History Department

At Bishop's, we believe that historical knowledge serves an individual and society the way memory does. It gives us perspectives and insights into the world in which we live and presents us with the almost limitless range of ways humans have organized their lives. We also understand that the past is presented or re-presented in specific ways by historians and others, such as politicians and heritage advocates; as a result, we believe it is just as important to learn about and analyze historical interpretations as it is to learn about the past itself. Additionally, it is our goal to promote critical analysis of the context in which people make choices and to develop an awareness of the range of consequences which might follow. Finally, historical study deepens a number of specific skills which are invaluable assets for graduates entering the labour market and taking on the duties of citizenship, such as the ability to engage in research, to evaluate evidence and to present conclusions in a reasoned and coherent way. In short, what students learn in the classroom is carried with them into their future careers. History also motivates students to participate in the world as leaders, concerned citizens and advocates of the common good. Through both our History Major and Public History Major, we have students take a variety of courses that cover the world and that explore issues and events through lectures, films, seminar discussions, paper presentations and a variety of internships. Learning takes place outside the classroom as well through student-led activities, the History journal and social events. History students are also often found serving in student government, volunteer organizations and university committees.

Why study History at Bishop’s?

First of all, we strongly believe that small is beautiful. From the first year onwards, classes include discussion and debate. Students who wish to chat about their work or their program with a faculty member will find it very easy to do so: Bishop's has a well deserved reputation for its exceptional degree of faculty-student interaction. With minimal exceptions, written work will be evaluated by the course instructor and not, as in many larger universities, by a teaching assistant.

Secondly, the ideal of excellence in teaching to which the department subscribes is one that is enriched by research. All faculty members are actively engaged in scholarship in their areas of specialty. Because of these qualities, students get the opportunity to "create" history themselves by examining primary, that is, original sources from the past and by assisting or participating in the research activities of their professors. Consequently, our students graduate with a first-class education, an ability to find and evaluate evidence and present arguments in a compelling way. They go on to challenging careers in academia, teaching, journalism, law, management and many other fields.

Thirdly, we are one of the few universities in Canada that offers a program in Public History. This program gives Bishop's students the chance to explore history in its non-academic visage, for we believe that history is not only in the classroom but almost everywhere else: from family gatherings at Thanksgiving where stories of the "good old days" are told and re-told to a walk down main-street replete with its old buildings, statues, and memorial plaques. History is found in archives and museums; it is found in landscapes and literature. History is found in government, and industry, in newspaper editorials and even in Hollywood movies. Consequently, we offer students the chance to explore these other histories by introducing them to the ideas of local and national heritage, and individual and collective commemoration. It also introduces students to the broad skill sets required by public historians who must navigate between disciplinary expectations and public perceptions; who lobby for funding and other financial support; who create history through various documents, from written and oral testimony, to photographs, films, digital and interactive media. Finally, the public history major includes opportunities for practical experience. Through class assignments and internships, students can create an archives fonds, design a museum type display, or work for a historical society or research consulting firm. With this program, students can go on to explore careers in archives, museums and art galleries, work as private research consultants or as government employees in areas of heritage and conservation. They can also work in communications industries such as newspapers, films and magazines or work within areas of litigation and advocacy, such as First Nations land claims disputes and Amnesty International.

Program strengths

• Learn from professors who specialize in such fields as environmental history, cultural and political history, history of disease, history of communications and technology, and many other fields.
• Experience personal and lively interaction with colleagues and professors in seminars where discussion and debate of controversial historical issues and events is highlighted.
• Work with professors on their research projects as paid research assistants- something rare before graduate school at most universities.
• Gain practical experience in creating history through internships in archival and museum work

Popular courses

• Inquisitions, Law and Society
• The Celluloid Republic
• War and Peace in the Middle East

• Our average class size is about 25-30 students, and final year courses are limited to 12-15.
• Bishop's History Students publish an annual journal of the top student essays.
• We have begun one of the first Bachelor's level programs in Public History in Canada?