History/Political Science

This program offers a plethora of career paths, but if history is your chosen field, the demand for Historians is expected to rise 2% from 2014 to 2024, an increase of 100 jobs.*

The average median wage for a historian in the state of Pennsylvania is $57,860.*

*Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Students who complete the major in History/Political Science will demonstrate:

• Historical/Political Literacy – Students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources and explain how each is used to make or support a claim;
• Critical Thinking -Students will be able to articulate how questions can be viewed from different perspectives and evaluate competing interpretations that arise from these perspectives;
• Research Skills – Students will acquire basic historical and political science research skills, including finding relevant primary and secondary resources through the effective use of libraries, archives, databases and online materials and accurately interpret and document these materials;
• Communication Skills – Students will learn to organize and express their thoughts clearly and coherently both in writing and orally; and
• Documentation & Presentation – Students should demonstrate their mastery of the knowledge and skills involved in professional practice by documenting and evaluating arguments in a professional manner culminating in conceptualizing and executing a significant piece of original research.

• Mount Aloysius College History and Political Science major Alex Minnick (St. Marys, PA) presented “Personal History and Continuous Learning” at the 47th Annual 8th Air Force Historical Society reunion in Savannah, Georgia in October 2021. 
• Mount Aloysius College adjunct political science professor, Michael Ryan, published  “War Weary: Why U.S. Troops are Often Overseas” in The National Interest, a premier foreign affairs publication.  Mr. Ryan served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy.