Greetings from the McMurry History Department. We invite you to join a community of students and professors who are passionate in their commitment to scholarship and excited about applying the lessons of history to today’s most pressing issues. The McMurry History Department offers a curriculum that blends time-honored courses in the classical tradition with fresh and unique areas of study. This includes the Great Books; ancient, medieval, Renaissance and modern Europe; the United States; military history; and of course, Texas and frontier values.
A history degree provides an excellent starting point for careers in government work and politics. Or you may decide to broaden your understanding of the past in pursuit of a career an archeologist or museum curator. If sharing your love of history and social studies with middle school or high school students, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in history or social studies while preparing for a teaching certification through our Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Whatever path you chose, the past — and your future — await you at McMurry’s History Department.
Areas of Study
Bachelor of Arts in History
The B.A. in History minor offers you a broad and diverse understanding of humanity that informs and enhances your personal perspective as well as your world view. The McMurry History Department’s curriculum blends time-honored courses in the classical tradition with fresh and unique areas of study. This includes the Great Books; ancient, medieval, Renaissance and modern Europe; the United States; military history; and of course, Texas and frontier values. The knowledge and insights you gain through our immersive curriculum can serve you well throughout your career. History
Student Opportunities
Honors Program
The History Department Honors Program is designed for students who are unusually competent or show exceptional promise in history. The Program offers a unique undergraduate experience for students who qualify. Honors ProgramVernie Newman Award
Every year, the Department of History honors a graduating senior history major with the Vernie Newman award, named for a long-time history faculty member. While carrying no monetary stipend, the award highlights an outstanding student for his or her accomplishments in the history program at McMurry. Awardees have gone on to successful careers in many different disciplines.Holland Hunter History Endowed Scholarship
Available to incoming history majors, this special award is valued at around $2,000 per year and may be combined with various other University scholarships, recognizing some of the brightest freshmen each year.Other Opportunities
History majors might also research the Rhoades or Evans Scholarships, awarded in alternate years to outstanding history or political science majors, usually at the end of their junior years. The history department also employs several students as part of the McMurry work-study program.Beyond the Classroom
McMurry history students often win distinction and enjoy enriching activities beyond the classroom.Several history students authored sections of the book Abilene Landmarks, A Photographic Tour from State House Press. Other students have received awards for their academic work, had it published, or both. McMurry students also have presented research at the Phi Alpha Theta history honors conference.
McMurry history classes have included special trips to the Boston area to study the American Revolution and the early whaling industry; to Civil War battlefields in the southeast; to sites of military encounters between white settlers and Native Americans in the Texas Panhandle; and more.
Global Learning Endorsement
The Global Learning Endorsement provides an opportunity for students to highlight academic achievement in global/international studies on their transcript. This endorsement will provide helpful documentation of the student’s expertise for employment in an increasingly globalized world. Learn More
Beyond McMurry
Careers
Your history degree opens the door to a variety of careers:- Archeologist
- Archivist
- Civil servant
- Government worker
- Historian
- Historic conservation inspector/officer
- History teacher
- Journalist
- Law student
- International relations
- Museum/gallery curator
