History

Do you want to make history?

Studying history reveals the changes and continuities that ebb and flow around us. Diseases, agriculture, civil rights, childrearing practices, political dynasties, and furniture all have histories. The past shapes the present, from the environment to forms of government, to the way we think about gender and race.

Our faculty will introduce you to a variety of time periods, regions, and approaches to history. You'll learn how history is made through your own investigation of the past. Choose courses that follow a theme: revolutions, a geographic focus like East Asia, or an era like the 20th century. You'll refine and apply your knowledge through research projects and internships.

Follow your passion while developing valuable skills in critical reading, writing, research, and analysis. Our graduates build fulfilling and versatile careers as teachers, lawyers, librarians, archivists, consultants, and museum curators, as well as in business, healthcare, and government.

Programs Requirements

Category I: Introductory level

Any three courses chosen from the following:

HIST100	World History to 1500	4
HIST101	World History II	4
HIST118	Latin American History	4
HIST128	Modern European History 1789-1989	4
HIST140	Early American History	4
HIST141	Modern American History	4

Students considering a major in history should complete Category I by the end of their sophomore year. History majors may substitute other history electives for survey courses if they have received a grade of four or five on an advanced placement exam in history, or a score of 5, 6, or 7 on an international baccalaureate exam in history.

Category II: Specialization

Three courses with a specific focus defined by the student. This focus may be geographical (such as Asia, Europe, or the U.S.), thematic (such as race, gender, or revolution) or temporal (such as modern). One course in Category I may count in Category II. A specialization in public history requires four of the following, with HIST 253 ideally as the first course:

HIST205	Global Environmental History	4
HIST252	History & Material Culture	4
HIST253	Introduction to Public History	4
HIST254	History Through Novels & Film	4
HIST368	Seminar in Public History: Sites of History	4
HIST370	Internship	4

HIST 368 and HIST 370 may count as Category V

Category III: Breadth

Three courses selected from the three required topic areas below.

One course with a focus on race and ethnicity history:

HIST118	Latin American History	4
HIST201	Japanese History: Politics, Society, and Everyday Life	4
HIST202	Asia to the Eighteenth Century	4
HIST203	Power & Culture: East Asia	4
HIST206	Rise of Modern China	4
HIST210	African American Experience	4
HIST211	Medicine and the African American Experience	4
HIST213	Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History	4
HIST217	Caribbean History	4
HIST231	Understanding Islam & Historical Perspectives	4
HIST237	Holocaust	4
HIST240	The Atlantic World 1500-1800	4
HIST275	The Black Freedom Movement: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter	4

One course in early or pre-modern history:

HIST202	Asia to the Eighteenth Century	4
HIST205	Global Environmental History	4
HIST207	Family, Gender, and Sexuality in Chinese History	4
HIST222	Greek & Roman History	4
HIST223	Medieval History	4
HIST224	The Renaissance	4
HIST231	Understanding Islam & Historical Perspectives	4
HIST240	The Atlantic World 1500-1800	4
HIST241	Revolutions in the West	4
HIST371	Seminar in Early American History	4

One course in historical gender studies:

HIST200	What is Feminism? Origins of Feminist Thought	4
HIST204	Japanese Culture: Gender, Family and Society	4
HIST207	Family, Gender, and Sexuality in Chinese History	4
HIST215	Women and Gender in U.S. History Before 1890	4
HIST216	Women and Gender in U.S. History Since 1890	4
HIST230	Women and Gender in Europe	4
HIST239	History of Sexuality and the Family	4
HIST360	Seminar in the History of Women and Gender 1790-1920	4

Category IV: Methods

All majors must take HIST 260 in their sophomore or junior year.

HIST260	Interpreting the Past: The Craft of History	4

By petition, students in the accelerated BA/MA History program may count HIST 397 to fulfill the Methods requirement for the undergraduate major.

Category V: Capstone

At least one history course at or above the 350 level: this requirement may be fulfilled with a seminar, an internship, a thesis, or an independent study. Majors must declare how they plan to fulfill the independent learning requirement before the end of their junior year.

Minor Requirements

A minor in history consists of five courses, at least one of which should be at the 100-level and at least two at the 200-level.

Customize Your Program

You'll work closely with your advisor to develop a program that's tailored to your interests and career goals. We encourage you to augment your required courses with in-depth study in the liberal arts and additional courses in the major. Dual degrees, interdisciplinary programs and a wide range of minors — including a minor in public history and a minor in gender history — are also available.

We also offer a minor in history for students pursuing other majors. Students choosing a minor in history are required to take five courses, at least one of which should be at the 100 level and at least two at the 200 level.

Internships and Research

Internships and research are central to our program. You'll gain practical experience while refining your focus and making connections with leaders in the field. Internships may take place in film or television studios, or in some of the Greater Boston Area's museums, archives, historic buildings and other historical sites. Recent internship sites include:

Plimoth Plantation
The Paul Revere House
The Simmons University Archives
The African Meeting House
The Mary Baker Eddy Library
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Researcher, interpreter, or publicist at an historic house.
Public relations work for a museum or historic site such as the Old South Meeting House, the Black Heritage Trail, or the Women's Heritage Trail in Boston.
Developing websites or films about sites such as the sloop Adventure in Gloucester and Lowell Industrial Park.

Our Faculty

Steve Berry

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director of History

Sarah Leonard

Associate Professor

Stephen Ortega

Adjunct Faculty

Yunxin Li

Assistant Professor and Interim Graduate Program Director of History

Spotlight on History Students and Alums

View All News

Six Students Selected for the 2025 Senior Scholar Award

Ginjer Doherty ’25, Aviva Foster ’25, CJ Haggard ’25, Theo Hatfield ’25, Lili Malatinszky ’25, and Grace Walters ’25 have been selected for the prestigious Senior Scholar Award at Simmons University. Sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Fellowships, the Senior Scholar Award recognizes outstanding scholarly research across different disciplinary fields.

A Queer History of Simmons

History Major Kaz Gebhardt '25 researches the queer foundations of decades-old Simmons traditions.

Undergraduate Recipients of 2023 Senior Scholar Award

Six seniors across the University have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Senior Scholar Award, in recognition of outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.

Awards and Honors

Ifill Scholar Kate Benton ’24 Pursues a Global Approach to Art History

What professors have helped you pursue your goals? I would like to acknowledge Assistant Professor Asiel Sepúlveda and Associate Professor Sarah Leonard for their support throughout my academic career thus far. Both professors have pushed me to sharpen my critical...

Awards and Honors