History Major

As a student of History, you will learn to understand chronology and cause and effect reasoning - skills that are essential in all fields of research. You will learn how to gather information from primary and secondary sources, cull and analyze that information and identify its most significant aspects, reach conclusions based on that analysis, and produce well-written narratives and oral presentations relating the contents and results of their work.

The History major provides a solid foundation in American and world history along with the opportunity to dig deeper in U.S. History, European History, Asian History or even a self-designed History track.

Career options

As Pierce County and the entire South Sound region continue to grow, individuals with training in History will find increasing opportunities in the fields of education, records management, museum curation, government service, heritage tourism, journalism, and other professions. History also provides an excellent foundation for graduate study in law, education and many other areas.

Student learning outcomes

As a student in the History major, you will learn the following:

• oral and written communication.
• diverse areas of history and the relevant historical facts and context.
• historiographic and interpretive differences, especially regarding causation.
• use of primary and secondary source evidence.
• how to work independently and in groups.

Phi Alpha Theta (PAT)

UW Tacoma is the home of the Alpha Theta Gamma chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. Students eligible for Phi Alpha Theta must have completed 5 college level history courses (including those taken at other institutions) in which they earned a GPA of 3.3 or better, and carry a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3.

Phi Alpha Theta has an induction ceremony every spring at UW Tacoma. Members of this honor society wear colored cords with their academic regalia at UW Tacoma commencement ceremonies. All UW Tacoma students are welcome at meetings and service projects sponsored by this student organization. Contact faculty advisers Michelle Nacy or Elizabeth Sundermann for more information.