Academic Program & Requirements

As historians we look for and examine what women and men of the past have left behind, what they have created, and what marks they have left on the world. We listen to the stories others have told, look at the pictures others have painted of those pasts.

We shape and articulate our own narratives and understandings of historical evidence. We discern and analyze varieties of and connections among human experiences. Through departmental course offerings, the major, and participation in interdisciplinary studies, we teach students to join us in exploring the world's past. We encourage off-campus study and foreign language study, sponsor diverse speakers, and arrange formal and informal gatherings to encourage students to reflect on the human past as a way to understand their world.

The department believes a sound history curriculum presents the following seven elements:

1. Authentic research and writing opportunities;
2. A variety of classroom interactions; 
3. A blend of studies focusing on breadth with studies focusing on depth;
4. Opportunities to learn about different world cultures;
5. Engagement with events that occurred well before recent times;
6. An introduction to the ways historians do their work and the theoretical considerations that
        undergird that work;   
7. An obligation to integrate the various discrete courses that the curriculum offers.

HISTORY COURSE INFORMATION AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Please click the following link for History Department Course Descriptions: HIST COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Please click the following link for History courses offered for the 2020-2021 academic year; FALL 2020; SPRING 2021

The requirements for the major are designed to ensure that all history majors experience these elements.

The Major & The Minor

Information about the History major and minor is outlined in the academic course catalog.

Senior Capstone

Information about the Senior Capstone is outlined in the course catalog. For more details about the current year, 2019-2020, download this PDF document.

Honors Program

Information about the History honors program is outlined in the course catalog. More information is also available about admission to the program and the program's structure and expectations.