Undergraduate

The Undergraduate Program 

Welcome to the Department of History at Columbia University!

Our department is one of the leading centers of historical scholarship in the world. It is also a department deeply committed to undergraduate education. Teaching Columbia and Barnard undergraduates is among our faculty’s greatest privileges. Our undergraduate curriculum covers most periods and areas of the world. We emphasize no particular brand of history, no single interpretive model, and we encourage our students to experiment with a wide range of ideas. Our principal goal in the undergraduate classroom is to develop the intellectual breadth and analytical skills of our students. To that end, our courses emphasize working with both primary and secondary sources and developing acuity in critical writing.

For academic advising, please contact any faculty member of the Undergraduate Education Committee (UNDED). For preliminary questions about the major and concentration, you can talk to members of the Undergraduate History Council (UHC) during their peer advising hours each term. For any administrative issues concerning the major or concentration (such as handing the Plan of Study form or transfer of credit application materials), please see the Undergraduate Administrator. For additional information see the Undergraduate Handbook, list of courses, profiles of our faculty, and the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Here is a summary of requirements for the major and concentration:

Please note some cross-listed courses have sections which are not taught by History faculty or affiliates; these sections are not approved to count towards the History degree, even if they appear listed in the 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, they cannot be applied to the major or concentration. Please check the faculty page for a full list of core and affiliated faculty members, and contact TBD if you still have an inquiry about whether a particular section counts.

KEY CONTACTS

Director of Undergraduate Studies
Paul Chamberlin
516 Fayerweather Hall
(212) 854-0159
dus-history@columbia.edu

Undergraduate Program Administrator and Curriculum Coordinator
Michael Adan
413 Fayerweather Hall
(212) 854-2573
undergraduate-history@columbia.edu

We also 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 our 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