History and the social and behavioral sciences have always been important areas of study at Trevecca Nazarene University. Historians and social scientists believe that the perceptions of people different from us in time, space, and life-expressions are built upon our understanding of our own social and political experience. The department's goal, therefore, is to promote understanding of modern societies through the methods of the historian, the social scientist, and the behavioral scientist. Students desiring to enter the professional fields of teaching, historic preservation, museum related work, law enforcement, social work, criminal justice, personnel management, behavioral research, and all levels of government service select history, social science (criminology), social work, psychology, or behavioral science as major fields. In addition, minors in history, public policy, psychology, counseling, behavioral science, social science, social work, sociology, criminology, and family studies may be selected to back up work in any area of study.