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.
Say #YestoUIS
News
Nov 06, 2022
The UIS History Department served as co-host, with the National Council on Public History and the National Park Service, of the keynote address for the…
Oct 07, 2022
WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield History Department invites members of the public to bring memories, photos, souvenirs and memorabilia from their…
Sep 30, 2022
University of Illinois Springfield Graduate Public Service Program (GPSI) intern Marcel Tworek was the leading force behind the National Park Service adding…
Jul 26, 2022
Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a new exhibit, “Susan Lawrence Dana: A Woman of Progress,” opening Aug. 1, 2022, on the…
Jul 25, 2022
The University of Illinois Springfield is proud to announce “Making Our History: Artists Render Lincoln’s Legacies,” an innovative physical and digital art…
Mar 21, 2022
Two presentations locally this coming week will explore the conflict in Ukraine.
The University of Illinois Springfield will host a webinar…