Why study history? The certificate in History is a great option for people who are interested in studying change. History asks, “How did the world get to be this way?” and “What factors might influence where the world is heading now?” Studying history helps us understand and grapple with complex questions and dilemmas. Are you interested in technology? Religion? The environment? Human rights? By examining how the past has shaped—and continues to shape—global, national, and local relationships between societies and people, history can help you find an answer. The skills that history students develop are used in a wide range of careers and prepare students for graduate or professional study in fields such as law, business, medicine, public policy, and much more.
How to Get in
There are no prerequisites for declaring the History Certificate, and students are encouraged to declare as soon as they feel comfortable doing so. Students in all UW-Madison schools and colleges may declare the History Certificate. To declare, students should fill out the History Major/Certificate Declaration Form. All students are strongly encouraged to make an advising appointment after declaring and are also welcome to meet with an advisor before declaring. More information about advising and the certificate is available on the undergraduate section of the History Department website. History Majors are not eligible to declare the History Certificate.
Requirements
Students may use courses from HISTORY and HIST SCI to meet the requirements of the History certificate. The certificate requires 15 total credits/5 courses, including:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History Research and Writing Course (complete one): | 3 | |
| The Historian's Craft | ||
| The Historian's Craft: Science, Medicine, and Technology | ||
(HISTORY 201 or HIST SCI 211 should be completed before the Capstone) | ||
| Elective Coursework | ||
| Any undergraduate courses in HISTORY or HIST SCI may be used to count toward the elective coursework requirement, as well as the following: ILS 201, ILS 202. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an academic advisor or faculty mentor to select a group of courses that fits well with their interests and fulfills their academic or career goals. | ||
| One Intermediate or Advanced HISTORY or HIST SCI course | 3 | |
| Two additional courses in HISTORY or HIST SCI at any level | 6 | |
| Capstone Course | 3 | |
Complete at least one of the following: | ||
| Public History Workshop | ||
| Reading Seminar in History | ||
| Undergraduate Seminar in History of Science | ||
| Advanced Seminar in History | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Residence & Quality of Work
- At least 12 certificate credits must be completed in residence.
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses.
Notes
Up to 3 credits awarded for approved examinations (e.g. AP or IB) or a transfer course may count toward elective coursework. The 12-credit residence requirement is meant to encourage students to engage with UW-Madison faculty and advisors and to choose their elective coursework intentionally. Ideally, these courses will complement their major or be related to other intellectual or career interests.
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Pose a historical question and explain its academic and public implications.
- Present original and coherent findings through clearly written, persuasive arguments and narratives.
- Examine the context in which primary sources were created, search for chronological and other relationships among them, and assess the sources in light of that knowledge.
- Identify primary sources available to engage the historical problem under investigation.
- Use appropriate research procedures and finding aids to find the secondary resources in history and other disciplines available to answer a historical question.
- Use appropriate presentation formats and platforms to share information with academic and/or public audiences.
Advising and Careers
Academic Advising
Students who are declared or interested in the History certificate have numerous advising resources available to them. The History advising team is comprised of professional and peer advisors who are excited to talk with students about everything from academic planning to professional development for future careers. Information on the History advising team and how to contact an advisor can be found on our website. You can set up an appointment with one of our advisors by using the History Department Starfish page.
Career Advising
History is a rigorous but flexible certificate, and History students are known for being excellent communicators and savvy researchers. Historians are experts in synthesizing disparate pieces of evidence into coherent, persuasive arguments. The real world is filled with disparate facts and incomplete sets of data, so this is a real-world skill that history alumni utilize throughout their entire careers. The department's career advisor, Christina Matta, helps history students map out future career plans and connects students to a variety of resources on campus and beyond, including history alumni who volunteer as career mentors (see below for more information).
Alumni of the History Department have enjoyed careers in medical research and practice; broadcast and print media; sports management; museums, archives, and libraries; finance and business, and community service and nonprofit organizations—as well as law, academia, and many other fields. History provides excellent preparation for the study of law, but our students also go on to study medicine and many other graduate fields. The centers for Pre-Law Advising and Pre-Health Advising are especially helpful resources on campus for students interested in those areas of study.
History Careers Course: “History at Work”
History at Work: Professional Skills of the Major (History 300) is a course intended to help History students understand how their degree applies to the world of work. Students explore how their history skills relate to the needs of professional employers and are guided in the process of finding and obtaining professional internships and jobs. In this course, History students can polish their written and oral communication skills in forms appropriate for professional situations and learn from the experiences of guest speakers from a variety of fields.
Internships
The Department of History recognizes the importance of internships in helping students develop professional skills and explore potential career paths. Positions can vary depending on availability and students’ interests, but recent sponsors have included the Wisconsin State Historical Museum, the University of Wisconsin Archives, offices of elected officials in the Wisconsin State Legislature and United States Congress, the Milwaukee Brewers, and Community Shares of Wisconsin — just to name a few! History certificate students can also get academic credit in conjunction with an internship by taking History 301: History at Work: History Internship Seminar.
