Explore cultures and societies across time and from around the globe, investigating how they shaped and were shaped by major events, values, and ideas with a Loras College history degree. Discover historical problems and dig into them using primary sources such as archival resources.

Loras places special emphasis on developing academic skills, such as identifying historical problems that need further inquiry and making original arguments based on the critical investigation of evidence.

Secondary Education Teacher

Many history teachers in the tri-state area are graduates of the Loras history major. History students seeking certification to teach in grades five through twelve may choose to get an all social sciences endorsement. This covers courses in American history, world history, government, psychology, sociology, geography, and economics. This is often especially attractive to schools in the hiring process. It is also possible to get either an American or World History teaching endorsement.

Explore Internships & Careers

Loras offers unique opportunities for students to work directly with hand-written manuscripts and early printed books that are over 500 years old in the Dubuque History Rare Book Room, and to work with a large collection of archival resources in the Center for Dubuque History. Students often do local internships developing skills in archival work, cataloging, research, assisting research, and public history.

  • City of Dubuque: Dubuque Black Heritage Project
  • Center for Dubuque History Digital Collections Exhibitions
    • Black Power
    • America Divided
    • 18th Century Indentures
  • Dubuque History Rare Book Room
  • Mississippi River Museum
  • Dubuque Historical Society

You will be prepared for a variety of interesting careers. Some careers relate directly to the content knowledge you will build up, but many other careers benefit from the transferable skills you develop in research, analysis, critical reading, and thinking, examining issues and texts from multiple perspectives, persuasive writing, public communication, and ethical evaluation. Our graduates have gone into careers as:

  • High School Teacher
  • Librarian
  • Museum worker
  • Archivist
  • Lawyer
  • Journalist
  • Ministry/Priesthood
  • Business Management
  • Financial Planner/Advisor
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Park Ranger

Course Highlights

Center for Dubuque History Rare Book

The Scramble for Africa

This course introduces students to the history and present-day legacies related to the European partition of Africa from the 1880s to 1920s. Using a variety of cartographic and visual culture sources available in library collections and online digital archives, the class investigates the role that geographers and geographical societies in Europe played in creating arbitrary boundaries and multitude of ways that Africans have been impacted and reacted to these artificial borders diachronically. Much of the course also employs active learning pedagogies such as role-playing simulations and reacting to the past modules to apply their research when studying the past and present dynamics to the Scramble for Africa.

The Crusades

Follow the adventures and misadventures of men and women who trekked over a thousand miles on foot in a blood-soaked pilgrimage to lay claims to land they’d never owned but believed theirs by right.

The Civil Rights Movement

Explore the struggle for equality and justice in the United States. Follow Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Aretha Franklin, Ida B. Wells, SNCC, CORE, and many others who worked to build a movement that shook the nation and inspired the world.

graduate degree Opportunities

Loras offers a variety of dual degree & accelerated pathways such as our 3+3 LAW JD. This juris doctorate pathway is designed for high-achieving students to earn both their undergraduate and graduate degrees efficiently and economically.

Loras College Student

Clubs & Orgs

We have a variety of opportunities for you to get involved from the moment you set foot on campus.

Loras Student Government
Loras Multicultural Mentor Program
Loras College Mock Trial/Pre-Law

Straight Talk from a Duhawk

Loras prepares you for the future by providing hands-on learning opportunities early and throughout your time at Loras, which helps students know what to look forward to after graduation.

— Kirsten (’25)

Meet Your Professors

photo of Kristin Anderson-Bricker PhD

Kristin Anderson-Bricker  PhD

Professor of History

photo of John Eby PhD

John Eby  PhD

Professor of History

Loras College Crest graphic

Mark Kehren  PhD

Associate Professor of History

History News

  • female alumna smiling at camera with white building behind

    Duhawk Difference Maker

    Breanna Oxley (’13) is dedicated to making a positive impact wherever life takes her. Diving right into life as a Duhawk during her first year on campus, she made her presence known in and out of the classroom. More

  • headshot Nick Satterlee

    Servant Leadership

    Entering Loras, Nick Satterlee (’12) had a different idea of what his life would look like. A general business degree with the hopes of going to law school was always on his mind and during his first year he quickly learned he did not quite have the passion he desired for this particular career path. More

  • Mike Gibson talking and seated in front of bookshelves

    An Invaluable Resource: Loras College Center for Dubuque History

    Nestled in a corner on the first floor of the Loras College Miller Academic Resource Center, the Center for Dubuque History has seen its impact expand exponentially from a campus and community institution into a national and global resource. More