Department of History:Chair's Welcome

The study of history is central to a liberal arts education, and provides students with the insights and analytical skills useful to understanding our contemporary world. The history major at Old Dominion University prepares students for careers in government service, law, international trade, education, journalism, and other areas. History majors from ODU have gone on to the Ph.D. in history as well as related fields in the humanities and social sciences. Many of our history majors have become exceptional teachers.

The Department of History offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in History, as well as the Bachelor of Arts degree in History that includes licensure to teach social studies on the secondary level in Virginia. We also have the M.A. degree in history. And finally, we offer an accelerated program that allows students to earn both the B.A. and the M.A. in a five year period.

The faculty of the Department of History at Old Dominion University is a vibrant community of teacher-scholars that contributes scholarship to a wide variety of sub-fields within the discipline. Their interests cover the globe, from China to Africa to the American South, and their scholarship addresses many of the numerous thematic areas characteristic of the contemporary study of the past, from foreign policy to gender and the family. Whatever your interests, you are likely to find enjoyable and intellectually stimulating courses in the Department of History that enhance your educational experience at Old Dominion University.

Please feel welcome to explore the various links on this web site for further information about the history program, and to communicate with our faculty members about your interests and plans.

Austin Jersild, Chair
ajersild@odu.edu