McMaster University Faculty of Humanities

Hons. Bachelor of Arts in History

We are the products of our collective experiences, and the continual upheaval and development of human society demand that individuals and institutions adapt to new changes. The historian’s obligation is to sharpen our awareness of the mechanics of change and, so far as possible, to explain it.

The Department of History at McMaster offers a broad range of courses, both national and thematic, which will introduce you to the important interactions between great nation-states, as well as to significant social themes, stretching across class, race, and gender.

As a student of history, you will develop essential research and communication skills. You’ll learn to think critically, to ask the right questions, and, when you’ve found the answers, to present your evidence in a logical way. You will learn that historians are faced with many intriguing questions when dealing with the past: not merely is this the truth? – but whose truth is this? Most of all perhaps, you will learn to think globally, by discovering how developments in one part of the world have had far-reaching effects elsewhere.

Careers for majors in History

Communicators:

Journalists and Editors

Librarians and Archivists

Documentary filmmakers

Researchers:

Local and national government

Private sector corporations

Heritage organizations

Computer game industry

Advocates:

Law

Not-for-profit activism

Social work

Entrepreneurs:

Land use

Finance

Public relations

Marketing and advertising

Educators:

Schools at all levels

Museums & Historic sites

Teaching history with a difference

At McMaster University, we teach history using different methods embracing both the old and the new. Find out how our professors seek to teach History differently.