CONTACT:
Traditional Admissions
800-360-1222
610-740-3780
admissions@cedarcrest.edu
An education in history will prepare you to participate knowledgeably in the world around you on a local, national, and global level. As a member of an increasingly interconnected world, you will benefit greatly from an in-depth exploration of how and why societies came to be where they are today. By understanding what has driven the choices made in the past, we can better understand the circumstances of the present—a perspective that that will serve you well as an employee, leader and responsible citizen.
Majoring in history at Cedar Crest College will prepare you for graduate studies or a career in a variety of fields such as historic preservation and restoration, education, government, communications, the social services, and business.
Our history program, which is taught exclusively by highly credentialed faculty, reaches well beyond the expected: In addition to exploring the political, diplomatic, economic, intellectual and military events that have shaped the world, you will select from a variety of compelling elective courses, including one focusing on 20th century dictators. Additionally, the women’s perspective is incorporated into many of these courses.
Recent graduates have gone on to careers in museums and historical societies, legal firms, newspapers, major corporations, and the national headquarters of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, as well as on the staff of the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest warship in America.
Others have been accepted into distinguished graduate programs such as those at the University of California, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University, Lehigh University, Temple University, and Villanova University, studying disciplines such as history, domestic affairs, public policy and law.
Accomplished faculty
All of our faculty members hold Ph.D.’s and are widely published. Each has also earned the prestigious Cedar Crest College Faculty Award, which is presented annually by our Alumnae Association.
Customized degree programs
Our history program allows you to select one of two tracks—American history or European and world history. History also combines well with other disciplines, such as religious studies, global studies, our pre-law program, political science, and the secondary education co-major.
Unique course offerings
Here, you will be able to study topics not offered by many other institutions, including the history of television and film; rock ‘n’ roll; and architecture; zombies in motion pictures; and 20th century dictators.
Multiple field experiences
Our proximity to Philadelphia, New York City and Washington D.C. enables our faculty to schedule trips to a variety of relevant locations such as Gettysburg, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and F.D.R.’s home in Hyde Park, N.Y. Students in our program have also interned at prestigious sites including the Lehigh County Historical Museum, National Canal Museum, and our own on-campus Marcia L. Walsh Alumnae Museum, which traces the history of the College.
Student research opportunities
Throughout your studies, you will be exposed to important research techniques used by historians, including locating relevant primary reference materials, evaluating evidence, and compiling findings in a scholarly paper or presentation. Your experience will culminate with a senior research seminar.
An exceptional program
To ensure that you are receiving a quality education, our history major conforms to the recommendations of the American Historical Association in its report “Liberal Learning and the History Major,” as well the “Statement on Liberal Learning” by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
The history major provides excellent undergraduate preparation for students who will pursue careers in education, government, law, communications, business, and many culture-related fields. The major provides students essential experience in learning to express themselves effectively in speaking and writing. Students learn to employ new information technologies in effective and efficient ways. A major in history prepares students to participate as leaders and engaged citizens in the world around them in its multiple dimensions, local, national, and global.
The minor in history introduces students to the discipline, including its key components of research, scholarship, and the illumination of situations and problems in the contemporary world. As such it provides a valuable complement in both knowledge and skills to majors in other fields, from politics and business to the arts and the sciences.