History Major, Minors and Concentrations

History is one of the top interest majors at Roanoke College. The history department at Roanoke College offers a bachelor of arts in history as well as minors in United States history and European history and interdisciplinary concentrations in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Africana Studies, Classics & Ancient World, Anthropology, Gender and Women's Studies and East Asian studies.

Unique Facilities and Resources

• The Sixteenth Century Journal, Coordinating Committee on Women in History, and Women in Social Movements book review offices
• Archeological Excavation Site
• Artifact Processing Lab
• Roanoke College Archives and Henry H. Fowler Collection

Watch this video about the History Department

Faculty Expertise

All of Roanoke's history faculty members have earned the highest degrees in their fields. The department has an impressive 12 professorships as well as lecturers with diverse fields of expertise. The average class size is 18, ensuring that students receive one-on-one attention and develop strong working relationships with faculty.

Areas of expertise include ancient Greek and Roman, U.S. Colonial, modern European, Latin-American, East Asian, and African history, religious history, as well as gender studies and African American history.

Learning Firsthand

The Sixteenth Century Journal
Roanoke College serves as the book review office for this prestigious academic publication. There are opportunities for history majors to receive experience with publishing.

Study Abroad at St. Anne's College, University of Oxford
The program focuses on the literature, history and society of late 16th and early 17th century England, as well as the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline periods. Tutorial groups are small, allowing for considerable individual attention and active participation.

Internships
The department helps history major students find meaningful internship experiences with local and national organizations. Examples include: Historical Society of Western Virginia, Library of Congress, National Parks Service, Salem Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

On-Location Lectures and Simulations
Roanoke's location in history-rich Virginia is a certain benefit to students in this discipline with proximity to Civil War sites, colonial Williamsburg and museums in Washington, D.C. Students participate in simulated Civil War exercises and role-playing experiments in many courses.

Practica

Gain experience in one of these practicum courses - Museum, College Archives & Historic Journal Editing

Employment and Graduate Study Outcomes

Ninety-one percent of those who participated in the alumni survey indicated receiving job offers or an acceptance to graduate school within six months of graduation. Examples of organizations where recent graduates have been employed include the Library of Congress, Mt. Vernon, Inc., Smithsonian Institution and the State Library of Virginia.