Skip to Majors/Minors & Concentrations site navigationSkip to main content

History

Contact

Ramapo College Office of Admissions

McBride House 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ 07430

p: (201) 684-7300
e: admissions@ramapo.edu
f: (201) 684-7964

About History

People in the 21st century have unprecedented access to information, but have never been so confused, angry, and divided over the meaning of facts and truth. How do we know what is true? How can we verify “what happened?” At a time when free societies are vexed by disinformation and overwhelmed by data, somebody has to hold the line in defense of facts, accuracy, clarity, and perspective.

Historians do something that seems very old-fashioned today: we do real research. We gather the evidence, analyze it, and use it to explain what we know and how we know it. And then we write, we blog, we speak in public, we publish, and we teach.

If you’d like to join us, if you’d like to become one of those rare and valuable people who can be relied upon in a loud and confusing world, then a History degree from Ramapo College is excellent preparation for work as a writer, broadcaster, editor, or publisher; as a stepping-stone to a law degree or a career in business or government; as a teacher or scholar of almost any sort.



Classes you can take:

Ramapo’s historians have published books and articles on subjects as diverse as immigration, sports history, women’s political activism, the Napoleonic Wars, ancient Mesopotamia, the American Revolution, the Ottoman Empire, the Nazi regime, the Atlantic slave trade, the Vietnam War, and many other topics. Students will have many opportunities to broaden and deepen their knowledge in a wide array of subjects. In addition to the required courses and a choice of electives, students will develop their own research, writing, and speaking skills and have many opportunities for hands-on learning.

See Full Program Requirements

Career Opportunities

Almost every organization in both the public and private sectors needs people who can do good research and present it in a clear and logical way. Ramapo’s History grads have gone on to work in publishing, in diplomacy, in law, in museums and historical sites, in the military, and into all levels of education, to name just a few.

History majors interested in elementary or secondary education prepare for their careers through Ramapo’s Teacher Education and Certification Program.

Hands-On Learning

Ramapo offers a hands-on course in creating digital history, a course on history and game design, and is introducing new coop partnerships for the academic year 2022-23 and beyond.


History Minor

A Minor in History is five courses, plus your college Gen Ed requirements. It is a useful way to sharpen your research, writing, and speaking skills as you pursue a different major.