The broadest mission of the history department is consistent with the mission of the university: to prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth, and enlightened and productive lives. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni serve as an intellectual resource to assist central Washington, the region, and the state in solving human and environmental problems.(CWU Catalogue, 2010-11, pg. 11).

The history department seeks to convey historical knowledge and historical modes of understanding to the student population and citizens of Washington State. The department does this by offering introcudtory history courses in the university's General Education program; providing majors and minors with specific upper-and-lower division courses emphasizing the major world regions and the connections between those regions; offering graduate training at the MA level for advanced students; participating in the university's teacher certification program; engaging in the broader historical profession through research, publication, grant writing, and scholarly presentations; and interacting with the Ellensburg and Central Washington community through educational outreach, participating in interdisciplinary programs, public lectures, fora, discussions, and publications.