History Major

To be a history major, you need to be curious. You’ll become an investigator into the minds, motivations, and movements that shaped our world, all while studying in one of the most historic cities on earth. At Suffolk, you’ll sharpen your analytical and critical-thinking skills to interpret the past, contextualize the present, and frame the future.

You'll customize your studies by selecting a concentration in either United States history, regional and global histories, or public history. Whichever you choose, you won't just study history: you'll engage with it. Suffolk University professors encourage classroom debate and rigorous research, and they'll prepare you for a career that requires you to ask challenging questions and provide well-articulated answers, from law to education to journalism to business.

You’ll also have the rare opportunity to earn college credit while interning at one of the region’s many historical societies and museums, like the USS Constitution and the Massachusetts Historical Society. You’ll have unparalleled access to rare archival resources, such as collections at the Boston Public Library, too.

You can specialize in African history, Asian history, American history, and women’s history, with upper-level classes tailored to your focus. Plus, Suffolk is home to a branch of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.

Concentrations

No matter what concentration you select, you will have numerous opportunities to take History electives outside your area of specialization as well. The History faculty encourage you to develop both depth and breadth in your knowledge of history. All courses, regardless of concentration area, bolster your engagement with historical subject matter and professional opportunities.

Public History is both a field of study and a career path that emphasizes the many ways that history is put to work in the world. Public historians work in a variety of jobs, including government, museums, historic sites, libraries and archives, media companies, historic preservation, and community activism. This concentration is the only such undergraduate concentration in the metropolitan area. Many of our students have gone on to successful public history careers.

In the Regional and Global Histories Concentration you will  examine the histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Your studies will emphasize the inter-related histories of these continents, nation states located on each, global migrations and diasporas, and economic globalization past and present.

The United States History Concentration addresses diverse topics ranging from the histories of indigenous peoples and colonial seaports to the American Revolution, slavery, and the Civil War; the histories of African Americans, women and workers; and the emergence of the modern American state throughout the Progressive Era, Great Depression, 20th-century wars, and recent political polarization.

Courses & Requirements

Learn more about the classes, requirements, and different options available to complete the program.