My degree taught me to determine where to look for information, ask critical questions, gather data, organize it, analyze it, tease out insights, synthesize, and report out. Those skills lend themselves to countless occupations. Even more important, though, my history education has made me a more critical thinker and consequently influences how I see the world.
Bachelor of Arts
History
Major | Minor
Top 5 reasons to study history at Goshen College
History majors stand out as curious learners and empathetic listeners prepared for 100 careers and graduate programs, not just one.- All history majors gain professional experience by completing an internship that supports each student’s academic and career interests.
- History students have the opportunity to customize their educational path with concentrated focus in a related discipline, such as Law, Public History, Teaching, Social Sciences, or Humanities.
- Goshen College’s summer research program Maple Scholars offers the chance to work one-on-one with faculty designing and conducting research. Past history students have cataloged oral history interviews; inventoried sources on local Asian-American communities ; and collected data from Amish newspapers.
- Goshen College history majors have the opportunity to study culture and history off-campus in courses such as “Cultural Perspectives: Chicago to Amish Country” and “Latino Community Histories.”
Alumni Outcomes
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.
Hear from our alumni
Janelle Diller '75
Children's Author
Being a history minor prepared me for law school and the practice of law in innumerable ways. I developed a lot of analytical skills and my writing ability. But I think more importantly, my history classes taught me to closely read material, something very important in the practice of law.
Clarissa Gaff '00
Program Overview
If you’re curious about how the past shapes our present—and how your voice can shape the future—a history major at Goshen College offers a path toward thoughtful, informed engagement with the world. Here, studying history isn’t about memorizing names and dates; it’s about uncovering the stories that define cultures, movements, and everyday people, and learning to interpret them with empathy and precision.
As a history student, you’ll be mentored closely by faculty who challenge you to ask deep questions, conduct original research, and engage with complex global and local narratives. With small class sizes, immersive coursework, and real-world internships, you’ll graduate not only with critical thinking and writing skills, but with a sense of purpose. Our alumni thrive in law, education, politics, advocacy, and countless other fields—because history majors aren’t prepared for just one career, but for a lifetime of learning, leading, and contributing meaningfully to society.
Career Paths
Goshen College’s history and political science department prepares students to 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.
The list below provides several career options, but it is not exhaustive. Please note that some positions require additional education.
| Public Administrator | Public Administrator | Public Administrator |
| Foreign Service Officer | Foreign Service Officer | Foreign Service Officer |
| Intelligence Analyst | Intelligence Analyst | Intelligence Analyst |
| Lawyer | Lawyer | Lawyer |
| Urban Planner | Urban Planner | Urban Planner |
Explore more about the program.
A major and a minor in history are available, as well as social studies teacher education for grades 5-12. The history major pairs nicely with minors in political studies, pre-law studies, social policy, and Anabaptist-Mennonite studies.
For a full list of requirements and courses, refer to the course listing page.
You will find many opportunities to gain valuable experience (paid or volunteer) in and
around campus.- Internship experience: As a history major, you will complete an internship in an
area of interest. Research opportunities are supported by faculty mentorship and connections to regional historical institutions, including the Elkhart County Historical Museum, Goshen Historical Society Museum, and the Mennonite Church USA Archives. - International experience: All Goshen College students spend several weeks
or more off campus in an immersive learning experience through GC’s unique
Study Service Term (SST). During your off-campus SST experience, you may
study language and culture, live with a host family, and engage in a major service
project, often related to your major - Senior seminar: As a history major, you will complete a significant senior seminar sequence of two courses focusing careful attention on the craft of our discipline and the integration of faith and history, culminating in a major research paper based on primary sources that you find yourself in the archives or interviews that could be submitted to an academic journal.
Learn more about our experiential learning opportunities.
- Internship experience: As a history major, you will complete an internship in an
As part of your time at Goshen College, students will have accss to a variety of resources and facilities including our Good Library.
Students in history might find particular interest in these additional resources:
- Mennonite Historical Library: The library is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of texts and images related to Anabaptist and Mennonite history. The breadth and diversity of the collection offers history students a wealth of on- campus research opportunities.
- Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism: Promotes research, publication, and storytelling that engages Anabaptism in a global context.
Scholarships make up a large portion of our financial aid packages, which average almost $26,000 per student (not including work-study or loans). Please visit our financial aid page for more information on available scholarships and the application process.
In addition to scholarships open to all students, Goshen College offers several scholarships exclusively for junior and senior history majors:
- Willard and Vera Smith Scholarship
- Oswin and David Gerber Scholarship
Philipp Gollner
Professor of US History
Elizabeth Miller
Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism & Assistant Professor of History
Julia Schiavone Camacho
Professor of History
ArticlesNaomi Lapp Klassen, recent graduate, wins binational oratorical contest
Naomi Lapp Klassen '25 won first prize in the binational intercollegiate C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest.
ProfilesDr. Julia Schiavone Camacho, Associate Professor of History
Associate Professor of History “My first years teaching at a Christian college have been an exercise in shedding secular ways and getting used to bringing my whole self to teaching. After attending Catholic schools for most of K-12, my higher...
ProfilesJeff Hochstetler ’08
Berlin, Ohio MAJORS: business, history Lead pastor at Berlin Mennonite Church How did your experience at Goshen College inform your vocational calling and/or approach to ministry? Goshen College provided opportunities for me to test the call to ministry through the Ministry Inquiry...
ProfilesClarissa Gaff ’00
Clarissa Gaff ’00 is the executive director at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, which provides free civil legal assistance to low income individuals in St. Louis, Missouri. She was an English major at Goshen College. “I work for Land of...
ProfilesPaul ’08 and Rebecca ’08 Shetler Fast
Paul ’08 and Rebecca Shetler Fast ’08: Young Alumni Servant Leadership Award Goshen, Indiana Paul Shetler Fast MCC global health coordinator History major, minors in international studies and global economics Rebecca Shetler Fast Director of Elkhart County’s System of Care...