The Undergraduate Program

UNDED Advising

The Undergraduate Education Committee (UNDED) is a group of six to ten faculty members, elected each year, who serve as advisors to undergraduates with a major or concentration in History. Members of the committee assist students on a range of topics.

UNDED Members:

Approve plan of study forms (all Plan of Study Forms must be signed by a member of UNDED)
Determine if a course will count towards the specialization or elective requirements
Assist students with choosing a specialization
Provide general guidance on the major and concentration (for both prospective and current majors)
Note: While UNDED members approve Plan of Study Forms, ONLY the Director of Undergraduate Studies can approve Transfer Credit Forms.

Membership of UNDED changes from year to year. Because of the large number of students, the History Department does not assign individual advisors. Students may see any member of UNDED for advising. Students are also welcome to seek informal advising from any faculty member; however a student working with a non-UNDED advisor must still consult with UNDED regarding the yearly Plan of Study form. Please see the Undergraduate Handbook for more information.

Please consult the list below for the most current roster (The list is updated by the beginning of each Fall Term and each Spring Term. UNDED does not serve during Summer Term).

Spring 2024 UNDED advisors & office hours

Prof. & DUS Paul Chamberlin
Tuesdays 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
516 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): 20th Century International History; US Foreign Relations; Middle East

Prof. Christopher Brown
Tuesdays 1:00 – 3:00 pm
422 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): History of the British Empire; Slavery and Abolition

Prof. Hilary Hallett
Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:30 pm
321 Hamilton Hall
Field(s): Gender and Cultural History; History of the American West

Prof. Karl Jacoby
Tuesdays 12:00 – 2:00 pm & by appointment
501 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Environmental History; Borderlands History; Native American History

Prof. Ali Karjoo-Ravary
Tuesdays 12:00 – 2:00 pm
402 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Intellectual, Social, and Visual Histories of Premodern Islam in Arabic, Persian, and Turkic Language Sources

Prof. Rebecca Kobrin
Wednesday 2:30 – 4:00 pm & by appointment
323 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Jewish History

Prof. Malgorzata Mazurek
Tuesdays 4:00 – 6:00 pm
1229 International Affairs Building
Field(s): Poland and East Central European History

Prof. Caterina Pizzigoni
Wednesdays 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
617 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Latin American History

Prof. Sailakshmi Ramgopal
Wednesdays 12:00 – 2:00 pm via appointment (book here)
410 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Roman History

Prof. Samuel Roberts
Tuesdays 2:30 – 5:30 pm
322 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): African-American History; History of Public Health

Prof. Tunç Sen
Tuesdays 2:00 – 4:00 pm
610 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Ottoman-Turkish-Middle East History, History of Science

Prof. Neslihan Senocak
By appointment
324 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Medieval Europe

Prof. Adam Tooze
Mondays 4:10 – 6:00 pm
421 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): 20th c. and Contemporary History

Prof. Michael Witgen
Wednesdays 2:30 – 4:00 pm
614 Fayerweather Hall
Field(s): Indigenous & Early North American History; Comparative Borderlands, Early American Republic

For any administrative issues concerning the major or concentration (such as submitting the signed Plan of Study form or transfer of credit application materials), please contact the Undergraduate Administrator. For additional information see the Undergraduate Handbook, list of courses, profiles of our faculty, and the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Course Information

Undergraduates are welcome to choose from a variety of courses offered each term by both the Columbia and Barnard History Departments. Each term, some courses are also cross-listed with History, meaning they originate from other departments but are approved to count towards the major or concentration.

Please note some cross-listed courses have sections which are not taught by History faculty or affiliates; these individual sections do not count towards the History degree, even if they appear listed in the Columbia College Bulletin. For example: some sections of AFCV CC1020, ASCE UN1359, ASCE UN1361, or LACV CC1020 have sections every term which are not taught by History or affiliated faculty members; therefore, those sections cannot be applied to the major or concentration. Please check the faculty page for a full list of core and affiliated faculty members.

Career Exploration

We care deeply about our students’ career prospects and are proud of their success on the job market while at and after Columbia. We have partnered with the Center for Career Education (CCE) to provide tailored advising for both jobs and internships:

Career Exploration and Preparation
•Academic major exploration resources, such as the “What can you do with a degree in History?” tipsheet
• Individual career counseling, workshops, speaker events, and online resources to help with career planning and internship/job applications, interviewing, networking, negotiations, and the decision to pursue graduate school
• Industry-specific resources covering career paths, employers, professional associations, internship/job sites, and research opportunities

Employer Connections/Jobs and Internships
• LionSHARE internship/jobs database – Set up a job agent to be notified daily of internship and full time opportunities
• CCE Internship Programs – Gain experience through CCE’s domestic and international internship programs
• Career Events – Participate in Fall, Spring and Start-up Career Fairs, Industry Showcases, employer site visits, and Professionals in Residence to meet employers and alumni

Alumni Connections
• Alumni Connections – including alumni dinner and discussion series, Columbia Career Connections on LinkedIn and networking events