Undergraduate Program

Welcome undergraduates. A major in history prepares you for careers in teaching, law, museum work, media, public relations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, publishing, community affairs, and business, among other fields.

But beyond career interests, the study of history prepares you to be a citizen of the world, someone in charge of his or her own reasoning. History provides you with a set of stories and images about the development of your own culture and the cultures of various world societies. As a history major, you will learn to be articulate (orally and in writing) and to develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to a wide range of problems. Beyond all that, history is fun, intriguing, compelling. It shows you the meanings and the interpretations beyond "the facts," whether you are analyzing the social effects of the Black Plague, the war memories of the American soldier, revolutionary cartoons in Egypt, or gender relations in China.

The Study of History: What It Is and What It Offers

The present leaves its relics for tomorrow . . . artifacts, written words, marks in the earth, statistical data, and a collective memory passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. As historians, we take these fragments from the past and with study and imagination attempt to describe the past and make it come alive.

In doing so we gain a sense of what humanity has viewed as desirable, possible, problematic, or tragic. Human history enables us to see what it is to be human and provides a few guidelines about our conduct, our values, and our goals. By examining groups and societies we learn why societies change, stay together, or disintegrate.

Such study encourages skills which are basic to independence and maturity-perceptive reading, critical thinking, good writing, and the ability to speak intelligently and to the point. In historical study we are encouraged to think for ourselves about the past. We are forced to stretch our minds, to use our imaginations, to contemplate alternatives, to see problems from several points of view-to analyze and interpret. And as we interpret, we grow in knowledge of ourselves, our preconceptions, and our attitudes.

The study of History: One Student's Perspective

Mandy Hughett, honors history major from the class of '08, was the recipient of the Top History Undergraduate Student prize in 2007-2008, as well as a UT Collegiate Scholar.  (Mandy and another history major from '08, Sarah el-Ghazaly, were 2 of only 26 students honored as Collegiate Scholars from the College of Arts and Sciences!!).  At our annual departmental awards banquet on April 9, 2008, Mandy gave the following address about her experience as a history major at UT and why she values the study of history.

CLICK HERE to read her address »

Contact Information

Department of History
915 Volunteer Blvd.
6th Floor Dunford Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4065

Phone: (865) 974-5421
Fax: (865) 974-3915
Email: kharriso@utk.edu