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History

History professor with students

History is alive and well at Nazareth College. It thrives in the memories of a holocaust survivor and a German WWII soldier—both recent guest lecturers. It can be experienced directly through internships at the local museums. It can be found in unforgettable experiences such as our study abroad program in Asian Studies, where students spend the summer in China. History at Nazareth is the study of human experience across time, an examination into the patterns of politics and power, and an exploration into past lives. But most important, history at Nazareth is relevant—a living experience that gives students a sense of perspective and a global world view.

 

Program Highlights

  • Close-knit, lively interaction between students and faculty, with healthy cross-pollination of ideas among the different majors. 80% of students say they meet with and talk to faculty outside of class on a weekly basis. 93%  of majors indicate that they are regularly in contact with their peers for collaboration, assistance and friendship.
  • Emphasis on writing, analysis, research, and critical thinking.
  • Focus not just on historical events, but how they are interpreted and communicated—history in film versus the written word, for example.
  • Recently our department was awarded the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Teaching American History grant, to further enrich the teacher/student experience.
  • 40% of history majors become teachers.

 

Department Objectives

Students are expected to:

  • Develop an awareness of the approach and methodology of history as a discipline
  • Master major historical facts
  • Have an understanding of the time frame of historical events and of the collection and analysis of primary source evidence
  • Have an acquaintance with the basic works and interpretations of leading scholars in the study of a particular era or field of inquiry (i.e., historiography
  • Develop basic competence in the historical and political geography of the period under study
Student Reflections

 

I am currently a third-year history Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania. My time at Nazareth was vital to my professional and personal development: the Nazareth College history professors challenged and encouraged me to push beyond mere requirements to pursue history for the sake of history itself and, through a series of meaningful experiences, launched me on the path toward my current academic pursuits. An independent study with Dr. Lappas, for example, provided me with an opportunity to travel to Philadelphia and acquaint myself with the world of archival research. That experience brought me to Philadelphia then and it is one of the key reasons why I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Philadelphia today; the paper that emerged from that  independent study, albeit with some tweaking, will be a chapter of my  dissertation.    The Nazareth College History department, however, influenced much more than my research interests. The support of the entire department then and -- this day-- has pushed me to pursue a career in teaching at the college level. Professionally speaking, to contribute research to my field is  important; to engage students in the pursuit of learning in the way  that my undergraduate professors did me--to pay it forward so to   speak--is everything.

Lori Dagger

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