Choose your path and fuel your curiosity through the undergraduate and graduate programs in the History Department. Students have the opportunity to specialize in world history and public history - preparing them for careers in academia, law, journalism, business and public administration.
Online & Campus-Based Degree Programs
Why Study History at UIS?
Small class sizes that offer individualized instruction and close interaction with students and professors
Choice of in-person or online BA program, both with the same quality instruction, taught by the same professors
Access to internationally-renowned historical sites like the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana-Thomas House, among others
A rigorous, wide-ranging curriculum taught by professors who are experts in their fields and award-winning teacher-scholars
An MA program with a high rate of funding that fits your interests and schedule
Internships at libraries, archives, historic sites, and other institutions, particularly in state government
Alumni Spotlight
UIS History alumni learned actionable skills in their coursework that are applicable to roles in archive management, academia, research, public administration and teaching.
"The UIS Online BA in History allowed me to reach my goals with the flexibility I needed. The faculty gave me opportunities to pursue experiential learning that was relevant to my future career goals.
I credit UIS with giving me the foundational skills necessary to become an archivist with the National Archives and inspiring me to continue to participate in academics as an adjunct history professor."
Tara Bachelder - BA, History 2016
Department Mission & Vision
Mission
The History Department helps students understand themselves and the world in which they live by exploring the links between the past and the contemporary world.
Vision
The Department encourages students to compare elements of their own culture with those of other cultures from other time periods. Students of history gain a sense of what is unique in—as well as generally characteristic of—individuals, groups, and national cultures in the present as well as the past.
Support the History Department
Your gift helps build and sustain resources for the success of History students at UIS, including research funds, class projects, experiential learning opportunities and professional development.
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News
Oct 10, 2023
John Hopkins University Press has released an abridged and revised version of Michael Burlingame’s 2008 book “Abraham Lincoln: A Life.” Burlingame is the…
Mar 29, 2023
Reckoning with Artifacts of the Past
March 29, 2023 History Newsletter
March 29, 2023 History Newsletter
Dec 02, 2022
The Spring 2023 semester is an exciting time for prospective undergraduate history students wishing to engage in the on ground UIS experience.
Dr.…
Dec 02, 2022
Undergraduates will have the opportunity to take the learning online in the Spring semester and take the courses in history offered remotely. Dr. Barnwell…
Dec 02, 2022
The Spring 2023 graduate experience is one that will leave students with a broader understanding of the historical practices of the United States and more.…
Nov 11, 2022
Dr. Kristi Barnwell
Dr. Kristi Barnwell will be presenting, “Craft at Home and Abroad: From Personal Practice to Exploring Forms of Craft in the Middle…