Why study history Simply put, studying history is important in order to fully understand the complexities of this modern globalized world. Going far beyond the simple memorization of dates and events, students develop critical thinking skills, learn to write persuasively, and increase their cultural awareness. All of these skills are valued in any profession so while students may decide to continue on to study history at a graduate level, our majors also enter other professional fields such as law, business, government and foreign service, journalism, and teaching.