Undergraduate Handbook
You may now download a complete copy of the 2012-2013 Undergraduate Handbook.
- Introduction
- Curriculum
- Major and Concentration
- Undergraduate Schools
- What Counts as a History Course
- What Counts as a Seminar
- Historical Theories and Methods
- Advisors
- Procedures
- Study Abroad
- Departmental Honors
- Senior Thesis
- Prizes & Fellowships
- Guidelines for Papers
- Academic Honesty
Preface
The Department of History at Columbia is one of the leading centers of historical scholarship in the world. It is also a department deeply committed to undergraduate education. Many faculty teach in the College Core, and all faculty teach undergraduate lectures and seminars in history. Most regularly sponsor senior theses and independent studies. The Department considers teaching Columbia's extraordinary undergraduate students one of its most important and rewarding tasks.
Our undergraduate curriculum is rich and deep, covering all areas of the world and most periods of written history. Our courses explore various methodologies, a wide range of ways of writing history, and different approaches to the past. We emphasize no one approach to history and no single interpretive model. Our principal goals in the undergraduate classroom are to develop the intellectual breadth and deepen the analytical skills of our students. With this guide, we hope to introduce you to our program of undergraduate study and to encourage you to sample it.
