Department of History

Elizabeth Sage, Chair
José Orozco
José Ortega

The Department of History offers a curriculum that is global in its approach and integral to a liberal arts education. A history major enables us to understand human beings and institutions around the world through the study of the human past. It encourages us to understand ourselves and our multiple communities through comparison with cultures of other times and places. In a world that is increasingly interconnected, the study of history is a particularly apt way for us to understand both how the world we live in came to be and our place in it. Indeed, the department strives to place all national and local histories into a global context.

Reflecting the department’s commitment to providing an education fit for a global world, the course sequence begins in the freshman year with an “Introduction to World History” and ends with a capstone seminar. Three courses in one world area offer depth, and one course in three other world areas contributes breadth of knowledge about the world.

HIST 101 - Introduction to World History and 200-level courses serve as the foundational prerequisites for the 300-level courses. Students planning a History major should take History and Theory in the sophomore year, and Historical Methods in the junior year.

To help prepare students for the world of work or for graduate school, the History Department offers internship opportunities for students to gain work experience in a variety of educational or other settings, including museums, libraries, law offices, electoral politics, or non-profit organizations.

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Department of History

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