Did you know you’ve always been a historian? Consciously or not, all humans operate as historians, making sense of the present based on stories about where we have been in the past.

Immerse yourself in different times and places to develop important perspectives on the world past and present. Build the skills that will empower you to do original research. At Lawrence, studying history isn’t just about learning what happened. It’s about asking questions, exploring cutting-edge methods, and crafting your own interpretations.

Josh Sawyer seen during video interview about Pentiment.

Alumni Perspective


“Obviously, in Pentiment my actual specific education has been very valuable, but the thing...I tell [younger gaming industry designers] is the most valuable skill they can have is the ability to make good decisions, and that requires critical-thinking skills. I think my Lawrence education more than anything gave me that foundation.” 

Josh Sawyer ’18, Design Director at Obsidian Entertainment 
History 
Costa Mesa, California 

Academics

Jake Frederick | Open Office

Lawrence students visit the office of Jake Frederick, professor of History and Co-director of Latin-American Studies.

Student studying in the library.
Facilities

Archives

Learn research methods and discover hidden details with extensive primary source material in the vast archives of the Seeley G. Mudd Library.

Critically examine the past to understand the present. 

View coursework requirements for history majors and minors.

From Asia to the Americas and more, learn from experts.

history professor helps students seated around table in library

Produce an original work of history

From the Newberry Library in Chicago to the National Archives, participate in and pursue opportunities to access the greatest libraries and archives in the country for original research projects.

The Chandler Senior Experience

The Practice of History is a collaborative one-term seminar in which you produce your own original work of history.

Recent Senior Experiences include:

  • Bob & Bing Do Their Thing: White, Middle-Class Masculinity in World War II America” 
  • Boxer Jack Johnson and the 1910 Mann Act: A Knockout Act in Two Parts
  • Peace, Politics and the Vortex: The Cultural and Political Consequences of Oregon’s Only State-Sponsored Rock Concert 
  • Josephine Butler: from Philanthropy to Political Activism" 
  • The Development of the Nazi Concentration Camp System  
  • The Translation of Memory: Accounts of Female Sent-Down Youths’ Experiences of Sexuality in Chinese and English Memoirs
  • Cuckoldry and the ‘Gone for a Soldier’ Narrative: Infidelity and Performance among Eighteenth-Century English Plebeians
  • A Larger, Brighter Life: Radical Literature and the Motivations of the First Russian Terrorists 
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Exterior of the Appleton History Museum

Converse with the past about the future

Intern at the History Museum across the street from campus and gain hands-on experience with historical preservation—in a castle. 

Busy street outside the London Centre

Step into the past, abroad


Immerse yourself in British history and explore the streets walked by figures who shaped that history in Lawrence’s London Centre program.

Student wearing regalia at Commencement 2021

Explore History Outcomes

Developing the skills of a historian paves the way for graduate study and a wide array of careers from policy making and research to archives management to business and more.

Can you picture yourself at Lawrence? Apply for admission.

The best way to find out if Lawrence is the university for you is by visiting.

Your virtual tour starts at the Arch but be sure to check out Main Hall, to explore humanities learning spaces.

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