The History Department website>>

Sample Courses:
  • HST-138. Big History. An exploration of the past from the Big Bang to the present, dividing the history of the universe, earth, life and humanity into periods using very large scales of time.
  • HST-158. The Holocaust. European and American Jewry from 1933 to 1945, focusing on modern anti-Semitism, the Nazi world view, German extermination policies, the response of Europe and the U.S., and Jewish behavior in a time of crisis.
  • HST-224. Introduction to Public History. An overview of public history, defined as the presentation of history to a general public audience; includes a public history project in the Schenectady area.
  • HST-225. American Environmental History. The history of human interaction with nature on the North American continent, with a particular focus on the area that would become the U.S. from pre-colonial times until the present.
  • HST-226. A Novel View of U.S. History. The broad scope of American history from colonial times to the present as revealed in literature and novels.
  • HST-266. The Age of Henry VIII. An analysis of the imperial ambitions of Henry VIII and Edward VI in Britain and Ireland.
  • HST-270. History of Latin American Popular Culture. Examines the history of Latin America and the Caribbean in the 19th and 20th centuries through novels, political cartoons, movies, TV shows and music, along with traditional history books.
  • HST-285. The Samurai: Lives, Loves, and Legacies. Explores the evolution of the samurai as a caste, their military and family lives, their passions and their symbolic meaning to Japanese and to others.
  • HST-312. History of Women’s Rights in the United States. Examines major themes in the study of American women’s rights.
  • HST-323. Race and Revolution. Examines the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution.
  • HST-401. Seminar in Africa/Middle East: Islam in Africa. Examines the social, cultural and political history of Islam in Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries.
After Union:
After Union
  • Deputy Press Secretary, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
  • Research and Collections Technician, New York State Museum
  • Senior Account Manager, Yahoo
  • Assistant Editor of Photography, Forbes
  • Analyst/Trader, Bullock Trading, LP
  • Vice President, Merrill Lynch & Company
  • Attorney, law office of Jean Mahserjian, PC
  • Trial Preparation Assistant, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
  • Reporter, Long Beach Herald
  • Director, International Trade Policy, Embassy of Israel
  • Captain, U. S. Marine Corps
  • Executive Assistant to Director of Development, Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Associate Director, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Client Services Associate, Christie's, New York
  • Assistant Professor of History, Russell Sage College
  • History Teacher, Waltham Public Schools
  • Physician, Albany Family Medicine
  • Doctoral Candidate in History (Africa), Michigan State University
  • Doctoral Candidate in History (Latin America), University of Texas-Austin

History

History comes alive at Union College. More than just a survey of data over the ages, our courses and seminars emphasize ideas and institutions across the globe and the continuum of time.

As a History major, you will gain an appreciation of the past and an understanding of the social, cultural and institutional developments that have shaped our world.

You will be introduced to historical methodology and the fundamentals of historical research and writing so you may imagine other cultures and eras, reflect on and comprehend human struggles, and become adept at assessing evidence and weighing conflicting interpretations of history.

Above all, you will learn to think critically, write persuasively, and analyze and solve problems – solid foundations for becoming a thoughtful, engaged, well-rounded citizen.  

The Department of History is based in newly renovated Lipmann Hall, home to many of our Social Sciences. Our classes are small, which allows for opportunities to interact with your professors on a personal level.

You will concentrate your studies in one of five fields of history:

  • African and Middle Eastern
  • Asian
  • European
  • Latin American and Caribbean
  • United States

Courses in special topics focus on Global History; History of Science, Technology and Medicine; Public History; Religion; and Women’s and Gender History.

To gain a global perspective beyond classroom instruction and discourse, you may choose from many terms abroad and mini-terms, including a full term abroad in Athens, Greece, and three-week mini-terms in India, Russia, South Africa, Spain and Thailand. The Civil Rights Mini-Term is a study-tour of key historic sites in the U.S. South, including Atlanta, Charleston, Birmingham and Selma.