Overview
By studying history at Radford University, you will explore the past to understand the present, and you will learn to think, research, write, and speak--analytically and effectively, universal skills that are applicable to a wide variety of fields. These are skills that all employers look for. You learn in small classes and work directly with award-winning, published, and engaging professors. Also, you have the opportunity for hands-on experience in applied history through digitization projects; web site development; and internships in museums, archives and libraries.
Bachelor of Arts
This degree requires completion of the B.A. foreign language requirements. History majors, particularly those planning graduate work in history, are strongly urged to pursue a B.A. degree.
Bachelor of Science
To complete this degree, history majors (with the approval of their advisors) must complete two courses from a list of approved B.S. degree requirement courses. Please consult the history major degree requirements in the undergraduate catalog for a list of these approved courses.
Why Study History at Radford?
- You can take an applied history program and gain practical experience in archives, digitization, and research in the Department of History’s Center for Archives and Digital History.
- You can learn how to take your research and develop digital history projects.
- You have the opportunity for internships during the school year or summer months.
- You will have a capstone experience during your senior year of study.
- Numerous opportunities exist to present research.
- There are several program specific scholarships available.
- A Digital History program at the undergraduate level is commencing in spring 2024.
Careers and Internships
Graduates from our history program have gone into a variety of fields: law, law enforcement, foreign service, journalism, digital marketing, museums, libraries, historical preservation, archives, park management, and secondary and collegiate education—just to name a few.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income, for example, for historians in 2022 was $64,540; for journalists, $55,960 per year; for librarians, $61,660 per year, and for lawyers, $135,740.
Opportunities for History students at Radford
- The History Club brings fellowship and fun history-related activities with other students.
- Internships are available at local sites such as Smithfield Plantation, Christiansburg Institute, and the Wilderness Museum, and other such experiences can be found at the many historical sites in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
- The History Department also offers several scholarships to help support students’ education.
Admissions Requirements
A degree in history requires students to take 40 semester hours of history courses, plus 6-8 more hours to meet requirements for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. As part of their program of study, students must earn 120 total semester hours to be eligible for a degree.
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Want to be a history teacher?
Declare our Social Sciences major
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Small class sizes
provide the opportunity for hands-on work with award-winning faculty
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Academic excellence awards
Each year, students are selected for recognition by faculty.
Practical skills in a digital environment
The Department of History’s Center for Archives and Digital History is a place where students can learn and apply practical skills in the preservation and organization of historical documents. Students work directly with growing collections of letters, diaries, manuscripts and other documents. They digitize, transcribe, create metadata, and make materials accessible on web sites that they help design.
"For me it was the faculty. They reawakened in me a love of history and also revealed the many careers you can pursue with a history major."