School of Arts, Humanities, and Communications
Department of History

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The history department encourages all of its majors to explore academic and professional work beyond campus in order to place their coursework in a broader perspective. Many history majors study away from campus during their time at Susquehanna and benefit greatly from the experience. Study away opportunities include traditional study abroad programs in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, as well as semester-long programs in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and internships that allow students to apply their historical training in professional settings.

For information on study abroad options, see the SU Study Abroad Web site.

My advice to anyone interested in studying abroad is, be open to the experience. I spent almost five months in Rome. During my time there, I also took trips to the all over Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland. I don’t regret one minute of my experience, and it will always be a part of my life as a historian and as a student.

—Kevin Stewart, '07

Studying abroad was one of the greatest experiences I have had. Not only was I able to see how beautiful Australia was and learn a good deal about the culture there, I also had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.

—Jennifer Wolber, '05

Looking back at my semester in London, I can honestly say that it was the best experience I have ever had.

—Courtney Speaker, '05

For information on popular study/internship programs, see The Washington Center, The Philadelphia Center, and The Lutheran College Washington Semester.

I would truly recommend that if the opportunity presents itself, leave SU for a semester...As a person, I became more mature and confident while living under the lights of Philadelphia's skyline. Having a 9-5 job, managing my own lifestyle, and feeling a great deal of freedom, I was able to get a taste of the "real world" before entering it. This helped me out immensely because I was able to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, what kind of person I was, and was also able to open up my eyes and remove many of the stereotypes I had possessed before going.

—Rick Fink, '05

Art and history are more effectively learned when you are actually present at the site of a famous event or looking at the primary documents or paintings in person. Everything I had learned in class was able to come alive.

—Courtney Speaker, '05

I spent the fall of 2005 at Gettysburg College participating in the Gettysburg Semester. This program brings undergraduate students from across the country together to spend a semester immersed in Civil War studies. The program was composed of two core seminar classes, as well as a variety of other Civil War related courses to select from. As part of one of the core courses, Field Experiences in the American Civil War, we spent each Friday visiting a battlefield, visiting numerous historic sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.

—Jenn Siegenthaler, '07

For information on local and regional internships, see the department's career page.

My internship at the Railroad Museum provided a chance for me to gain valuable professional experience through working with the museum’s curator for 12 weeks. During this time, I not only learned the curator’s role in a museum’s operations but also got to perform the various duties of a curator. This experience confirmed my desires to become a museum professional while allowing me to truly live “on my own” for the first time, away from home or campus.

—Brian Richards, '06

Interning at the Independence Seaport Museum, I learned the value of public history and the importance of preserving it for the public. While there, I was able to give tours of a submarine from WWII and Commodore George Dewey's Flagship from the Battle of Manila Bay. Without my guided tours, these ships would merely be boats sitting in the Delaware River, as I brought to life the history and lives of the men on board.

—Rick Fink, '05

Studying elsewhere for a semester is something that everyone should take advantage of...I consider myself one of the most fortunate people in the world to have had the experience I did, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

—Jennifer Wolber, '05