The Department of History at Wichita State University has developed a tradition of excellence since its founding as a part of Fairmount College in 1895. Several of our current major student awards -- the Rydjord, the Onsgard, and the Graham awards -- are named after outstanding and beloved history professors. Our current faculty continue the tradition of excellence. They have received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fulbright Foundation and numerous other granting agencies. Many have also received both college and university commendations for their teaching.

WSU's Department of History has strengths in many areas of American and European history. As should be true of any research university, our professors are publishing scholars in their fields as well as strong and active teachers. We see these two areas as completely integrated and related.

Most of our classes are small (under 20) and all, with a rare exception, are taught by regular faculty with Ph.D. degrees. Students are encouraged to pursue questions with professors outside class. Our graduate teaching assistants also attend the larger class sections, hold office hours, and are available to help our students.

To learn more about our activities, look at our department newsletter, Clio's Correspondence, here 

OUR MISSION

"The purpose of the Department of History at Wichita State University is to illuminate the forces that have shaped our world and to provide a historical perspective for the future. To accomplish those goals, the department offers a flexible program of study. While students may focus on a specific area of concentration, the program introduces them to a variety of classes that assures the students a foundation for an integrated liberal education. Combined with courses in other disciplines, the study of history prepares students for entrance into a wide variety of career opportunities, including business, government, law, journalism, teaching, communications, public service, and the military."

In addition, our students work with several interdisciplinary programs here on campus. These include the International Studies program, the Great Plains Studies Certificate program, the Museum Studies Certificate program, and the Asian Studies Certificate program.

ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

The department hosts the Gamma Rho Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and The Society of Public Historians. The Gamma Rho Chapter publishes a student journal, The Fairmount Folio, under the direction of Helen Hundley. We are proud that our majors and graduate students have received regular recognition for their work and succeed well as they further their education elsewhere.

 

The department supports its students through awards and scholarships. The awards cycle in the history department is tied to the deadlines from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). Students interested in being considered for scholarships and fellowships at the undergraduate level should submit the LAS scholarship application prior to the early spring semester deadline. Applications and deadline information can be found at the LAS home page https://www.wichita.edu/thisis/academics/las/.

Paper award submissions (graduate and undergraduate) are due in the History Department main office by the last Friday in January. Papers require a cover-sheet detailing to which category the paper is submitted. Please contact George Dehner, the history department scholarship committee chair, with any questions.

In addition, the department offers the Miner-Unrau award to support graduate students conducting research.

 

CONTACT US

Department of History
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS 67260-0045

Phone: 316-978-3150
Fax: 316-978-3473