History has been called the memory of human group experience, the collective record of all that has happened in the past, and the emotions, ideals, and values that have given human experience its sense of continuity, causation, and meaning. As an academic discipline, history is perhaps the broadest of the liberal arts, certainly the least restricted by subject and scope. It requires the development of analytical skills, the use of deductive and inductive reasoning, the mastery of knowledge from different cultures and epochs, and the ability to express ideas in clear, readable prose. The study of history has practical rewards as well. It provides students with a broad cultural background and inculcates skills of analysis and composition that are considered essential to the study of education, literature, law, government, communications, journalism, public service, and business.
The undergraduate curriculum in History is designed to prepare students to function effectively in an increasingly globalized world. It emphasizes the examination of historical events and developments through broad historical themes and cross-disciplinary histories. Required courses include lower-division courses in United States and world history designed to provide a broad foundation in national and global history, a lower-division course in historical methodology, an upper-division course in historical writing and advanced historical methods, and a capstone experience (Senior Seminar). Students will explore the wealth of human historical experience across time and place. They will take five courses in the history of the world's regions, including the Americas, the Asian world, the Transatlantic world, the Mediterranean world, Europe, and Africa and the Middle East. They will also take three courses from at least two of the following themes: Empires, War and Freedom, Changing and Challenging Identities, and Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine. Finally, students will have an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they have developed in an internship, supervised collaborative research, a public history course, or another project or setting.
