Economics and Social History

The Economic and Social History major is an interdisciplinary major that combines economic reasoning with different historiographic approaches and quantitative analysis. The major encourages students to develop an understanding of the human experience through the record of the past and acquire intellectual tools to analyze historical changes from an economic and social perspective. Students are exposed to different ways of thinking about the origins of capitalism, the structural features of modern economies, regional differences or global diversity in long-run economic performance and socioeconomic well-being, and the challenges and opportunities facing the global economy today. By looking at both the social and the economic dimensions of the histories of one or more geographical regions, students gain a valuable interdisciplinary perspective that enables them to appreciate and think systematically and critically about the complexities of human interaction. Students who graduate with a major in Economic and Social History will be prepared to enter graduate programs in history, business, public policy/administration, or to pursue careers such as in public policy or business that call for diverse perspectives and skills.

Majors in Economic History will need an advisor in the History Department as well as the Economics.   See our FAQs page for How to Declare a Major in our department.