Learn how to ask probing questions, problem solve, manage information, draw conclusions, and communicate your ideas.

Ever been on a road trip, get to your destination, and realize the journey was the most exciting and rewarding part? Studying history can be like that. Arriving at conclusions is crucial. But getting there is often the most interesting and important part of the process.

As a history major, you’ll learn and sharpen a vast range of skills. You’ll learn how to find answers by asking the right questions. What do you want to know? Why does it matter? You’ll also develop the tools of an investigator. To solve a puzzle, you have to know how. Historical Methods shows you the way.

History majors develop strong problem-solving skills, and you will too. Beginning with a mountain of information and what seems to be a very broad topic, you’ll learn how to manage that information, separate out the treasure, and make sense of it of all. And when you do, you learn how to communicate your answers and solutions, using language with precision to share your findings and analysis.

You’ll learn about politics, economics, art, religion, science, and foreign languages. You’ll become conversant in the major areas and eras of the human experience—from ancient Rome and China; to the American, French, and Russian revolutions; to the making of the modern Middle East. You’ll learn through simulations, debates, discussions, and independent research. You learn that there are a variety of ways to learn.