Tara Saunders
B.A. in History
"Want a major where you walk into your advisor’s office on the first day of freshman year and walk out with a list of your classes for the next four years?
If so, then majoring in history at Penn State is definitely NOT the path for you! One of the strengths of Penn State’s history program is the flexibility it gives you in tailoring a program to your needs and interests, while still keeping the well-rounded format that is crucial to a good liberal arts education. Although my field of study is Gilded Age America, Penn State has offered me the chance to take courses focusing on the Renaissance and the Reformation, Latin America in the Age of Conquest, and Reagan’s America, among others. Studying these diverse histories has trained me to identify similar themes and draw parallels between radically different times and places – useful skills for anyone, but especially for those considering a career in history!
The history professors here at Penn State do a wonderful job of communicating their enthusiasm for the subject along with the facts. I will never forget Dr. Moses breaking out in snatches of opera to broaden our understanding of the intellectual climate of nineteenth-century America, or how Dr. Reardon made the Vietnam War come alive for us through songs, soldiers’ stories, and spell-binding lecture. As I apply to graduate schools with the hope of earning my doctorate in American History, I feel lucky to have had such a positive undergraduate experience and the chance to learn from accomplished scholars who genuinely care about their students."