Undergraduate History Program

Welcome to Georgetown’s History major!

With its emphasis on critical reading skills, the evaluation of evidence, imaginative thinking, global awareness, empathetic attitudes, and persuasive, analytical writing, the history major offers an ideal preparation for a variety of professional, business, educational, and scholarly careers. Searching for evidence, collecting and understanding varied data, interpreting patterns in our evidence or data, and communicating those patterns effectively to others orally and in writing are the core of work in history, and are crucial to many professional paths. Moreover, the critical eye developed through the history major, and the expansive sense of the complexities of human nature gained through the study of history, will afford understanding and pleasure for a lifetime whatever the direction of one’s work life.

See available undergraduate history courses.

Studying History at Georgetown

Learn how to declare History as a major.

As a history student or major at Georgetown, you will learn to think critically, read and write effectively, and argue persuasively. You will have the opportunity to study any region of the world, to understand how time and culture shape human experience, and to examine how our own world is shaped by the past. You will study with some of Georgetown’s most dedicated professors and be exposed to a broad range of analytical techniques and of reading and writing assignments. Georgetown’s History students graduate with the best of what a liberal arts education has to offer: the skills necessary for most professions, the engaged and critical frame of mind that prepares for active and empathetic citizenship, and the spirit of curiosity that leads to lifelong learning.

The history major combines rigor and flexibility, allowing students both to learn about the past in structured ways and to choose and define their specific areas of interest. Georgetown undergraduates who choose to major in history will benefit from the Department’s thoughtfully structured program and have access to a variety of courses on many and diverse world regions, time periods, and topics and themes. They will also improve their critical reading, writing, and analytical abilities and develop strong research skills, as well as grow as active and empathetic citizens of an ever more challenging and diverse world.  The history program also encourages majors to explore significant connections between history and other disciplines, and easily allows opportunities to double major, to add minors to our major, and to study abroad. If you are considering majoring in history, please explore the information available on this web site, and feel free to consult with the Department’s faculty and with current history majors, as well as reviewing the Pedagogical Aims and Methods and Learning Goals of the undergraduate program.

Key Contacts