Welcome to History!

The History major teaches students to think, to write, and to research. We have a world-class faculty ready to help students learn in deep, historical ways about major issues in the world today, from climate change to war to racial injustice. History majors are taught to use skills from multiple disciplines, the sciences included, to explore the past in all of its complexity, and to translate that research for an audience. That might involve creating museum exhibits or writing historical fiction, just as much as traditional scholarly prose. Our students have gone into a wide variety of fields, notably law, medicine, business, and public policy.

Departmental website: https://history.duke.edu

Advising

Faculty advisors help students chart their way through the History major. When you declare your major, you should request an advisor whose interests align with your area of concentration. If you don't request an advisor, the DUS will assign someone to you. Students can request a new advisor at any time.

Majors should meet with the advisor at least once a semester and usually must receive clearance from their advisor before they are cleared to register. Most immediately, advising meetings help students choose courses that both fulfill their requirements and coincide with their broader aspirations and learning objectives. More broadly, students should use these meetings to: map out their overall curriculum begin thinking about research courses and projects that will build to the capstone and honors seminars; and discuss how study abroad fits within their overall course of study. The sooner students initiate these conversations with their advisors, the more they will be able to get out of the major. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies. 

Requirements and General Information

Learn more about major and minor requirements, and general information for new majors.