History

Department Philosophy

The History Department’s goal is to educate complete, thoughtful citizens of our global society. We believe that students need to understand the role of politics, economics, society, and culture in shaping the world as we know it, as well as their own roles as individuals within that world. Those understandings can be reached through the study of history. We also believe that the research and analytic tools that historians possess are vital for students as they approach college and the complex world beyond.

Through their work in the department, students gain exposure to an array of historical content areas—thematic, geographic, and chronologic—as they develop a mastery of the methods of history. The discipline teaches informed research; close reading and critical evaluation of material culture, paper, and electronic sources; synthetic thinking; questioning of assumptions; and articulate argumentation based on evidence. As a department, we are committed to helping students develop these skills while still allowing them latitude in developing a program tailored to their growing passions and interests. Some required courses at the freshman and sophomore levels give all CA students the basis they will need to do good historical work. The upper-level electives, which are open to all juniors and seniors, allow students to stretch those skills while exploring a variety of historical topics, geographic regions, and thematic areas.