History Major

This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2026-27.

Major Requirements

There are two pathways through the history major: the Field of Focus (FoF) Pathway and the Global Pathway. Both require nine courses.

The pathways are described below:

Field of Focus

The Field of Focus Pathway allows students to devise individualized specializations. Possible fields of focus include:

  • Black History
  • Capitalism, Commodities, and Class
  • Cultural and Intellectual History
  • Empires and Colonialism
  • Environmental History
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Indigenous History
  • Migration and Diaspora
  • Political History
  • Public History and Memory
  • Race and Racism
  • Religion and Society
  • Science, Technology, and Medicine
  • Social Movements and Human Rights
  • Urban History
  • War and Violence

Students in the Field of Focus Pathway first develop and name their specialization (i.e., field of focus) with their academic adviser at time of major declaration. Students may choose one of the department's suggested fields (see above), or they may name and design their own field of focus in consultation with their major adviser. Students are required to submit a 1- to 2-page field of focus statement – detailing the student's rationale for choosing their specialization, the courses that fit their specialization, and the impact of pursuing that focus – by the end of the semester prior to graduation.

History Workshop
  •  is required of all majors and should be taken by the end of sophomore year
Seven Electives

Courses fulfilling this requirement have the HIST subject code or the XHIS attribute in the course offerings.

  • Students select seven HIST courses of their choosing 
    • at least four of which should relate directly to their field of focus
    • one 300-level language course may be counted toward one of the seven electives 
Seminar
  • One seminar at the 400 level other than , normally taken in the junior or senior year. This seminar must be taken with a member of the Colgate History Department faculty either at Colgate or with the London History Study Group.
Additional Stipulations
  • At least two of the nine courses must be designated other than (EU) or (US)
  • One of the nine courses may be taken outside the History department, subject to the approval of the student's academic adviser and the History Curriculum Committee. Students who count a 300-level language course may not count another course from outside the department.

There is an exception to the above stipulation: If a student on an approved off-campus study program takes history courses taught in a language other than English, two such courses may be eligible for major credit, subject to the approval of the department chair.

 

The Global Pathway

The Global Pathway emphasizes broad geographic exposure and ensures that students' coursework, at all levels, covers different parts of the world.

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Middle East
  • Transregional
  • United States

The Global Pathway in history consists of nine courses, structured as follows:

History Workshop
  •  is required of all majors and should be taken by the end of sophomore year
100- and 200-Level Courses

Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of HIAF, HIAS, HIEU, HILC, HIME, HITR, or HIUS in the course offerings.

  • Three courses at the 100- or 200-level 
    • To encourage breadth of study, each of these three must carry a different geographic designation (see list above).
300-Level Courses

NON-HIST Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of HIGE in the course offerings (and must be at the 300-level).

  • Three courses at the 300 level
    • At least one of these courses must be designated other than (EU) or (US)
Additional Elective

Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of HIAF, HIAS, HIEU, HILC, HIME, HITR, HIUS, HIGE, or XHIS in the course offerings.

  • One additional history course at the 200 level or above, or any 300-level foreign language course. (Foreign language courses taught in translation do not meet this requirement.)
Seminar
  • One seminar at the 400 level other than , normally taken in the junior or senior year. This seminar must be taken with a member of the Colgate History Department faculty either at Colgate or with the London History Study Group.
Additional Stipulations
  • Only one of the nine courses for the major may be taught by a non-departmental historian. This includes history courses offered in off-campus study groups, at other institutions, and at Colgate; all such courses are subject to the approval of the student's academic adviser and the department chair or an individual or committee assigned by the chair.
  • There is an exception to the above stipulation: If a student on an approved off-campus study program takes history courses taught in a language other than English, two such courses may be eligible for major credit, subject to the approval of the department chair.

GPA Requirement

Students must have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.00 over all courses taken in the department.

Honors and High Honors

Candidates for honors in history must:

  • Have or exceed, by the time of graduation, a major GPA of 3.50 and an overall GPA of 3.00;
  • Complete an honors thesis that has been judged by the  instructor and one other department faculty member to be of A or A– quality. The honors thesis is normally expected to be completed in two terms. It may be started in any 300 or 400-level history course, on campus or on the London History Study Group. A candidate must enroll in  to complete the thesis.

Candidates for high honors in history must:

  • Have or exceed by the time of graduation, a major GPA of 3.75 and an overall GPA of 3.00;
  • Complete an honors thesis that has been judged by the  instructor and by one other department faculty member to be of A quality;
  • Defend the paper in an oral examination before the two faculty readers. The examination must also be judged to be of excellent quality

Major Declaration

To be admitted to the major, students must have earned a GPA of 2.00 in all history courses taken. Students not meeting this requirement may petition the department for permission to begin the major.

History Department

For more information about the department, including Faculty, transfer credit, awards, etc., please visit the  catalog page.