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Department of History, Politics & Philosophy

The best education contends with the most fundamental and persistent ideas and questions. History, political science, and philosophy help us to ask the 'Big Questions' while also sensitizing us to unique times and places. We search for truth and meaning to understand the world and our place in it.

History

The study of history has long been an essential part of a first-rate education. It does not merely impart a deep knowledge of facts, dates and actions, but it teaches one to read deeply, write persuasively and think well:  skills that are highly valued in all walks of life.  History has long been one of, if not the most, popular majors on any campus. Generations of students majored in history to pursue vocations in law, education, business or politics.

Political Science

Political science is at the heart of citizenship. It is the systematic study of political structures, values, and processes. In a world changing as fast as ours, leaders and citizens must know a wide array of forces and trends shaping our world. Political science students learn and practice how societies choose their priorities and achieve them. This diverse field includes American politics, international relations, political theory, public policy, and research methods.

Philosophy 

The discipline of philosophy seeks intellectually satisfying answers to life's most basic and enduring questions--the so-called 'Big Questions' of human experience. What makes an action wrong as opposed to right? What makes life meaningful? Does God exist? What is the nature of reality, truth, beauty, goodness, and freedom?

Drawing on the work of many of the greatest thinkers throughout history, the philosophy major at Lipscomb University is designed to help students identify and evaluate the fundamental assumptions that shape the way we think about ourselves and the world around us.

Programs

History

History provides the skills that are highly prized in most career paths and walks of life: to read deeply, write persuasively, and think well. A history major has long been the foundation for our nation's best and brightest. As such, it can be your focus or easily added as a second major.

About History

Political Science

Lipscomb's political science program bridges the gap between study and action. Our students work in various government, non-profit, legal and private sector careers, taking their education with them wherever they go. We begin with the ideas that form the base of society and move to how societies organize and operate. Political science dovetails with a world built on diverse peoples and worldview.

About Political Science

Philosophy

We follow the time-honored, Socratic method of pursuing truth — and doing so in dialogue with the Christian intellectual tradition. We approach the study of philosophy by wrestling with ideas in civil debate with one another and studying the works of the greatest minds in Western history.

About Philosophy

International Affairs

International Affairs is the perfect major for those who want to make the most of their semester abroad. Use your 12 hours of credit from one of our semester-long programs as the core to further explore the world around us. At 36 hours, including the semester abroad, a second major is within most students' grasp.

About International Affairs

American Studies

This interdisciplinary major brings history, politics and literature together in a study of the American experience. Gain insight into our cultural and historical heritage through an in-depth review of classic novels, historic trends and events, and major ideas and institutions shaping the identity of the United States.

About American Studies

Criminal Justice

Lipscomb's criminal justice program is unlike any other. "Restorative Justice believes in healing relationships. It values people over punishment, reconciliation over revenge, accountability over abandonment. Lipscomb University knows this, and I am grateful for such a unique and essential program." -Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

About Restorative Criminal Justice

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