The past surrounds us. We live in the shadow of the thoughts and actions of those who lived before us. To ignore this legacy is to live a sort of collective amnesia. A humanist education includes conscious confrontation with history as collective lived experience and as an academic discipline that seeks to inquire into that experience. Through active research and engaged teaching and conversation, the History Department helps students develop a literate, insightful understanding of human experience. We invite students who share our commitment to historical study to join in that exhilarating, demanding, and rewarding project.

At Saint Anselm College, History majors choose their own path. You can personalize your course choices around your interests and goals. In addition to taking challenging and engaging courses, students can apply to work on faculty research projects and can pursue their own research in the Research Seminar. History skills are in demand in the marketplace. They include the ability to synthesize diverse information, to write clear and persuasive arguments backed up by data, and to understand human actions in different places and cultures. Saint Anselm College History majors have success in a wide variety of fields after graduation, including business, museums, law, and education.

Students may move through the major in any order they wish, though most begin with 100 level courses and move progressively toward the 400 level Research and Reading seminars. 

Internships and study abroad are encouraged by the department.