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History

Learning about the past to understand the present and influence the future

Every person on Earth is inextricably embedded in History, but its meanings are disputed, as is the meaning of the events of today.

These disputes, and the identities that form around them and make their claims on our future, are always at the center of our attention. Our faculty channel the past and make it recognizable and significant to our Majors.

Top Reasons to choose History at florida southern college

Develop Valued Skills

The History degree emphasizes critical thinking, public speaking, analytical writing, and collaborative work, all skills valued by employers in both the government and the private sector. Our majors pursue careers in education, law, business, and the armed services.

Satisfy your Curiosity

In their Senior year, every History Major will complete an original historical project on a topic of their choice. Faculty provide individual supervision to each research project, and The results are frequently presented at the annual Florida Conference of Historians and some are even published in the Conference’s academic journal, The Annals. Senior capstone projects are also ideal writing samples for professional and postgraduate study applications.

Conference Participation

Every February, FSC students participate in the annual Florida Conference of Historians where they have the opportunity to meet faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates from across the state. In fact, FSC has hosted the Conference twice in the past decade!

McKay Archives Center

The McKay Archives at FSC contain the Congressional Papers of some of Florida’s past Representatives to the national government, the Florida Citrus Archives, and the archives of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Our Majors can work in a real archive without leaving campus.

Phi Alpha Theta

Our Department is the proud home of the Alpha Omicron Nu chapter of the national History Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta.

Employment Outlook

$63,011
Estimated Salary of Alumni From This Program

Top Alumni Job Titles

Our Alumni Work Here

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Meet our Mocs

Michael Schildberg

My favorite thing about my major is the ability to participate in engaged learning, as a freshman I was able to submit a paper and present it at a conference which is something unique to Florida Southern.

Chase Robinson

My favorite thing about being a history major is the professors. All the history professors are welcoming and approachable

Phillip Rodriguez

I love the history department for several reasons, but primarily because you can tell the professors have such a passion for their fields and want to help grow that same passion in you. Also, it is not the biggest department on campus in terms of students so its a close-knit community of students who all have the same interests.

Sage Martin

I love the feel of community and the uniqueness of the opportunities offered, like internships and getting to explore in-depth topics in Europe, Asia, and American History

Gain Hands-on Experience through a History Internship

Our Department coordinates for-credit internships at a variety of nearby institutions. While developing their own professional skills and burnishing their resumes, our Majors advance the missions of the Lakeland Public Library, the Polk County History Center, the Plant City Photo Archive, the Southwest Florida Military Museum and Library, and the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida, If a student is interested in an internship elsewhere, our faculty are eager to expand our list of partners.

Search for Answers to Questions About the Past

In HIS 3275: History of Each Asia, students learn about the history, culture and politics of China and Japan. In this class, students analyze historical documents, view films, and even sample regional cuisine.

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A visit is the next step. Online or In‑Person.

Schedule a campus tour or take our video tour of one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses. Participate in our daily online Admission Info Session or a MocTalk webinar to learn more about Florida Southern.

Learn More about visiting our campus

Featured History Faculty

Dr. James Denham
- Professor of History

My goal as a professor is to aid students in reading and thinking critically while developing an appreciation for the relevance of history to their daily lives. I encourage students to understand ‘cause and effect’ of historical events, as well as appreciate the ‘why important’ and the significance. Finally, I believe that active engagement through research, writing, and developing public presentations is essential to good teaching, and I enjoy sharing my projects with my students.

Read More about Dr. James DenhamMeet Our Faculty

Clubs and More

The history department sponsors the Art History Club, a student organization that organizes an annual field trip as well as on-campus activities, like movie nights. The History Club also assists in hosting the Florida Lecture Series.

Learn More about florida southern's clubs and organizations

Program Details

Available in: 

  • BA
  • BS
  • Minor

First-Years

All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:

Transfers

Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy.

If transferring less than 24 credits, we also need your:

  • Official high school transcript
  • SAT and/or ACT scores

History Program Contact

Office of Admissions

Admissions Counselors
863.680.4131

Dr. James M. Denham

Professor of History
863.680.4962

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