History | Barnard College

History encompasses the whole of human experience, helping us understand ourselves in the context of our times and traditions through the study of times and traditions other than our own. History means not only the record of the past but also the discipline of investigating and interpreting the past. The study of history develops habits of critical thinking and effective writing, as well as it cultivates the careful analysis of various types of quantitative and qualitative evidence. It should be of value not only to undergraduates who intend to pursue advanced degrees in the field, but also to students interested in exploring the diversity and complexity of the human past, even as they hone their analytical and expository skills.

Fall 2026 Information for Current Students

Fall 2026 information for current students, including the block schedule, course listings, and details, has moved to Portal.

Going forward, the Portal will be the primary place for schedule updates and announcements, so we recommend bookmarking it and checking in regularly.

Access the Portal

I'd Like to Take a History Class

In general, seminars are reserved for juniors or seniors and are limited to 15 students. However, sophomores may certainly apply. Non-majors regularly take seminars, particularly if they have some background in the topic acquired in other coursework. Some

Note that lecture courses aren't always 'lectures'; some are quite small and have a significant discussion component (you can check the class enrollment on the course list page).

Course numbers reflect both course type and world region: introductory lectures are designated as 1000-level for U.S. and European history but start at the 2000-level for all other regions (where 2000-level U.S. and European courses represent more advance

Why Major in History?

What perspectives, insights, and skills will you learn as a history major? How will these perspectives, insights, and skills inform your life? What, practically speaking, can you do with a history degree? Is the study of history translatable to the job market?

These are important questions, with many possible answers. Below are a few articles that discuss how historical knowledge and historical thinking are translatable to realms of experience far beyond the classroom--from the job market to the exercise of citizenship.

Our Faculty

Michele Alacevich

Visting Professor

malacevi@barnard.edu

Gergely Baics

Professor of History and Urban Studies; Helman Faculty Chair of Urban Studies; Faculty Director of the Empirical Reasoning Center

gbaics@barnard.edu

Dale Booth

Term Assistant Professor

dabooth@barnard.edu

Angelo Caglioti

Assistant Professor of History

acagliot@barnard.edu

Mark C. Carnes

Professor of History

mcarnes@barnard.edu

Matthew Delvaux

Assistant Professor

mdelvaux@barnard.edu

Abosede George

Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History & Director, Institute of African Studies, Columbia

ageorge@barnard.edu

Thai Jones

Adjunct Assistant Professor

tjones@barnard.edu

Andrew Lipman

Professor of History

alipman@barnard.edu

Nara Milanich

Professor and Chair of History

nmilanich@barnard.edu

José Moya

Professor of History

jmoya@barnard.edu

Premilla Nadasen

Professor of History

Anupama Rao

Professor of History and MESAAS (Columbia)

arao@barnard.edu

Alfonso Salgado

Term Assistant Professor

asalgado@barnard.edu

Lisa Tiersten

Professor of History

ltiersten@barnard.edu

Carl Wennerlind

Janet H. Robb Professor of the Social Sciences

cwennerl@barnard.edu

Emeriti Faculty

Joel Kaye, Professor Emeritus

Robert McCaughey, Professor Emeritus

Rosalind Rosenberg, Professor Emerita

Nancy Woloch, Research Scholar

History FAQ

When do I sign up for discussion sections associated with lecture courses?

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CU often has discussion sections and times on the course listings page. Barnard does not. Sign-up for sections generally occurs during the first week or two of the semester.

Is there a limit to the number of classes I can take at Columbia?

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Is there a limit to the number of classes taken abroad that can count toward the major?

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Can I count courses outside the department toward the major?

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Are there any required core courses for the History major?

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I took AP European history. As a History major, do I still need to take three introductory lectures?

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Are there any opportunities to publish my work?

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What opportunities are there to interact with fellow History majors or Department faculty outside the classroom?

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Contact Us

Address

3009 Broadway
813 Milstein Center
10027 NY
United States

Phone

(212) 854-2159

Department Manager

Taylor Doran

Department Assistant

Sully Rios