芝加哥洛約拉大學

The field of history has changed significantly in recent decades—and public interest in history has grown. From the development of the field of women's and gender history to new perspectives on cultural analysis and cultural diversity, the discipline of history has expanded in scope, theory and methodology. Moreover, increasing attendance at historical sites and museums, as well as interest in documentary films and the History Channel, has spurred the growth of the field of public history.

History is a form of inquiry and understanding that encompasses all aspects of the human experience and illuminates how the past causes the present and thus the future. Graduates should demonstrate understanding of the importance of chronology, sequential development, and geography; be able to evaluate historical evidence; understand the forces and processes of historical change and continuity; and have the capacity to handle diverse historical interpretations.

In terms of program outcomes and competencies for our undergraduate majors and minors, Loyola graduates should be able to:

• Produce analytical arguments by using evidence and facts to interpret past events, behavior and processes in their own historical writing and projects.
• Identify the arguments put forth by historians in order to compare, evaluate and criticize different interpretations of the past. In doing so, our graduates will be able to evaluate the adequacy of evidence (including a variety of sources: documents, films, diaries, images, oral and digital histories, etc.) that historians use to make truth claims about the past.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the processes of historical change and be able to discuss and evaluate causes, complexities and consequences of change over time in relationship to historical events and processes.
• Demonstrate an understanding that human values and beliefs are shaped by historical context and they will gain the capacity to make informed judgments about past and present behavior and ideas with a goal of fashioning a more just world. In this endeavor, students will gain an understanding of the ethical practices and standards for historical research and writing.

In addition, undergraduate History provides students with transferrable skills. History teaches its students to evaluate issues and societies in chronological perspective on the basis of the evidence left behind by human beings. History majors learn to evaluate that evidence critically, argue from it logically, and speak and write about it clearly. This provides a deeper understanding of our own and other cultures, which in turn, helps us to avoid oversimplification and stereotypes. Thus, History enriches us as human beings and makes us better citizens of the world. But it also provides skills and tools that make us eminently employable in a wide variety of fields. In short, the History major is well trained for life, for citizenship, and for any career involving the analysis of data and its clear and persuasive presentation.