Welcome to the Department of History at the University of Central Florida!
It is a privilege to return to the role of Chair of the department that has been my academic home since 2006. I served as Chair from 2016-2023 before moving to the College of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Office as Associate Dean. Having now seen our department from multiple angles – faculty member, graduate program director, chair, and associate dean – I remain continually impressed by the work of our students, faculty, and staff and by the many ways they connect the study of the past to the world around us.
My own research focuses on medieval and early modern England, particularly social, economic, and legal history, with much of my work focusing on communities in northern England navigating major periods of change. My most recent book, Rethinking the Great Transition: Community and Economic Growth in County Durham, 1349–1660 (OUP, 2022), offers a human history of religious, social, and economic change through the lives of the residents of two neighboring parishes.
That relationship between individual experience and larger historical change is central to History as a discipline. History teaches us to examine evidence carefully, ask critical questions, recognize complexity, and understand how individual lives fit within, contribute to, and are shaped by much larger forces and events – skills valuable for virtually any career our students choose to pursue.
A History degree teaches skills that a machine cannot replace. AI can generate an answer in two seconds, but it can’t tell you which sources to trust, what’s missing from the story, or how to make someone listen to you and take you seriously. A History degree teaches you to ask good questions, chase down real answers, and explain what you find clearly and to people who may not already agree with you. Employers in every field say they can’t find enough people with these skills, and in a world where you’re constantly working across cultures and perspectives, the ability to understand how different people see the same event – and why – is no longer optional.
Our graduates have gone into careers in law, museums, journalism, government, business, nonprofits, and classrooms at all levels. Many of these do not have ‘History’ in the job title but require someone who can read and interpret a messy situation and provide a compelling answer.
Why study History at UCF? Start with the faculty you’ll work alongside. Our faculty are accomplished scholars whose research spans regions, cultures, and millennia. They win competitive grants and fellowships, and present their work to scholars around the world, and lead research teams that pair close work with manuscripts and material culture with emerging technology – research we only dreamed of when I started here, in areas from documentary history and veterans history to spatial analysis. Our department is home to both the Florida Historical Quarterly, the state’s longstanding journal of Florida History, and the RICHES project, which brings faculty, students, and communities together to document Central Florida’s rich past within an innovate digital framework. Above all, our faculty are exceptional mentors and teachers who involve students directly in these projects – proof that studying History here doesn’t stay in the classroom.
This kind of hands-on, community-connected matters because some of the best historical work happens when careful research meets the communities and individuals whose stories we’re trying to understand. During my previous years as chair, expanding community engagement and strengthening opportunities for our students were priorities of mine, and I’m glad to return to a department that continues to build on that work.
UCF offers the Bachelor of Arts in History both face-to-face on our Orlando campus and fully online. In 2024, our online History program was named the best in the country, reflecting the department’s longstanding commitment to providing rigorous and accessible history education in multiple formats. We also offer graduate study in History and Public History, along with interdisciplinary programs that let students explore their particular academic and professional interests.
Whether you are already a History major, considering becoming one, interested in graduate study, or simply want to take a course that helps you better understand the world and how it came to be, I encourage you to explore what our department offers. Attend a lecture or event. Talk with our faculty. Ask about an internship or research project. Ask questions. History is a remarkably broad discipline, and there are many ways to find your place within it.
For those returning to the department, I’m happy to be working with you again. For those joining us for the first time, welcome. Our faculty and staff are here to support you, and I look forward to seeing what you will accomplish during your time at UCF.
I wish you a successful academic year. Go Knights, Charge On!
Sincerely,
Dr. Peter L. Larson, FRHistS
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of History
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Humanities
For more resources on careers in the arts and humanities, visit: https://cah.ucf.edu/careers/