The history major occurs in the context of a joint department.  The disciplines of history and political science link the humanities and the social sciences.  Historians and political scientists share interests in government, politics, social and economic interactions, civic participation, and international relations.  Together the two disciplines help students develop a wide perspective on human society and its institutions, past and present. 

By teaching what people have done in the past, history illuminates the human condition and helps us to understand the present.  There is much overlap in the interests of historians and political scientists, but the historian typically is interested in the reconstruction of unique past events, while the political scientist seeks generalizations and is oriented more to the present than to the past.  These two disciplines teach students skills of interpretation, perception, and organization and—in this way—prepare them for a wide variety of career and professional options.