History

Overview

Why Study History?

Here are the History Department’s Top Five Reasons:

• We don’t prepare you for a job—the History program of Rutgers University prepares you for every job. What do the CEO of Goldman Sachs, the National Security Advisor, and Conan O’Brien have in common? All of them were history majors.

• Learn what you want to learn. History is a truly exciting major because you can study literally anything you want!  Since history is the study of everything from the earliest times to the present, it can be the study of whatever you are interested in. 

• Learn from the best, in an intimate setting. Our faculty consists of top-flight researchers who value small class sizes and getting to know our students.  You get to know us, and we get to know you.

• Our classes aren’t the high-school history classes you hated. Our students sometimes tell us that high-school history classes made them lose interest in the past because it was all about memorizing names and dates.  But that’s not what our classes are about.

• We respect your intelligence. We don’t deny that history majors will be expected to read and write and discuss and think hard—in fact, we’re proud of it!  The stimulating conversations taking place in your history classes every day will help you hone the intellectual skills you will apply in the professional world.