Department of History
Faculty
Distinguished Professor
John Monfasani, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Distinguished Teaching Professor
Warren E. Roberts, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of California, Berkeley
Distinguished Service Professor
Sung Bok Kim, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
Michigan State University
Professors Emeriti
Thomas Barker, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Ronald M. Berger, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Robert R. Dykstra, Ph.D.
University of Iowa
June E. Hahner, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Bruce B. Solnick, Ph.D.
New York University
Robert F. Wesser, Ph.D.
University of Rochester
Lawrence S. Wittner, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Joseph F. Zacek, Ph.D.
University of Illinois
Professors
Allen B. Ballard, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
Harvard University
Graham J. Barker-Benfield, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Iris Berger, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Richard F. Hamm, Ph.D. (Department Chair)
University of Virginia
H. Peter Krosby, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Dan S. White, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Gerald Zahavi, Ph.D.
Syracuse University
Associate Professors Emeriti
Donald Birn, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Richard H. Kendall, Ph.D.
Yale University
Ivan D. Steen, Ph.D. (O'Leary Professor)
New York University
Clara J. Tucker, Ph.D.
Syracuse University
Ann F. Withington, Ph.D.
Yale University
Associate Professors
Richard S. Fogarty, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Susan M. Gauss, Ph.D.
SUNY at Stony Brook
Nadieszda Kizenko, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Patrick Nold, Phil.D.
Oxford University
Barry Trachtenberg, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Assistant Professors
Michitake Aso, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Carl Bon Tempo, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
Sheila Curran Bernard, M.F.A
Goddard College
Kori A. Graves, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
David P Hochfelder, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve University
Ryan Irwin, Ph.D.
Ohio State University
Monica Kim, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Kendra Smith-Howard, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Affiliated Faculty
Anthony DeBlasi, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Department of East Asian Studies
Phillip B. Eppard, Ph.D.
Brown University
College of Computing and Information
Vivien W. Ng, Ph.D.
University of Hawaii
Department of Women’s Studies
Adjuncts: 20
Teaching Assistants: 14
The objective of the Department is to provide its students with a thorough grounding in the past, seen from both social scientific and humanistic perspectives, and in the nature of history and historical analysis. The Department prepares undergraduates for a variety of career options which rely upon a sound liberal arts education, as well as for graduate study in both academic and professional fields.
To accomplish its objectives, the Department offers programs leading to the B.A., the M.A., the Certificate of Advanced Study in Public History, and the Ph.D. An honors program and a combined B.A./M.A. program are also available to qualified students. In addition, the Department participates in several interdepartmental programs, including Documentary Studies; Africana Studies; Asian Studies; Women’s Studies; Judaic Studies; Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies; Medieval and Renaissance Studies; and Russian and East European Studies.
Careers
The study of history prepares students for a variety of career paths, extending from fields such as law and education, to journalism and media ventures, and to business and government service. Faculty are available to consult with students about their career interests.
Special Programs or Opportunities
The department encourages its majors to participate in those international programs relevant to their particular historical interests. For more detailed information, see the section on the Office of International Education. The department also offers its undergraduate students opportunities for internships in local museums and historical agencies through A HIS 499.
Degree Requirements for the Major in History
Students majoring in History must complete a minimum of 36 credits in history while fulfilling a concentration in one of the three geographic fields: United States, Europe, or World History. These credits must be distributed as follows:
- 9 credits of foundational coursework: 3 credits in a 100-level survey course in each geographic field U.S., Europe, and World History*
- 15 credits of coursework in the field of concentration: 12 credits at the 300-level, and 3 credits at the 200-level
- 9 credits of coursework outside the field of concentration: 6 credits at the 300-level, and 3 credits at the 200-level
- 3 credits earned in the department's capstone course, A HIS 489Z, the Senior Research Seminar
*Students must take the 9 credits of foundational coursework before taking courses at the 300 level.
History Honors Program
Each spring semester the Department of History admits qualified students into the honors program in history. The purpose of the honors program is to provide well-qualified students with close contact with faculty and intensive training in historical research and writing.
Students may be admitted to the program in the spring semester of their junior year after formally declaring a major in history. To be admitted, students must have completed 15 credits of course work in history (at least 6 of these credits must be at or above the 300 level and must have been earned at the University at Albany). In addition, students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 overall and an average in history of 3.50. Interested students should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History for more information on the application process. Completed applications should be submitted no later than March 1st of the junior year.
Students admitted to the honors program are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits in history, fulfilling all the “Requirements for the Major” listed above. Within the 36 credits, the student must complete the three honors courses: A HIS 495Z, 496Z, and 497Z. Credits from A HIS 495Z and 497Z can be counted toward the concentration most appropriate to the subject of the student’s honors thesis (“United States”, “European”, or “World History”). Credits from A HIS 496Z replace the department’s capstone course, A HIS 489Z, for students who complete the honors program. Students complete the honors courses as follows:
- A HIS 497Z, Independent Research and Writing in History, 4 credits, taken during the fall of the student’s senior year under the supervision of a thesis adviser secured by the student.
- A HIS 495Z (fall semester) and 496Z (spring semester), Senior Honors Thesis Seminar, 4 credits each. This seminar will meet throughout the year under the supervision of a department faculty member and will offer students a small seminar format for learning about historical research and writing, as well as for sharing and critiquing their own work and that of others. By the end of the year each student will, in conjunction with this seminar, produce a thesis of 12,000 to 15,000 words based on original research.
Department faculty members will evaluate the students’ progress at the end of the spring semester senior year. Students will be judged eligible for graduation “with honors in history” based on the quality of their thesis as well as the satisfactory completion of all other curricular requirements with a grade point average of at least a 3.50 in history and 3.25 overall. Students selected to graduate “with honors in history” will be honored formally at the departmental graduation ceremony in May.
Combined B.A./M.A. Program
The combined B.A./M.A. program in history provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of undergraduate and master’s degree programs from the beginning of their junior year.
The combined program requires a minimum of 138 credits, of which at least 30 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all University and college requirements, including the requirements of the major program in history described above, the minor, the minimum 90-credit liberal arts and sciences, General Education, and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.A., students must meet all University and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits and any other conditions, such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, other professional experience, and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the B.A. and M.A. programs.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty, one of whom must be from the Department of History, are required for consideration. Students are admitted to the combined program upon the recommendation of the department’s Graduate Committee.
