In The Case for Humanities Majors, we advocated for the value of the history degree—not only for the admissions boost it provides high schoolers who show a developed interest in history, but also for career and graduate school preparation, long-term earning potential, and overall quality of life. In his report for the American Historical Association, Why Study History? Peter Stearns, professor of history at George Mason University, cites data to argue that the overall holistic “payoff” of history degrees rivals that of STEM and business degrees.
Given the compelling case for this underrepresented discipline, we’ve done your homework for you:
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SCHOOLS WITH STRONG PROGRAMS IN HISTORY
Swarthmore College
Due to its proximity to Philadelphia, Swarthmore students have the historical sites of the nation’s birthplace at their fingertips: the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the Declaration House—the list goes on. But right on campus in the Friends Historical Library and the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, they have access to world-class archives tapped by scholars around the world. If Quaker history, abolitionism, women’s rights, or peace and conflict studies is your jam, Swarthmore is the school for you. At Swarthmore, history majors also have the option to graduate with a teaching certificate.
Yale University
One of the most popular majors at Yale, the history department is as robust as it is accomplished, touting globally distinguished faculty members from Pulitzer Prize winners to National Humanities medalists. Yale historians choose between the Global Track, for students interested in studying a wide range of regions and time periods, or the Specialist Track, for students who want to specialize in a particular region or “pathway” like Environmental History, Religion in Context, or Science, Technology, and Medicine—to name a few richly interdisciplinary options. All history majors at Yale write a “Senior Essay,” an independent research project or thesis that paves the way further into academia for those who may wish to pursue a PhD.
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Howard University
As a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), Howard includes in its history department mission statement “a special emphasis on the history of people of African descent.” Howard’s history department is particularly strong in African American and African history, and in fact the African Diaspora field of study was created by Howard professor Joseph E. Harris. Howard historians can take advantage of its Washington, D.C. location to pursue its unique program in Public History—the practical application of history study—which offers internship opportunities at the National Archives, Smithsonian Museums, and Capitol Hill. Howard’s Slavery Seminar, open to all students, meets 3-4 times a year to discuss scholarship on the history and memory of slavery.
William & Mary
Situated in Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, William & Mary was ranked in 2021 by US News & World Report as the top university for the study of colonial history, edging out Harvard, Yale, and UVA. The university partners with the National Institute of American History & Democracy (NIAHD) and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to offer the Program in Material Culture & Public History, “an interdisciplinary approach to early America, material culture, and the purpose and operation of museums.” William & Mary even has a History Writing Center (HWC) where students can receive one-on-one writing support from history Ph.D. students—a program so popular that it attracts students from all majors. To complement their studies in early American and European history, W&M students can pursue a joint degree at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, which specializes in the history of the British Empire and Middle Eastern studies. High school students with an interest in American History might also consider applying to the National Institute of American History & Democracy’s Pre-College Program, which is known for its hands-on approach to the study of history, roots in an historic region, and academic connection to outstanding undergraduate and graduate opportunities at William & Mary.
Carleton College
History majors at Carleton design their own paths of study from a buffet of eight fields of interest, including traditional ones like Ancient and Early Modern history as well as newer additions like The Atlantic World (“the relationship between Europe, Africa, & the Americas, ca. 1500-1820, through circulation of people, goods, and ideas”) and Environment and Health (“Environmental history, the history of disease, and the history of medicine”). The History Department also offers experiential opportunities to study the cultural history of East Africa, the natural history of the Grand Canyon, and the religious history of Renaissance Rome. History buffs looking for even more adventure can apply for generous travel grants to fund their research further afield.
University of Notre Dame
The Notre Dame history department website claims, “In a world lashed by Twitter storms and data tsunamis, the student of history stands out as a beacon of calm, rigor, and humility. She sees the wisdom in slowing down, in sifting through information instead of swallowing every line, in remembering the lessons of yesterday in the rush to tomorrow”—an apt rationale for studying the discipline at a values-based university. For aspiring economists or MBA students, the ND department offers a unique minor in Economic and Business History, a group of courses which examines historical trends in labor, development, finance, and capitalism, and economic thought.
Oberlin College
A hallmark of the history department at the Oberlin college-conservatory is the History Design Lab, where students deviate from the standard history paper to explore innovative presentations of history: blogs, podcasts, exhibits, historical fiction novels, and digital humanities projects. Two student projects currently underway at the lab are the historical journal On Second Thought, and the Digitizing American Feminisms, a digital archive of the feminist writings of Oberlin alumnae. Every department at Oberlin offers R.I.S.E. at Oberlin: Research, Internships, Study Away, Experiential Learning. Obie historians complete senior capstone research projects, pursue internships at places like the Wende Museum of the Cold War, and study away at the Border Studies Program in Arizona or Mexico.
Williams College
At Williams, all history majors partner with a faculty advisor starting in the spring of their sophomore year. With the help of their advisor, they design their own concentration within the history major, composed of classes with a common theme, geography, or time period. History students can also play an influential role in the department by serving on the Senior and Junior Advisory Groups, where they provide input on the curriculum, public events, and new faculty hiring. During the month of January, Williams students take a single course pass/fail in the Winter Study Program. The history department’s eclectic offerings include Grey Matter TV, a production of an “experimental” television series challenging the colonial mythology of Williamstown, and Homer in Vietnam, a study of how Odysseus and Achilles reflect the experience of the Vietnam veteran.
University of Oxford
It’s hard to rival the historical setting of Oxford, featuring architectural gems such as the Radcliffe Camera—built in the 1740s and home to the History Faculty Library—and the Examination Schools, which was built in the late 1870s and hosts undergraduate history lectures. In Oxford’s tutorial system, students meet weekly to receive feedback and discuss ideas with a member of the history faculty and one other student interested in the same area of history. Oxford undergrad historians can choose from more than 100 different courses, and they can also choose to pursue a joint BA degree with History and Economics, English, Modern Languages, or Politics.
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Anita holds a BA in Philosophy from Princeton, where she is an alumni class officer and former interviewer, and an MA in English from Middlebury. At Princeton she also contributed her drive and competitiveness to the women’s lacrosse team, winning an NCAA Division I National Championship and three Ivy League Championships while earning national scholar-athlete academic distinction and the Connie McAllister athletic department award for “effort, selfless dedication, enthusiasm and heart.” She brings these qualities to her relationships with students as she helps to bring out the best in them.
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