History

The Department of History offers master’s and doctoral programs in four areas: African, American, Asian, and European history. Among the department’s thematic and methodological strengths are political, cultural, intellectual, environmental, and transnational history. Graduates of the department pursue careers not only in the traditional areas of research and teaching but also in fields as diverse as library and museum work, government service, publishing, and business.

Boston and its environs offer an engaging setting for graduate work. On campus, the department has a special relationship with the American & New England Studies Program, which provides a range of supplementary courses, workshops, and other venues for scholarly exchange. The highly regarded African Studies Center facilitates interdisciplinary approaches, encompassing anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology, as well as history. Lectures, conferences, and other events hosted by institutes and centers, such as the American Political History Institute, the Center for the Study of Europe, the Center for the Study of Asia, and the International History Institute, provide graduate students with opportunities to engage with visiting scholars and present their own research. A consortium arrangement with Boston College, Brandeis University, and Tufts University enables students to take courses at these other schools and share library resources. Students will find a rich array of other resources off campus as well, among them notable research collections, libraries, archives, and programs sponsored by other universities.

More information about graduate programs in History may be found here.