About Us
History is the study of change over time, but it's also the story of who we are as people, how our world was created, and what we value and believe. Our faculty members are leaders in their fields, pushing their specialties in new and exciting directions. They also pride themselves on excellent teaching. Our graduate students enter into a vibrant community of scholars, and many of them go on to secure tenure-track jobs in universities and colleges throughout the nation. Our undergraduates have the freedom to explore their variety of interests, while remaining grounded in the mainstream of the discipline. All of them take advantage of the wonderful setting of Chicago, and the department's connections to institutions and universities throughout the area. All together, the department is a perfect setting to garner a broad-based education to form a well-informed citizenry.
Why Study History?
Because every succeeding generation has new questions to ask of the past, history is constantly being rewritten. The discipline of history rests on the finding, evaluating, and ordering of evidence. It sharpens critical reading and writing skills and gives students practice in the use of these basic tools of modern life. History is also vital to understanding the present; in order to fully comprehend current political and legal systems, global conflicts, or even the physical layout of Chicago's neighborhoods, history is a necessary starting point.