History is not a body of facts to be transferred--temporarily--from the erudition of a professor to the memory of a student. It is a way of understanding the whole of the human condition as it has unfolded in time. Like the other social sciences, it has established methods of investigation and proof, but it differs from them in that it encompasses, potentially, every area of human culture from the beginning of recorded time. Like the other humanities, it uses ordinary language and established modes of telling its stories; but it is constrained by evidence left us from the past. Education in history aims to produce students who can identify and analyze historical problems, interpret difficult bodies of evidence, and write clearly and eloquently.

Of course, you have to know a lot about some area of the past to be an historian at all. The History Department has defined six areas ("concentrations") in which you may acquire this knowledge. Three are geographically defined: Africa, Asia and Latin American; Europe; and the United States. The others are thematically conceived and cut across geographical boundaries: Intellectual History; Religion and History; and Gender and History. In addition, a student may construct his or her own concentration with the advice and consent of an adviser. The requirements of a concentration are met by taking six history courses that fall under its purview. Breadth is encouraged by the requirement that everyone take at least two courses outside the concentration and one course in the history of the world before the great transformation wrought by industrialization. More intensive work on short periods or special problems is done in at least three seminars, one of which (History 362) is devoted specifically to introducing the varieties of contemporary historiography and the variety of methods and concepts which historians have worked out to understand the past.

Finally, and most importantly, the department asks everyone to try their hand at real historical research and writing. This may take the form of a senior thesis (required to graduate with honors; typically at least eighty pages long, requiring a two-semester research tutorial); a senior essay (roughly half the length, in a one-semester research tutorial); or a research paper submitted as part of the work in a course.

For a formal statement of the major requirements see "Requirements for the History Major".

Getting started in history. First-year students have preference in the FYI courses that the Department schedules every year. Like all FYI courses, these require vigorous class participation in discussion and are writing-intensive.  For 2008-2009 the History Department's FYI courses are:

Fall 2008:

HIST101-01 History and the Humanities Holmes,Oliver W...T.R.. 10:30AM-11:50AM;

HIST103-01 Travel Narratives and African History Semley,Lorelle D..M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM;

HIST116-01 Education in Society: Universities as Agents of Change, Ivory Towers, or Knowledge Factories Brown,Judith C...T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM;

HIST118-01 Baroque Rome Nussdorfer,Laurie .M.W... 01:10PM-02:30PM;

Spring 2009: 

HIST102-01 History and the Humanities II Holmes,Oliver W...T.R.. 01:10PM-02:30PM;

HIST131-01 The History That Literature Makes Eudell,Demetrius L....W... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST132-01 Writing Historical Biography Swinehart,Kirk Davis.M..... 07:00PM-09:50PM;

First-year students also have preference in enrolling in the gateway courses in European History, which are offered as follows in 2008-2009:

Fall 2008:

HIST201-01 Medieval Europe Shaw,Gary .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM;

HIST203-01 Modern Europe Greene,Nathanael .M.W.F. 10:00AM-10:50AM;

Spring 2009:

HIST202-01 Early Modern Europe Holmes,Oliver W...T.R.. 10:30AM-11:50AM;

A Sophomore Seminar is required for the completion of the History major. These courses require roughly the same kind of commitment as FYI courses, but sophomores are given preference and the courses are more oriented towards history as a discipline. In 2008-2009 the Sophomore Seminars are:

Fall 2008:

HIST153-01 Sophomore Seminar: Enlightenment Concept of the Self Holmes,Oliver W....W... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST163-01 Sophomore Seminar: European Economic History Grimmer-Solem,Erik ...W... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST167-01 Sophomore Seminar: The Reformation in Britain Shaw,Gary ..T.... 07:00PM-09:50PM;

HIST171-01 The History of Middletown - A Research Seminar Schatz,Ronald W....W... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST179-01 Sophomore Seminar: Gender and History (FGSS Gateway Potter,Claire B...T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM;

HIST181-01 Sophomore Seminar: Gandhi Pinch,William R ..M.W... 01:10PM-02:30PM;

HIST192-01Sophomore Seminar: Stalin and Stalinism Pomper,Philip ..T.... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

Spring 2009:

HIST156-01 Sophomore Seminar: East European Jewish Experience Teter,Magda .M..... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST158-01 Sophomore Seminar: Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War Greene,Nathanael .M..... 07:00PM-09:50PM;

HIST175-01 Sophomore Seminar: American Utopias in the 19th Century Hill,Patricia R...T.... 01:10PM-04:00PM;

HIST177-01 Sophomore Seminar: Life Science, Art, and Culture, Medieval to Present Tucker,Jennifer .M...F. 11:00AM-12:20PM;

Planning a history major. There is, however, no single path to historical knowledge, nor any prerequisite for admission to the history major. Related and supplementary courses in other disciplines will enlarge and enrich the student's historical understanding. During the first two years of college, students should consider the preparation needed for advanced work: not only the first courses in history and related subjects, but also foreign languages (discussed below), training in theoretical approaches to social and political issues, and perhaps such technical skills of social science as statistics or economic analysis. First- and second-year students are encouraged to discuss their programs with any of the department's major advisers. Students interested in a particular period or area will find historically oriented courses offered in other departments and programs.

Prospective majors may obtain application forms at the department office in PAC 113 (the form is attached at the end of the History Majors Packet). See "Fields of Concentration in History." The advising experts for 2008-2009 are Lorelle Semley (Africa, Asia and Latin America), Philip Pomper (Europe), Demetrius Eudell (United States),  TBA (Gender and History), Ethan Kleinberg (Intellectual) and William (Vijay) Pinch (Religion and History).  For admission to the History major, a student must satisfy a departmental adviser of her or his ability to maintain at least a B- average in the major program.

Foreign languages. Knowledge of foreign languages is essential to most kinds of historical inquiry and is indispensable to anyone planning graduate study in history. The Department strongly advises all history majors to learn at least one foreign language. Students concentrating in European history normally should acquire a reading knowledge of a European language (modern or ancient) by the end of the junior year. Wesleyan sponsors semester-long study programs with language training in several European countries, in Israel, and in Japan and China. There are programs under different auspices for other countries and other continents. 

Wesleyan credit for work done away from Wesleyan is assured only when the arrangements for study are made through Wesleyan, for instance through the Office of International Studies or certain formal exchange programs. In all other cases a student must petition for transfer of credit before going away to take the course (s). Transfer of credits does not automatically mean the credits will be accepted toward the major; History majors must consult their advisers in advance to be safe. For more detailed information,  see "Requirements for the History Major" and "Transferring Credit from U.S. Institutions" all included in the History Majors' Packet.