The Department of History exemplifies Dickinson in the way it covers the world beyond our shores: Students may study the regional histories of Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, or they may explore the diversity of American history.

History majors work closely with the faculty to develop research skills, regularly making use of the rich resources of Dickinson’s Archives & Special Collections, the nearby U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center and the Cumberland County Historical Society. Two new faculty positions in environment and science and the history of Africa add to the wealth of courses offered by the department.

Contact Info

Chair

Christopher BilodeauAssociate Professor of History

Department Coordinator

Madeline BrownAcademic Department Coordinator

Phone

717-245-1521

Fax

717-245-1479

Location

219B, Denny Hall Mailing Address

Department Features


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Study Abroad
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Current Courses
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Research Opportunities

Student Outcomes

Where Our Students Go From Here

Jobs:

  • United Way of the Midlands
  • JET Program
  • Cushman & Wakefield
  • Temple University
  • Archaeological Testing and Consulting
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Peace Corps
  • The Fulbright Program
  • USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
  • Hudson Legal Group
  • SITE Program Lombardia
  • Microsoft Corporation
  • The Democracy Collaborative
  • National Consumer Law Center

Graduate Schools:

  • Yale Law
  • New York University
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Connecticut
  • Columbia University
Where Students Have Interned
  • Breakthrough Collaborative
  • Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Organization
  • National Museum of American History
  • National Museum of the American Indian
  • National Postal Museum
  • Port Jefferson Historical Society
  • U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
  • U.S. Army War College - Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute
  • Dickinson College House Divided project
  • Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections
  • U.S Army Heritage & Education Center
  • Art Institute of Chicago

Student Perspective

Dickinson's history department is filled with dedicated faculty members who are eager to share their expertise and help students hone their skills as historians. The department has been crucial to my academic development, as faculty members encourage students to think critically about problems both past and present, often while engaging with the mountains of primary sources available in the college archives. On top of that, the House Divided Project, Dickinson's Civil War era studies center, offers incredible resources for students. 

—Cooper Wingert ’20


History News

All News Department News
Student Snapshot: Sam Waltman ’20

Student Snapshot: Sam Waltman ’20

Meet Sam Waltman '20, a history and education double major who has earned the Edward W. Pell Graduate Collections Fellowship at Fort Ticonderoga.

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Dickinson College and Carlisle Team Up to Tackle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dickinson College and Carlisle Team Up to Tackle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dickinson students help measure greenhouse gas emissions for a study that will form the basis of a local climate action plan.

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Student Snapshot: James Turner ’20

Student Snapshot: James Turner ’20

Find out how all-conference linebacker and ROTC scholar James Turner ’20, has brought together his passions for athletics, history, poetry and education at Dickinson.

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History Major Realizes Dream of Working on Capitol Hill

History Major Realizes Dream of Working on Capitol Hill

Former history major Kara Getz ’93 works to effect change as chief counsel to the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee.

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Exploring the Long Shadow of the Rwandan Genocide

Exploring the Long Shadow of the Rwandan Genocide

This spring, nearly two dozen Dickinson students spent two weeks in Kigali, Rwanda, as part of the After Genocide and Apartheid Mosaic, extending their coursework far into the field.

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National History Academy Comes to Dickinson College to Explore History Where It Happened

National History Academy Comes to Dickinson College to Explore History Where It Happened

More than 100 high-achieving high school students from around the country visit Dickinson to study Civil War history. 

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