Undergraduate Research

We are proud to offer an array of robust research opportunities for our undergraduate students. In addition to the research students conduct in history classes each semester, our signature HOUR program (History Opportunities for Undergraduate Research) offers many students the opportunity to collaborate with department faculty on their groundbreaking scholarly work. A select group of students from each graduating class also participates in our undergraduate honors program. Honors candidates conduct an extensive research project of their own choosing, working closely with a faculty advisor as they research, write, and present an original thesis.

Graduate Research

Throughout their years in our MA and PhD programs, each of our graduate students undertakes an in-depth research project that pushes the boundaries of scholarship in their chosen field. PhD students spend many years researching and writing their dissertations, often uncovering and highlighting historical perspectives that have not received sufficient scholarly attention. In addition to their culminating research projects, graduate students regularly publish their research in academic journals and in news outlets. Some students also engage in public history and/or digital history work, which makes historical knowledge accessible to new audiences.

Faculty Research

Our faculty conduct groundbreaking research in a variety of fields, with particular strengths in American history; Latin American history; premodern Europe; totalitarian Europe; the Atlantic world; public and digital history; environmental history; and the history of science, medicine, and public health. Faculty members travel around the world, often with significant grant support, to collect oral histories and dig through documents in archives. They may publish their research in a number of formats, including articles in academic journals, interactive websites, opinion pieces for news outlets like The Washington Post and Time, and prize-winning full-length books, many of which are highlighted below. Of course, they also bring their research experience into the classroom, where undergraduates and graduate students can benefit from their expertise.