History is an active, future-shaping discipline and a contested area in politics. Historians study the past to understand it on its own terms, to gain insight into how our world has developed, and in order to influence the present. Authoritarian regimes aim to control the work that historians do - why is that Why is knowledge of the past so feared by those who seek to have power over the lives of others What can the experience of the past teach us about the challenges humanity faces now
History students gain both a broad overview of the contours of history and in-depth knowledge of one or more specific regions, time periods, or thematic specializations. They come to understand how social processes, political ideologies, economic trends, and environmental changes have intersected with individual and collective human actions to shape historical change and, ultimately, the world we live in today. Our diverse, award-winning faculty teach students the skills and methods of historical research, how to make rigorous arguments, and how to speak and write effectively. History students learn how history is written, including the use and interpretation of evidence, and the choices involved in various theoretical and analytical frameworks.
We offer Specialist, Major and Minor Programs of Study, as well as a Focus in Law and History for Majors and Specialists which introduces students to the study of legal history and is an excellent foundation for law school. Majors and Specialists can also apply for the Arts & Science Internship Program in History (ASIP). History graduates put their training directly to use in such fields as law, politics, public policy, business, government, education, the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives and museums), filmmaking, journalism, international relations, urban planning, content creation and many others.
The Focus in Law and History gives students the critical skill-set to interrogate the force of law, not only in the sense of law as enforced, but also as a vehicle of cultural, social, and economic knowledge. Importantly, it will ask students to interrogate assumptions of what counts as law across time and space.
