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History (HIST)

Courses in history are designed to encourage reflection on the nature, advantages and struggles of human societies in different times and places, and to invite cross-cultural comparisons. Moreover, they are intended to stimulate the historical imagination and to promote critical and technical skills in the comprehension and production of historical narratives. The academic conventions of writing, speaking, researching and learning to analyze various sources (i.e. information literacy) are integral to the discipline of history and figure strongly in all of the department’s courses.

Students of history may take many different roads to historical understanding; department members have diverse interests and they actively encourage students’ independent investigations of history. Majors, in particular, are invited to collaborate closely with their department mentors in their historical inquiries, while at the same time shaping their own methodologies, foci, questions and answers. Students majoring in History are encouraged to plan their program of study with their departmental adviser by the end of the sophomore year.