Duke University, Department of History

Our 30-plus full time history faculty members cover a diverse array of topics, but share a common approach to the past: we join deep knowledge of particular areas with broad engagement across fields and disciplines to produce award-winning scholarship.

Duke's History Department ranks among the top fifteen programs in the country.

Our undergraduate major is based on the belief that knowledge about the past forever changes how we think about ourselves now. The curriculum challenges students to think critically about the world around them and their place within it. It also offers insight into areas students may wish to pursue as careers, including law, medicine, education, public policy, business, and community action. Our department maintains a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching, which is evidenced in the teaching awards our faculty has received.

The graduate program trains students to develop original scholarship of their own. Our recently revised curriculum provides students with a strong disciplinary base, while also encouraging creative approaches to the past. Our department maintains a strong emphasis on faculty mentorship and a supportive, vibrant graduate student culture.

For any questions not answered on the web-site, please contact Cynthia Hoglen, our departmental administrator.