History Department

Studying history at UWEC will increase your ability to build logical arguments, write persuasively, conduct research and so much more. If you want to push yourself even farther, we invite you to apply to our departmental honors program. This is an opportunity to be recognized for excellence as a history student.

Eligibility

Upper-class history and broad field social studies-history, single concentration majors with resident and total GPAs of 3.5 or higher; GPA of 3.5 or higher in history courses; and GPA of 3.75 or higher in HIST 288 and HIST 489 (combined).

Procedure

A written application for Departmental Honors in History should be submitted to the Department Honors Adviser for approval. 

Internships provide future public history practitioners with hands-on real-world experience. All students pursuing degree options in public history are required to complete an internship. We know the experiences gained through internships are invaluable when it comes to securing employment after graduation.

The Wisconsin Historical Society's Northern Field Services Office, which is located in the UWEC History Department, helps students find placements in Wisconsin, while other partners help us to place interns across the nation.

Recent Internship Locations:

• The Betts House – Cincinnati, OH
• Circus World – Baraboo, WI
• Dunn County Historical Society – Menomonie, WI  
• Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway – Kimberly, WI
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Townsend, TN
• The Green County Historical Society – Monroe, WI
• Heritage Hill State Historical Park – Green Bay, WI
• Historic Point Basse, Inc. – Nekoosa, WI
• History Associates Incorporated – Rockville, MD
• The History Museum at the Castle – Appleton, WI
• Klondike Gold Rush National Park – Skagway, AK
• Marathon County Historical Society – Marathon, WI
• Nebraska State Historical Society – Lincoln, NE
• The History Center of Olmsted County – Rochester, MN
• Pendarvis – Mineral Point, WI
• Racine Heritage Museum – Racine, WI

If you are interested in these or any other internship opportunities, we encourage you to talk to your advisor. The knowledge and skills you gain from an internship are an important addition to your coursework and degree within the History Department.

We are proud to have very supportive community members and alumni investing in the students at UWEC via scholarships. Here are scholarships available specifically for history majors:

• Edward B. Blackorby Fund
• Butterfield American History Scholarship
• Gary P. Friedli Memorial Scholarship
• History Scholarship
• Miller Prize for Outstanding History Papers
• Jane M Pederson & Ronald E Mickel History Scholarship
• Phi Alpha Theta Scholarship
• Herbert and Eleanor Sack Memorial Scholarship

Search these scholarships — and many more — on Gold for Blugolds. 

Joining a student organization specific to history or any other area of interest will allow you to grow as a student and individual through volunteering, teamwork, collaboration, and camaraderie with fellow students.

Interested in extending your passion for history beyond the classroom? Check out these history-focused student organizations:

• Phi Alpha Theta - Lambda Omicron
• History Graduate Student Association
• History Enthusiasts of UWEC

View these student organizations, and all organizations at UWEC, on Blugold Connect+.