Why Study History at Brock?

The History Department is a warm and welcoming place where students hone intellectual skills, thrive in a community of likeminded peers and professors, and get ready to take on a diverse range of careers.

The Niagara connection

Brock University is located in the heart of the Niagara Region, whose rich history includes early Indigenous settlement, the War of 1812, the cross-border flight from slavery, technological revolutions, labour migration, agricultural and industrial development, and much more. This legacy is preserved and publicized by numerous historic sites and heritage-based institutions in the region, which offer our students exciting opportunities to develop the practical and intellectual tools needed to succeed in school and the wider world.

Small-group learning

In every course, whether a first-year survey or a fourth-year seminar, undergraduates spend at least one hour per week in a seminar with an instructor and no more than 20 students. In seminars, students closely read specialized texts, polish critical reading and writing skills, hone the ability to engage in discussion and debate, and work with a small group of peers with shared interests. 

Co-op program

The History Co-op program provides students with three work terms of four months each, completed in the spring and summer during their degree program. Work placements range from local museums and historic sites to corporate and government offices, where students use the research, communication, and digital skills acquired in the classroom. Workplace experience allows students to test skills, explore career options, and build their résumés.  

Digital skills

Several of our courses employ digital technologies that not only support historical research but also have value in the job market. Working with text mining, data visualization, GIS, and 3D modelling software, students acquire skills that prepare them to be historians and entrants into the modern workplace.

A strong student community

An added benefit of small-group learning opportunities is getting to know peers and working with an active undergraduate organization, the Brock University Historical Society. From social events to job fairs to study skills workshops, BUHS provides social and academic support for all involved. 

Brock students at Balladoole Historic Monument Site, Isle of Man, May 2024. The History Department’s Dr. Andrew McDonald led students enrolled in MARS/HIST 3F51, a spring course taught in the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and available for History credit, to this small island in the Irish Sea. Excursions included this site of ancient burials and artifacts, where a Viking Age ship was buried.
Adjunct History professor Kimberly Monk (left) and student Miranda Gardner, Shickluna Shipyard archeological site, St. Catharines, July 2022. They examined an early 20th century ceramic fragment found as part of Dr. Monk’s field school in local historical archaeology, offered through the History Department. (Brock News)