Undergraduate Program

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The strength of the History concentration lies in the diversity of paths that historical inquiry allows you to pursue. Historians study politics and government; gender and sexuality; diplomacy and international relations; finance and economics; religion and philosophy; literature and arts; cultural and social changes and exchanges; archaeology, anthropology, and science and technology.  A rigorous, shared methodology unites historians no matter which subject they study. This methodology entails the close analysis of primary sources in dialogue with existing scholarship and current events, and the exchange of ideas across a variety of media, from academic journals to mainstream news, and from documentaries to public talks. Furthermore, all historians acknowledge that History is more than just learned knowledge about the past. History empowers you to understand the contradictions and delights of our contemporary world as products of longer processes with origins in past decades and centuries, sometimes even in past millennia.

If you are interested in exploring the History Department but are unsure where to begin, we encourage you to explore our series of Foundations Courses or to set up a meeting with the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies. The History Department undergraduate program website also contains many resources to assist you. It features detailed information on the Department’s course offerings, information for pre- concentrators; funding for summer senior thesis researchTempus, the History Undergraduate Journal; research and employment opportunities;  and office hours sign-up for the DUS, ADUS, and the Departmental Writing Fellow. Please also consult our page for history thesis writers, which includes resources such as the syllabus for the thesis tutorial, information about grants for research, and also sample prize-winning theses. 
 

From our Students:

"I have truly had a spectacular experience as a history concentrator at Harvard and am very proud to brag about my department to anyone who will listen!” 
Arjun, ’17 

 "So many of my best college memories are related to the History Department”
Sama, '17 

 

"The History department genuinely has been one of the best parts of my experience at Harvard... History has prepared me well for life after college..."
Olivia, ‘17