Why Study History?

As students explore the many wonderful options afforded them by the University of Houston, they might ask themselves why they should study history. There are many reasons. History helps us make sense of the world around us because the past helps to shape the present.

History offers you a passport to places distant in time and space, such as Ancient Greece, the Aztec Empire, or Modern China. At the same time, history challenges us to examine anew those institutions with which we are the most familiar – the Alamo, the U.S. Constitution, or even the American family.

The study of history reveals a fascinatingly complex human past. History can be traced in nearly anything--a nation, a group, or an individual; jazz music, medieval cathedrals, or cooking utensils; sexuality, warfare, or education; folk tales, salsa dancing, or baseball.

Engagement with the past is very much part of our present--in movies, school curricula, historical novels, museums, the History Channel. As a history major, you can follow a favorite subject or a topic of personal interest. History is something that you can enjoy while studying in college and continue to enjoy for the rest of your life.

Historical ignorance can be dangerous. Philosopher George Santayana famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." While history never repeats itself precisely, lessons from the past can be learned. Understanding where we came from can help us to understand who we are and where we aspire to go. In contrast, distortion of the past, whether through ignorance or through purposeful manipulation, often gives rise to conflict.

A bachelor of arts in history (like other liberal arts majors) is not a professional degree, such as those offered in accounting or engineering. However, the study of history at the undergraduate level provides students with many skills essential in the working world and the ever-changing global economy. You learn to read efficiently; to think critically and rigorously; to challenge accepted ideas; to write clearly and precisely; to search out, organize, and assess evidence; to analyze problems and interpret complex events. These tools will allow you to succeed at a wide range of occupations. UH history majors have gone on to careers in law, government and politics, journalism, technical writing, business, archives management, teaching (at all levels), and optometry. A small percentage of BA students have pursued advanced degrees in history.

UH history professors put significant time and care into the classes we teach. We aim to do more than communicate facts, dates, figures, and interpretations; we hope to involve you in becoming active learners and historical practitioners. We aim to inspire you to think about how you can use your historical knowledge and skills in future civic, business, and personal endeavors. We hope to nurture a passion for history that will take you well beyond your college years.

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For more discussion of why the study of history is relevant and important, see an essay on the subject by historian Peter Stearns.

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