Planning Your Program
Once students declare the history major, typically some time during their sophomore year, they are assigned a faculty member who will serve as their advisor and help them develop a program of study to achieve their educational goals.
From the entry-level classes through to the research seminars, courses in the history department cover a wide range of diverse topics. The faculty wants to educate students about the past, but with a special emphasis on how the past effects the present and the future. All history students must begin with History 100, “Introduction to Historical Thinking.” The subject matter in this course varies and has included anything from the fall of Rome to the role of nature in American history to women in Muslim societies. The purpose of this course is not to cover a predetermined period of time, but to introduce students to the nature of historical interpretation. History students will use the important skills they learn in History 100 throughout the rest of their college careers.
At each level of the major, the structure of the classes build on each other, becoming increasingly narrow and focused as students progress through the major. Students begin by taking classes in world history, with topics like American Popular Art and Politics, the Ottoman Empire and the Medieval Economy. They then move on to colloquium at the 300-level, which are discussion/debate courses that generally focus on a very narrow topic. Finally, students gain research experience in the 400-level seminar, which culminates in a research project at the end of the semester.
In addition to courses within the curriculum, history majors are always encouraged to take courses in related disciplines like religion, English, political science, anthropology, philosophy and art history.
