Department of History
Observe. Interpret. Inform.
Advancing knowledge of the past to understand the present and shape the future.
History has always been at the heart of a liberal arts education, and at WSU, it continues to anchor the university’s core curriculum through the nationally recognized Roots of Contemporary Issues Program. As both a humanities discipline and a social science, history draws on methods from anthropology, economics, sociology, and literary studies to explore the forces that have shaped societies across time.
Our programs span the BA, MA, and PhD, with courses and collaborations that reach far beyond the classroom. From teacher education and pre-law pathways to interdisciplinary majors in Women’s History, Political Science, and Cultural Studies, WSU History prepares students for leadership in a global society.
Through research opportunities, scholarships, and faculty mentorship, our students sharpen their skills in writing, analysis, and critical thinking, skills that carry into every career field. Alumni and student leaders alike credit their success to the habits of mind cultivated in history: asking hard questions, challenging assumptions, and crafting evidence-based arguments.
History is more than a record of what has been – it is a guide to what comes next.
Distinctive Programs & Projects
Roots of Contemporary Issues
Equipping students with evidence-based reasoning, writing, and critical thinking skills that connect past to present
Past as Prologue
Bi-weekly radio stories that bring Northwest and global history to public audiences
American West & Pacific Northwest
Recognized strengths in the history of the American West, Pacific Northwest, and global history
Fallen Cougars WWII Commemoration Project
Honoring WSC alumni who gave their lives in World War II through research and digital storytelling
Hanford History Project
Preserving the complex history of the Hanford nuclear site in collaboration with regional partners
Global Leadership Certificate
The Global Leadership Certificate can be integrate with any major and allows students to gain leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding, and global knowledge.
At a Glance
- Home of the Roots of Contemporary Issues Program, a cornerstone of WSU’s general education curriculum
- BA, MA, and PhD programs with interdisciplinary partnerships in law, education, Political Science, and more
- Faculty-mentored research and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students
Student Experience
- Small class sizes with engaged and supportive faculty mentors
- Opportunities to publish, present, and share research beyond the classroom
- A strong record of alumni success in fields including education, law, public service, advocacy, business, and cultural institutions
Department of History News
New Meyer’s Point grants support environmental research and hands-on learning
Along the shoreline of South Puget Sound where forests, wetlands, and marine ecosystems meet a rapidly growing urban corridor, WSU researchers and students are studying pressing environmental and cultural challenges at Meyer’s Point Environmental Field Station.
Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities announces 2026 Faculty Fellows
The David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce the Faculty Fellows for 2026-27. Each year, the Pollart Center selects applications from WSU faculty members for projects that advance knowledge and public awareness of the arts and humanities.
WSU’s Sutton named Carnegie Fellow for project on Satan in American politics
On Tuesday, Matthew Avery Sutton was awarded an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, a prestigious honor that joins Sutton’s Fulbright and Guggenheim awards on a crowded list of accolades.
History’s Ryan Booth named 2026 Library Excellence Award recipient
Ryan Booth calls it “the thrill of the hunt,” that moment when his WSU students visiting Terrell Library’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections for research find an article or some archival manuscript that really helps with their topic.