The Department of History offers well-prepared students an exceptional opportunity to work closely with an unusually productive and well regarded faculty. The department aims to help students find and develop their talents fully and to establish themselves as independent scholars, teachers, and other historical professionals.

The department offers programs of study leading to the master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees in selected traditional and innovative fields. In addition to various American and European fields, the department’s strengths include areas such as religious history and environmental / agricultural history. An area of particular strength at Kansas State University is military history.

The history department encourages its students to engage in broad professional activities. Many students publish in historical journals, present papers at conferences, and speak to off-campus groups while completing their degrees. The history department also has an active internship program. Graduate students can gain valuable “hands-on” experience in institutions such as the Riley County Historical Museum, the Fort Riley Cavalry Museum, the Kansas State Historical Society, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library.

Graduate degrees in history have traditionally led to positions in higher education, and students earning the Ph.D. at Kansas State University have effective preparation for careers as teachers and scholars. But a high percentage of history graduate degree holders also enter archival or museum work, historical publishing, governmental official history programs, historical research for private businesses, and professional service as military officers. The history faculty regards such nontraditional careers as legitimate first choices for its students and works with the students to define programs that accommodate these varied objectives.