Undergraduate > Undergraduate History Major's Handbook

This handbook introduces the History Undergraduate Major, explaining how to declare the major and detailing requirements, advising, the Honors Program, activities, opportunities, and faculty profiles.

There are three options for completing the History major: through the General History pathway or through one of the two interdisciplinary pathways. All three pathways permit students to range widely across historical fields and to work closely with faculty and fellow students in stimulating, small-group settings. All emphasize the use of primary sources and acquisition of hands-on research skills. The History major is flexible enough that no two students ever complete the same coursework, and one of the challenges of pursuing History is in completing the formal requirements while, essentially, designing your own unique course of study.

History courses teach the foundational knowledge and skills (analytical, interpretive, writing) necessary for understanding the deep connections between past and present. History is a pragmatic discipline in which the analysis of change over time involves sifting the multiple influences and perspectives that affect the course of events, as well as evaluating critically the different forms of evidence historians exploit to make sense of them. Teaching students how to weigh these sources and convert the findings into a persuasive analysis lies at the heart of the department's teaching. Graduates with a History major pursue careers and graduate study in law, public service, business, writing, and education.

Welcome to the History Department community!

2007-08 version: The History B.A. degree requirements in this handbook pertain to all History majors who declared on or before 8/31/08. (For those declaring on or after 9/1/08, please refer to the 2008-09 Majors Handbook for the History degree requirements pertaining to this group of students. The 2008-09 Stanford Course Bulletin also contains this information.)

2008-09 version: The History B.A. degree requirements in this handbook pertain to all History majors who declared on or after 9/1/08. (For those declaring on or before 8/31/08, please refer to the 2007-08 Majors Handbook for the History degree requirements pertaining to this group of students. The 2007-08 Stanford Course Bulletin also contains this information.)

Undergraduate Major Handbook 07-08

Undergraduate Major Handbook 08-09

Last updated Sept 25, 2008