills and attitudes prepare our graduates to be inspiring teachers and insightful historians, and can also lead them towards such fields as law, government service, ministry, and the business world.

Students who major in History will be able to:

• understand the central events, cultures, themes, and personalities of world and regional histories from a global perspective;
• formulate and engage historical questions and answer those questions through the appropriate use of primary, secondary, and tertiary historical sources;
• appreciate the varieties of historical interpretation and develop a working knowledge of historiography and the methods of historical scholarship; and
• communicate historical arguments and narratives clearly and effectively in both written and oral form and in a variety of contexts.