Bachelor of Arts - History (PA)

The Department of History provides a personalized student experience within a collegial learning community dedicated to creativity, innovation, and excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities. The past is a strange place. To understand the past is to be able to understand and think critically about the world, to empathize with those who are different. This program supports the formation of citizens as whole people. Learning in this department provides skills and a critically-informed perspective on society at large that is essential for an active and involved life in the twenty-first century. First-year courses give students the opportunity to work closely with two faculty members to explore themes in European or North American history. While courses shift each year, very popular topics include the history of genocide, sex and sexism in early America, WWII, and Indigenous non-Indigenous relations. These courses, seminars and assignments are designed to support graduated skill development, which will help students transition to the university environment. The small classroom experience means that students will never get lost in a huge, impersonal lecture hall. They will be encouraged to share, discuss, and debate ideas with fellow classmates and professors. Students will hone their analytical, writing, and presentation skills. In second and third year, students have the opportunity to explore the impact of national contexts on the past—Canadian, British, American, or European – and investigate themes such as the environment, gender, and terrorism at a higher level. In capstone fourth-year courses, students will return to the seminar environment to merge new skills with the themes they have been studying. Here they have the opportunity to engage in independent research under the guidance of professors.