Based on our experience, you will stand out to any employer who is looking for someone who can think for themselves, finds joy in doing their own research, can understand text and data quickly, and tell engaging stories that take the culture, needs and emotions of others seriously. In a sea of college graduates whose degree prepares them only for career X, our students stand apart as curious learners and empathetic listeners who have the soft skills that prepare them for 100 careers and graduate programs, not just one. Our graduates do particularly well when compared to other Midwestern colleges in applying for graduate schools – from Law to Humanities, to Politics or Education. And they enter meaningful careers: recent graduates work in the justice system, financial analysis, city planning, teaching, criminal justice, NGO advocacy. They have become lawyers, political consultants, church leaders or software research directors at major Silicon Valley companies.
You dive in early, closely mentored by us as professors beyond the classroom. Far from memorizing names and dates, you will explore and discuss the stories that made the world around you into what it is. We believe that any meaning, joy, justice or progress we wish to see today is only possible if we know how we came to be the way we are – in all our complexities and nuances. And you will research and tell these stories for yourself, working with original sources and cutting edge current scholars’ work, with your peers and professors – from American immigration history through the lens of food, to ancient empires, to constructions of gender in 20th century China. We call our students not only to high academic standards but also to honest reflections about your place in the world.
Many of our majors combine our 41 credit hours with another major or a minor or two. In fact, we will require that you take classes outside of our discipline that fit your goals. And we make sure your internship connects you to the real world value of what you study here.
Financial aid is available. Contact us today to learn more!
After graduating, Zach enrolled in a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in digital libraries. He is now an assistant professor of Biomedical Informatics.
Zach's storyJan Bender Shetler specializes in African history because she loves bringing alive part of the world that is not well known for students and which often suffers from dangerous stereotypes.
Jan's storyJanelle Diller discusses the unexpected ways her history major has contributed to her critical thinking expertise in her international work experience as well as an children's author.
Janelle's storyDavid Harnish is a 2012 graduate from Flanagan, Illinois. He graduated with an education and history degree to pursue his goal of being a high school history teacher.
David's storyDr. Julia Schiavone Camacho, Associate Professor of History, reflects on faith and learning.
Dr.'s storyMalinda Berry, a '96 history and English double major from Elkhart, Indiana, reflects on faith and learning.
Malinda's storyof alumni agreed that history professors are genuinely interested in their students
Number of history courses that will take you off-campus (Paraguay, Southwest U.S., Morocco)
of GC history and political science faculty have Ph.D.s
of history alumni agree that their undergraduate education prepared them for graduate or professional school
Learn more about Goshen College's exceptional academic outcomes and national rankings.
Elizabeth Miller
Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism
Assistant Professor of History
Philipp Gollner
Associate Professor of US History & MQR Book Review Editor
Naomi Lapp Klassen, a senior history and criminal and restorative justice double major from Goshen, won Goshen College’s annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday night with her speech, “Confronting Mass Incarceration: A Story of Agency and Sight.”
A unique and historical original copy of the U.S. Constitution, printed in 1787, was sold for a record-breaking $9 million at Brunk Auctions on Oct. 18, 2024. The company that facilitated the groundbreaking sale was started by a Goshen College alumnus, Robert Brunk ’63.
John P. R. Eicher ‘05, associate professor of European History at Pennsylvania State University–Altoona and 2023-24 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, has launched a YouTube lecture series titled "Western Civilization (1500-Present): From Dawn, to Decadence, to Disillusionment."
