Research

Students have the opportunity to engage in research through the required major seminar, independent study, and an honors program. Trinity University provides students funding for research through the Mellen and Murchison research grants.

Roots Commission
Join a team of Trinity faculty who are examining racism and injustice in the University’s history, specifically the ways chattel slavery comprised the single most valuable asset in the United States and the Texas antebellum economy.  The Roots Commission also aims to reveal examples of selflessness, bravery, and justice in the story of the University’s enduring commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Contact the department for information about these opportunities. 

Study Abroad

Today, cross-cultural understanding is as much a practical necessity as an educational standard. Study abroad is an embodiment of the liberal arts ideals and a sign of the initiative and breadth often looked for by employers.

History students are encouraged to study abroad, visiting the sites they read about in the textbooks and bringing history to life.

Internships

The history department encourages its students to gain work experience related to their studies through internships at museums, historical landmarks, and government offices. Recent places where history students have interned include:

• San Antonio Museum of Art
• Fort Sam Houston Army Base
• Witte Museum
• Texas Minor League Baseball

Honor Societies

Phi Alpha Theta
Omega Tau is Trinity University's chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international history honors society. Our membership includes both history majors and minors, as well as others who love history. Our goal is to enhance Trinity students' appreciation of the past through a variety of means, some academic, some social.

Omega Tau offers three annual prizes: the Donald Everett Outstanding Student in History Award, for the senior major making the most significant contribution to the study of the past and to the department; the Philip F. Detweiler Prize For Excellence in Historical Writing, for long essays; and the Frances Kellam Hendricks Prize, for shorter essays. 

To join the Omega Tau chapter, you must have:

• 12 Hours in History
• 3.1 GPA in all History courses
• 3.0 GPA in two-thirds of all other courses

To Apply:

• Pick up an application in the History Department
• Attach an unofficial (TigerPAWS) copy of your transcript
• Include the one-time initiation fee of $40.00, payable to Phi Alpha Theta, the international organization of which Omega Tau is Trinity's Chapter. Annual, local dues are $5.00.

Turn in your application to the History Department in early Spring.

Lecture Series and Events

The department regularly sponsors events which draw visiting speakers ranging from professors to activists.

Student Awards and Recognition

Donald Everett Outstanding Student in History Award
Honors the senior major who has made the most significant contribution to the study of the past and to the department during their time as a student.

Philip F. Detweiler Prize For Excellence in Historical Writing
Awarded in recognition of excellent student long essays.

This award was named for the late Philip Detweiler, a member of the department who deeply valued the historian's craft. The Detweiler Prize is given to the student whose submission is considered outstanding, a consideration based on that work's originality, literary quality and scholarly significance.

​​​​The Frances Kellam Hendricks Prize

Awarded in recognition of excellent student short essays.

The Frances Kellam Hendricks Prize was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Professor Hendricks who taught at Trinity from 1942 to 1967, and served as department chair for many years. 

Terry Smart Prize
This award is designed to recognize excellent work by first and second-year students in our history courses.