Programs of Study


The history major exposes students to a range of historical issues and problems, provides an opportunity to develop authoritative knowledge in a particular field of history, and develops the fundamental skills necessary to the practice of the historian's craft.

The major encourages a comparative approach to human problems by directing students toward courses in ancient, modern, and non-Western history. It also allows a level of specialization that promotes an appreciation of the complexity of human affairs and the difficulties involved in their interpretation. A significant share of courses are imaginative explorations of topics that break down traditional boundaries of time and space: the origins of war, film and literature in history, gender, empire and imperialism, frontiers, and cross-cultural influences.

Graduate studies in History imparts to students and understanding of the complexity of human interatction, a sense of the uniqueness of time and place, and the skill to develop a reasoned interpretation of past peoples and events.