The Department of History provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the historical forces that have shaped the world’s civilizations.  Studying history helps one to develop a critical perspective on the world and to understand how one’s own identity and culture relate to those of others.  No matter what vocation a student chooses after graduation, historical study helps one to comprehend and contextualize the problems of contemporary society, while also enhancing one’s research, writing, and presentation skills.

The Department offers an impressive array of courses.  Our classes focus on all time periods, from the ancient to the contemporary world, and our faculty includes specialists in the history of Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and United States.  The curriculum includes introductory topic-based seminars for first- and second-year students, general survey courses open to all students, and specialized upper-division courses designed for majors and minors.  In all of the Department’s classes, students are required to read deeply, write clearly, and think critically about the past.

Because history is an essential component of a liberal education, the Department actively contributes to a variety of interdisciplinary programs, including the Search for Values in the Light of Western History and Religion, African American Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, British Studies at Oxford, Environmental Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, and the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies.

Whether you are a student, prospective student, alumnus or visitor to our site, I hope you will read about all that our department has accomplished and all that we have to offer.  Our faculty’s extraordinary commitment to teaching and research has allowed ours to become one of the leading liberal arts college history departments in the country.

Timothy S. Huebner
Professor and Chair

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