Overview

About History

Studying history will prepare you to respond to breaking global news and to debate conflicting views. You'll develop skills for decision-making in law, marketing and business, museum studies, journalism, teaching, and other careers. Using newspapers, films, novels, and legal documents, you'll learn how to argue persuasively, read and research carefully and write creatively.

Global history courses provide an excellent pairing with a degree in international business or economics while public history courses are highly relevant to arts administration majors.

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“We're looking at the history and culture of food from an historical and anthropological perspective.” - Drs. Smith and Gagnon
“In the process of being in a grassroots movement, we were also learning about it.” - Patrick Dutton ’15
“I love to teach students to think outside the box. It's that passion for asking the next questions that makes me want to teach.” - Dr. Lori Weintrob

CLASSES OF NOTE

History of New York City

Explores the history of New York City from the founding of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to present day. Special emphasis will be placed upon the experiences of different social classes and ethnic groups. How have ethnic, racial, class divisions shaped the history of the city? How have immigrants been central to the history of New York City?

The Historian as Detective

Historians follow clues to gain insight into human behavior and the causes and consequences of dramatic social, political, economic and cultural change. This course develops the skills important to research as a historian and in many other career paths, including critical analysis, use of Internet sources, writing and oral presentation skills.

Global History of Food

Focus on the production, consumption, distribution and cultural perception of food and drink from the Ancient World to the present, concentrating on the Mediterranean basin, Western Europe, South Asia and the Americas. We'll link the cultural history of food to economics, politics, anthropology, psychology, film and literature.

Beyond the Classroom

Internships

  • Clinton Global Initiative
  • Brooklyn District Attorney's Office
  • Citizens Jury Project
  • NYPD Special Victims Unit
  • Freedom From Fear

Research

  • "The Real Path to the Final Solution"
  • "The Descent Into the Trail of Tears: The Trails and Mistreatments of the Cherokee Nation"
  • "Gettysburg"

Jim Fagen ’02

“Jim Fagen, history teacher at Manasquan High School (NJ), received a 2013 James Madison Fellowship for teachers.”

Jim Kagdis

“A Wagner history major, he says, "I'm proof you can learn by osmosis."”