The methodologies explored in history courses range from the traditional areas of political, economic, diplomatic, and military history, to the newer fields in labor, social, oral, and comparative history. There are also opportunities to concentrate in interdisciplinary specialities such as women's history, and the history of science, technology and medicine. Students also draw on the resources of the university library, a superb facility for the study of history. Students majoring in history take ten courses, chosen to give both breadth and depth of knowledge. The goal of breadth is addressed in distribution requirements for course work across three geographic areas and in pre- modern as well as modern history.
Depth is achieved when students identify a primary field of study.
Students may also define their own thematic areas, in consultation with their history advisors and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The capstone of the major is the history honors seminar which enrolls a select group of senior majors, each of whom writes a thesis based on independent research. The best theses receive honors. Offering original insights and usually based on primary sources, honors theses represent contributions to historical scholarship and are deposited in the university library. Students whose theses receive honors graduate with distinction.