Alumni Mentoring
Like internships, networking can be a valuable tool in opening professional doors and learning more about the professional value of the history certificate. The department often matches students with alumni mentors drawn from our Board of Visitors and other graduates who can help them get started building a professional network, answer questions about a specific field, provide guidance in applying for jobs or preparing for interviews, and provide general career advice.
Students interested in participating in an internship or talking with an alumni mentor should meet with Christina Matta, the department’s undergraduate career advisor, to discuss their interests and possible career goals.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students
Resources and Scholarships
The History Lab
The History Lab is a resource center for students who are thinking, researching, and writing about the past. Staffed by experienced graduate students from the Department of History, the History Lab offers 40-minute, one-on-one tutoring sessions that help students develop historical questions, conduct research, craft strong arguments and thesis statements, cite evidence properly, and build an effective writing process. Available to all students enrolled in History or History of Science courses, the History Lab is one of only a handful of history-specific writing support centers in the United States. In addition to individualized tutoring, the History Lab provides a range of writing and research resources, and is well-equipped to support students who face challenges as English-language learners.
For more information or to make an appointment, see the History Lab website.
Research Fellowships and Scholarships
The Department of History is committed to supporting undergraduate achievement and encourages applications for the various scholarships and research fellowships made possible by the generosity of its donors. Scholarships are designed to reward outstanding History students and are awarded annually. Research fellowships allow undergraduates to pursue in-depth historical research under the guidance of History faculty. These awards help defray research costs such as supplies and travel expenses or pay for living expenses to allow students time to craft their papers and conduct research in UW Libraries.
Detailed instructions on how to apply can be found on the Department of History website. Applications need to be submitted online, via the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WISH).
Undergraduate Writing Prizes
The History department offers over fifteen different prizes designed to reward a broad range of undergraduate writing—from senior theses to digital and public history projects to specialized essays in American Indian History and LGBTQ+ History. These prizes are made possible thanks to the tremendous generosity of our alumni and former members of our faculty.
Detailed instructions on how to apply can be found on the Department of History website. Applications need to be submitted online, via the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WISH).
ARCHIVE
ARCHIVE is an award-winning journal of historical work published annually by the UW–Madison chapter of Phi Alpha Theta. See ARCHIVE’s website to view past volumes and find out how you can contribute.
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is a national history honors society whose purpose is to promote the study of history and to bring students, teachers, and writers of history together in intellectual and social ways. See the UW–Madison Lambda Xi chapter’s page for more information.
Wisconsin Historical Society
Scholars and researchers from all over the world come to the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) to do historical research—we simply walk across the street to make use of this world-class institution. WHS collections are an amazing resource for our students and are used in a wide range of our courses. History students can also develop internships related to the WHS collections and programs. Students interested in the history of film and television often explore and major in Communication Arts and can also get involved with the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research.
The Nonviolence Project
The Nonviolence Project is a comprehensive repository that educates and informs readers on the impact of nonviolent protests all over the world. From environmental issues to racial equality, the project showcases how nonviolence has been used to address many different issues by prominent world leaders and activists. The project aims to answer how and why nonviolence has been an effective sociopolitical tactic across different cultural, geographical, and political landscapes throughout history. The Nonviolence Project employs undergraduate student interns as researchers to help grow the repository of sources and present information to a broad audience.
Freedom Seekers
Freedom Seekers is a community-sourced digital humanities project featuring short histories of enslaved people who seized their liberty during the era of the American Revolution. These short essays are based on original research and analysis of the newspaper advertisements that enslavers used to seek the capture and return of escaped freedom seekers. Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence, the project provides an opportunity to think about what freedom meant to different people in early America. Freedom Seekers employs undergraduate student interns as researchers to help grow the collection of stories featured on the website.
Center for Campus History
The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History is an ongoing effort to uncover and give voice to those who experienced, challenged, and overcame prejudice on campus. Undergraduate students have been involved with the Center since its inception as the Public History Project in 2019, working as researchers conducting both archival research and oral history interviews with former students, faculty, and staff.
Language and Regional/International Studies
History classes and faculty are at the center of UW–Madison’s remarkable collection of resource centers for area studies. The Institute for Regional and International Studies is the umbrella organization for UW–Madison’s nine area studies programs. Students interested in these areas can combine their History major or certificate with a major in International Studies or another area studies major and certificate. UW–Madison also has one of the largest number of languages taught in the United States.
Public Humanities Exchange for Undergraduates (HEX-U)
The Public Humanities Exchange for Undergraduates (HEX-U) is a high-impact program for undergraduate students at UW–Madison who wish to make meaningful connections between their humanities scholarship and the needs of the local community through new models of social engagement. The program provides training in community partnership, mentoring during project design and implementation, and project funding to small cohorts of undergraduate scholars as they plan and implement creative community projects in partnership with Dane County organizations.