History Undergraduate

What do Joe Biden, Martha Stewart, Conan O’Brian, Kareem Adbul Jabbar, Sonia Sotomayor, W. E. B. du Bois, and King Charles III have in common?  They were all History majors, along with many others who have successfully pursued careers in fields as diverse as business, politics, teaching, media, and even professional sports. Studying history requires you to conduct research, assess often conflicting evidence, sort through misinformation, and offer effective and convincing interpretations in oral and written communications, all skill-sets that rank particularly high in a recent survey of what most influences employers when hiring. Indeed, well over 90 per cent of those surveyed say that the ability to “think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than the undergraduate major” chosen. There are a huge range of career options for History majors out there.

Students majoring or minoring in History at Fordham can choose from a wide variety of courses to hone their analytical, interpretive, research, and rhetorical skills while learning more about culture, the economy, politics, religion, and society in the past and in different regions of the world  Our students also gain the rare privilege of learning history in New York City, a metropolitan region rich in its own history and historical resources..Few locations around the world can rival the opportunities that New York offers our students in terms of internships, libraries, archives, and museums.

Fordham History faculty members are deeply committed to each student’s academic development. We always encourage you to ask questions in class, meet with us outside of class, and pursue the research that most inspires you. For more information, stop by our department or contact the directors of undergraduate studies for the Fall Semester 2023, Professor Asif Siddiqi at the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx (Dealy 625) and Professor Doron Ben-Atar (LL 422B) at the Lincoln Center campus. For the Spring Semester 2024, please contact Professor Thierry Rigogne (LL 422A) at Lincoln Center and Professor W. David Myers (Dealy 631) at Rose Hill.

Senior Manuela Betancourt Restrepo earned the 2023 Mooney Prize as the most outstanding Rose Hill History major.

The history blog features more information about our student award recipients.