As you examine the contemporary world through a lens of history, you will learn to read critically, write analytically and think independently.
Through rich discussions around a Harkness table, you’ll be expected to ask questions, listen to others’ perspectives and examine your own beliefs. In the process, you’ll develop empathy, greater cultural awareness and a deeper understanding of the forces that shape our society today.
The department’s excellent writing curriculum lays the foundation for the academic writing you’ll do in college and beyond. Research papers allow you to follow your interests and investigate topics more deeply. You’ll learn to discern and select credible sources; support your arguments with evidence; and articulate your thoughts with clarity and precision upon the page.
We won’t only read texts. We’ll listen to podcasts. We’ll watch films, whether it’s a professionally produced documentary or a quick clip of a primary-source video — we’re using a lot of different types of materials to help us enrich our understanding of the past.
Betty Luther Hillman, chair of the Department of History
Academy Building
The historic building is home to several departments and Assembly Hall.
Explore History Courses
With our extensive History courses, you'll learn how the past has helped shape the present.
Featured Courses
HIS504
Europe Since 1945
Once the region of geopolitical domination, Europe after World War II was forced to rebuild and redefine its place in a rapidly shifting world.
HIS202
Peoples and Cultures of the Modern World
This course examines people who live in the developing world and the impact of modernization and industrialization on their ways of life.
HIS308
Precolonial Africa
This course introduces students to the complexity and dynamism of the African past, from antiquity to the dawn of the 20th century.