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History

Historians use a variety of sources to explain how human relationships have changed over time. Considering events across centuries and around the world, they are storytellers whose narratives are rooted in reality, and specific to a time and place. They are also scientists who weigh evidence to make persuasive arguments about the past, and understand how it affects the present.

Why Choose History?

The Classes

Studying history at Manhattan College gives you access to a breadth of historical subjects. Our classes examine topics including:

  • Sports history
  • The French Revolution
  • Eastern Europe
  • Latin America
  • Women and gender
  • New York City
  • The Crusades
  • The Civil War
  • Japan
  • The Holocaust

The Faculty

You will learn directly from the experts on these topics. Our faculty members study everything from the American West to East Asia and the Ancient World to the modern United States. They engage with you and are accessible in and out of class.

The Experience

As a history major, you are eligible to apply for one-on-one research opportunities with faculty. The Summer Research Scholars program and the Branigan Scholars grant fund summer research and writing projects. These competitive experiences look great on resumes when applying to graduate schools or jobs. Other students choose a different kind of hands-on experience, like internships at:

  • Museums
  • Law offices
  • Political campaigns
  • Publishing houses
  • Archives
  • Libraries
  • Foundations
  • Film/television companies

The Department hosts movie nights (Monty Python, anyone?), social gatherings and lectures. In fact, every semester, top historians from around the world visit campus to speak about their research. There also off-campus opportunities, like trips to museums and faculty-led tours to historical landmarks.

Visit Campus Request Information

Manhattan College’s value of service showed me that I wanted to work for an institution whose mission it is to make sure 9/11 is never forgotten, and to serve not only the New York City community as a place of healing and remembrance, but as an international stage that ensures that all those who died will never be forgotten.

Courtney Slack ’14, events assistant at the 9/11 Memorial Museum

What Will You Learn?

As a history major, you will learn to:

  • Think critically about the past
  • Write clear, rigorous and engaging prose
  • Organize evidence
  • Analyze complicated patterns
  • Conduct oral histories and archival histories
  • Study culture and society

History is also available as a minor.

See degree requirements

What Will You Do?

Learning to read, write and analyze information at a high level will prepare you for any career path. Employers value critical thinkers, and the demand for this skill is especially high in New York City. A degree in history will prepare you for many careers paths.