Program Overview
The History program at Lawrence invites you to immerse yourself in different times and places to develop important perspectives on the world past and present. Studying history prepares you to ask and begin to answer big questions, hone analytical skills, and craft your own interpretations and understanding of what it means to be human. History is a dynamic course of study that will strengthen your thinking, researching, writing, and communication skills, as well as encouraging collaboration. Opportunities for generous funding allow you to travel to archives and seek out experiential learning where you can practice history. Graduates are prepared for career success in many different jobs across multiple sectors.
Program Highlights
Bring History to Life Through Research
Pursue independent, hands-on research with opportunities for funding and public presentation on campus and beyond.
Prepare for Advanced Study
Build the research, writing, and analytical skills that support strong placement in graduate and professional programs.
Join a Community of Scholars
Connect with fellow history students through Alpha Rho Mu, Lawrence’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.
Spotlight
LAWRENTIAN SPOTLIGHT
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
Types of Degrees
Students can pursue a highly individualized Bachelor of Arts in History; the department offers attentive advising and thoughtfully curated requirements to ensure coherence in disciplinary training, though specific course options are up to each student and their coursework reflects interests and career plans. A minor in History is also available, along with many interdisciplinary options.
Advising
At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
Get Started
Fill out the form below and a Lawrence University academic advisor will be in touch shortly!
Faculty
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
All Faculty
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Betsy Schlabach (she/her)
Associate Professor of History
Betsy Schlabach is an Associate Professor of History. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Saint Louis University, an MA in American Studies from Lehigh University, and a BA in History…
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Brigid E. Vance (she, her, hers)
Associate Professor of History
Brigid E. Vance's research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of dreams and dream divination in late Ming China. She also has research and teaching interests in early modern…
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Gregory D. Milano
Assistant Professor of History
Gregory Milano is an award-winning interdisciplinary historian and social theorist specializing in modern European and global history. Dr. Milano has 20 years of lecturing experience across multiple disciplines including History, Social…
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Jake Frederick
Jean Lampert Woy and J. Richard Woy Professor of History
Jake Frederick specializes in colonial Mexican history. He is the author of "Riot! Tobacco, Reform, and Violence in Eighteenth-Century Mexico" (Sussex, 2016), and co-author, with Tatiana Seijas, of "Spanish Dollars…
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Monica Rico (she/her)
Robert S. French Professor of American Studies and Professor of History
Monica Rico specializes in the history of early and nineteenth-century America. Her interests include transatlantic history, the American West, gender and environmental history. She is the author of Nature’s Noblemen:…
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Paul M. Cohen
Professor Emeritus of History
Who am I?I'm a retired professor of modern European history with a special interest in the history of ideas and in how film relates to history. I taught at Lawrence…
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Peter A. Blitstein (He/Him/His)
Provost and Dean of the Faculty and Associate Professor of History
peter.a.blitstein@lawrence.edu
As Provost and Dean of the Faculty I am the chief academic officer of the University and a member of the President's Cabinet. I'm a historian of modern Russia specializing…
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Learning Spaces
All history students are eligible to apply for the Chaney Fund for Excellence in History, which enables students to become productive historians through collaboration with departmental faculty. This fund provides support for senior experience projects, trips to archives, original research, and other activities that immerse students in the practice of history. Recent recipients have studied Yiddish in New York City, visited the Huey P. Long archival collection in Baton Rouge, and traveled to Ireland to document the contemporary marketing of medieval material culture.
