About History

What can a student gain from the study of History?


  • An ability to evaluate different kinds of evidence, appreciate the nature of cause and effect, and learn to measure the significance of ideas, individuals, economic and social factors on historical developments.

  • An appreciation of the diversity and wealth of various cultures and historical traditions in the world.

  • Experience in critical thinking, writing, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative

The department of History at Bellevue College offers courses that prepare students to investigate the lives, choices, limitations, and patterns of the past.  Our courses teach students about the experiences of women and people of color; globalization; ancient Greece and Rome; Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest; British, Spanish, French, and Dutch roots of North American colonization; the Reformation and Renaissance; the U.S. Civil War; and the transformation of the Middle East.

Studying History at Bellevue College involves more than the memorization of names and dates.  Studying history as a craft equips students with the skills necessary to analyze diaries, paintings, newspapers, letters, laws, and speeches of the past.  How did people live?  What choices did people make?  How did a person’s race, class, or gender affect the experiences of the people of our past?

Students who major in History work as lawyers, government officials, public historians, library archivists, writers, and college professors. Join us as we study the past here at Bellevue College!