The undergraduate program in History is designed to develop critical intelligence and to foster an awareness of ourselves and our world through the study of the past. The Department presents a variety of approaches to history, and each emphasizes basic disciplinary skills: weighing evidence, constructing logical arguments, and exploring the role of theory in historical analysis and human action.
Upper-division courses range from the examination of individual nation-states (e.g., Chinese history), to studies of the relations among nation-states (e.g., Emergence of the Modern Middle East), to historical analyses of political, socio-economic, and cultural factors (e.g., Women in the United States). Students are also provided the opportunity for small-group learning experiences through colloquia. The colloquia are conducted as discussion groups, involve close reading and analysis of primary and secondary texts, and require writing.

