Department of History
Introduction
The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers in law, business, and journalism; in local, state, and national government; in non-profit and international organizations; and, of course, in historical fields of expertise that include teaching, libraries, and museums. More broadly, by an exposure to a variety of cultures and human experience and by training in the interpretation of conflicting evidence, the Department of History seeks to prepare a person for the responsibilities of citizenship and for dealing with the ambiguities of human existence. Diversity in the history major program encourages a comparative approach to human problems and discourages parochialism; specialization in the program promotes an appreciation of the complexity of human affairs and the difficulties involved in interpreting them. Finally, the discipline of history stimulates imagination and analytical thinking.
Advising
All majors and minors have a primary academic advisor from the Academic Advising Program. Students are strongly encouraged to meet regularly with their advisors and review their Tar Heel Trackers each semester. The Department of History offers students numerous advising resources to assist them with all things related to studying history at UNC–Chapel Hill, from making the initial decision to become a history major or minor to thinking about what to do after they complete their degree. Although history majors are not assigned individual faculty advisors, they are strongly encouraged to seek out the advice of their professors during office hours, especially if they are considering an independent study project, senior honors thesis, or applying for graduate study. The department’s lecturer/advisor serves as a general advising resource for all history majors and minors as well as first- and second-year students who are considering a major in history.
Graduate School and Career Opportunities
Most history majors at UNC–Chapel Hill develop careers that do not involve practicing history in its narrow sense. These students work in a range of fields: business, law, journalism, education, and government, for example. These students have found that they can apply to many different tasks the skills that history teaches: analyzing, conceptualizing, investigating, researching, interpreting large amounts of information, as well as communicating through writing and speaking.
Many history majors enter professional schools in a number of different areas. Law school, business school, and medical school rank high in popularity. By teaching students how to analyze problems, how to understand society and human behavior, and how to communicate effectively, a major in history provides excellent preparation for enrollment in a professional school.
Some majors end up using history directly in their vocations. Those who wish to teach history at the secondary level in public schools must obtain appropriate certification, usually through an M.A.T. degree. Other students pursue graduate study by entering a master’s degree program in history that requires a thesis and takes about two years to complete. A student can then decide whether to proceed into a Ph.D. program, which normally requires an additional two years of study and the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Students who decide to pursue a Ph.D. in history generally teach at the college level. Some complete a master’s degree in public history and work for government archives at the national, state, or local levels or for private nonprofit organizations, such as groups interested in restoration work.
Professors
Cemil Aydin, William A. Barney, Jennifer Boittin, W. Fitzhugh Brundage, Chad Bryant, Marcus G. Bull, Peter A. Coclanis, Kathleen DuVal, Erik Gellman, Joseph T. Glatthaar, Karen Hagemann, Klaus W. Larres, Miguel A. La Serna, Wayne E. Lee, James L. Leloudis, Lisa A. Lindsay, Susan D. Pennybacker, Louis A. Pérez, , Donald M. Reid, Sarah D. Shields, Jay M. Smith, John W. Sweet, Katherine Turk, Benjamin Waterhouse, Brett E. Whalen.
Associate Professors
Karen Auerbach, Jerma A. Jackson, Lauren Jarvis, Michelle T. King, Terence V. McIntosh, Michael Morgan, Eren Tasar, Michael Tsin, Molly Worthen.
Assistant Professors
Ana Maria Silva Campo, Raquel Escobar, Camille Goldmon, Jennifer Grayson, Henry Gruber, Jens-Uwe Guettel, Antwain Hunter.
Teaching Professors
Matthew Andrews, Joseph W. Caddell.
Teaching Assistant Professor
Max Owre.
Joint Professors
Claude Clegg, Morgan J. Pitelka, Daniel J. Sherman.
Adjunct Professors
Daniel M. Cobb, Kenneth Janken.
Adjunct Associate Professors
Jessica A. Boon, Christian C. Lentz, Raúl Necochea.
Professors Emeriti
Frederick O. Behrends, Judith M. Bennett, E. Willis Brooks, Christopher R. Browning, Melissa M. Bullard, Kathryn Burns, John C. Chasteen, Stanley J. Chojnacki, William R. Ferris, Peter G. Filene, W. Miles Fletcher, Jacquelyn D. Hall, Barbara J. Harris, Reginald Hildebrand, Konrad H. Jarausch, John F. Kasson, Richard H. Kohn, Lloyd S. Kramer, William E. Leuchtenburg, Fred S. Naiden, Donald G. Mathews, Genna Rae McNeil, Louise McReynolds, Michael R. McVaugh, John K. Nelson, Theda Perdue, Cynthia Radding, Donald J. Raleigh, John E. Semonche, Richard Talbert, Harry L. Watson, Gerhard L. Weinberg.
