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About
Marist Fall 2026 Open House
Join us for our final Fall Open House and see Marist for yourself. Explore our stunning riverfront campus, learn more about academics and admissions, and get a firsthand look at life as a Red Fox. Along the way, you'll hear from students, faculty, and staff about the opportunities, connections, and experiences that make Marist special. Register Below:
About
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Academics
Marist Fall 2026 Open House
Join us for our final Fall Open House and see Marist for yourself. Explore our stunning riverfront campus, learn more about academics and admissions, and get a firsthand look at life as a Red Fox. Along the way, you'll hear from students, faculty, and staff about the opportunities, connections, and experiences that make Marist special. Register Below:
Academics
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Admission & Financial Aid
Marist Fall 2026 Open House
Join us for our final Fall Open House and see Marist for yourself. Explore our stunning riverfront campus, learn more about academics and admissions, and get a firsthand look at life as a Red Fox. Along the way, you'll hear from students, faculty, and staff about the opportunities, connections, and experiences that make Marist special. Register Below:
Admission & Financial Aid
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Student Life
Marist Fall 2026 Open House
Join us for our final Fall Open House and see Marist for yourself. Explore our stunning riverfront campus, learn more about academics and admissions, and get a firsthand look at life as a Red Fox. Along the way, you'll hear from students, faculty, and staff about the opportunities, connections, and experiences that make Marist special. Register Below:
Student Life
- Athletics
Study the past, make better decisions in the present, and create a better future. History majors at Marist gain real-world knowledge and skills by exploring global history to gain a greater understanding of the world. We connect classroom learning, research, civic engagement, and internships in order for you to apply the lessons of history to tomorrow’s world.
Take History Courses Focused On Your Interests
Marist’s History program offers students broad exposure to American, European, and Global history, and allows students to specialize in an area of interest.
Have an interest in American history?
Take courses such as “U.S. Women’s History” and “African American History.”
Passionate about global affairs?
Take courses like “Modern Latin America” and “Women in Asia.”
Interested in European history?
Curious about upper level seminars?
They often include courses like “Sex, Death, and Disease,” “History of American Feminism,” “Rock ’n Roll as U.S. History,” and the “FDR Seminar.”
Customize Your History Curriculum
Along with interesting and unique coursework, the History program at Marist offers a major and a minor, and students can complete a Public History concentration as part of their major. In addition, our students can combine their history major with a Master’s Degree in Teaching in our five-year BA/MAT program. The History Department also oversees a number of interdisciplinary majors and minors including:
Learn From History Scholars at the Top of Their Fields
Our History faculty are top scholars in their fields and have a diverse range of specialties. While they are active scholars, they also work closely with our students as teachers and mentors, often involving undergraduates in important historical research. Our small class sizes and close advising relationships mean that faculty at Marist get the opportunity to know you personally. Meet a few of our faculty members below, or view all of our History faculty >
Dr. Garabedian teaches American history, including popular courses such as "Rock'n Roll as U.S. History" and "Introduction to Public History." He is the Internship Coordinator for the History program and oversees the Public History Concentration. Dr. Garabedian's book, A Sound History: Lawrence Gellert, Black Musical Protest, and White Denial, was recently released.
Dr. Peterson is a European history specialist whose courses cover unique topics such as witchcraft and sorcery during medieval times. Dr. Peterson is the Coordinator our Medieval and Renaissance Studies program and she often takes students to conferences. Her new book, Suspect Saints and Holy Heretics: Disputed Sanctity and Communal Identity in Late Medieval Italy, 1250-1400 was published last year.
David B. Woolner is Professor of History and Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation Fellow in Roosevelt Studies at Marist University; Senior Fellow and Resident Historian of the Roosevelt Institute; and Senior Fellow of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College. He is the author of The Last 100 Days: FDR at War and at Peace, (Basic Books, 2017) and is editor/co-editor of five books, including Progressivism in America: Past Present and Future (Oxford, 2016); FDR’s World: War, Peace and Legacies, (Palgrave 2008) and FDR and the Environment (Palgrave, 2003).
How Can Doing Research as an Undergrad Help My Career?
Undergraduate research helps you build valuable skills that employers and graduate schools seek, including critical thinking, analysis, communication, and project management. At Marist University, research is an essential pillar of the History program. History students work alongside faculty scholars, present research findings at professional conferences, and write articles for the Hudson River Valley Review, a journal published by our own Hudson River Valley Institute. Your research and presentations will provide invaluable experience, preparing you for entrance into graduate school and for your future careers.
Pictured: History majors Sage Kawelo and Andrew Zink assist the Director of Archives and Special Collections, John Ansley, in the curation of an important rare book exhibit, "Black Lit: The African American Narrative.
Prestigious History Internships that Prepare You for the Real World
Whether through Marist programs like the Albany Summer Internship Program or the Tarver Summer Internship Program or through our partnerships with the Hansard Scholars Programme in London and the Washington Semester Program, Marist History students have a wide range of internship opportunities to focus their career paths. View some of the internship destinations our History students have utilized below.
What Kinds of Jobs Can You Get With a History Degree?
A History degree prepares graduates for careers in education, government, law, public policy, communications, nonprofit organizations, business, and research. History students develop skills in research, writing, problem-solving, and critical analysis that are valuable across various industries. At Marist University, students combine coursework, internships, and research experiences to prepare for diverse careers. They are empowered to choose "and," not "or," in their education by combining majors, minors, and concentrations to fit their interests through a distinct blend of liberal arts and pre-professional studies. Here are some examples of how Marist students embraced the power of "and":
History Major
+ Economics Major
= Associate Planner
History Major
+ Adolescent Education Certification
= Social Studies Teacher
History Major
+ French Major
+ Global Studies Minor
= Communications Associate
History Major
+ Philosophy Minor
+ Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor
= Director
Long Reach Scholarship for Incoming First-Year History Majors
The Long Reach Scholarship at Marist is awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional achievement in studying history. This scholarship is designed to give majors with a passion for history the opportunity and freedom to pursue exciting undergraduate research and apply it to their future careers. All incoming first-year students with an interest in history are eligible for one of four scholarship opportunities, and we encourage all who fit this criteria to apply and make a difference with their history degree from Marist.
The Value of a Marist Education
Marist cultivates the intellectual growth and well-being of its students through unique and personalized combinations of coursework and experience in and out of the classroom. These experiences provide valuable personal growth and occupational expertise to reflect students' individual passions.
94%
Employed or attending grad school 6 months after graduation
83%
Of Marist Graduates Participated in one or more internships
82%
Graduation rate, higher than the average for public and private colleges
#1
Marist study abroad is the national leader for academic year programs, per Open Doors Report.
