Carnegie Mellon University

Welcome to the Department of History

Our faculty offer three different degree programs: the B.A. or B.S. in Social & Political History, the B.A. in Global Studies, and the interdepartmental B.A. or B.S. in Ethics, History & Public Policy.

All three of our degree programs focus on connections between past and present and on how historical knowledge facilitates understanding of social, cultural, and policy change.

Our programs emphasize empirical methods and conceptual analysis, as well as specific research skills relevant to many types of jobs and further professional training. The Department’s mission also includes courses introducing students to various societal settings and diverse types of controversial public issues, thus contributing actively to both liberal education and professional development.

Each combines a structured sequence of courses, training in research methods, theoretical concepts, and analytical writing skills, plus a considerable array of electives. Each program stems from the teaching and research strengths of a department that is internationally known for its innovative historical and anthropological approaches to the study of social, cultural, and policy change.