<p>I know Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UNC, U. Chicago are good. But does anyone have a list of the top history departments? Graduate/Undergraduate, doesn't matter to me.</p>
<p>Also is University of Iowa any good when it comes to history?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>And I'm also interested, but more in the Classical Studies areas.</p>
<p>Because grad schools are churning out so many history doctorates there are good history departments all over the country. You don't need to go to the best rated graduate history department to get a good undergraduate education. Look at the catalogs and see what courses are offered and how often they're taught. Does any particular college specialize in an area you are interested in: American; European; African; Asian; African-American; Southern; Western; American Colonial, Recent; Soviet; Middle Eastern? And so on. Also look to the library resources and see if they have any special collections in the areas you are interested in.</p>
<p>History is a discipline best learned at the graduate level. At the undergraduate level you should focus on what areas you are interested in, begin to learn how to conduct historical research, and learn one or more foreign languages, which may be imperative depending on the field of interest you choose.</p>
<p>At the undergraduate level, any of the top programs will do.</p>
<p>TOP HISTORY PROGRAMS:
Research:
Brown University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yale University</p>
<p>LAC:
Amherst College
Bryn Mawr College (women only)
Carleton College
Darmouth College
Haverford College
Middlebury College
Pomona College
Reed College
Smith College (women only)
Swarthmore College
Wellesley College (women only)
Wesleyan University
Williams College</p>
<p>CLASSICS:
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College (wonen only)
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Harvard University
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Texas-Austin</p>
<p>Where do undergrad history majors end up? Grad school? Do they tend to gravitate to any particular fields or careers? Just curious....</p>
<p>
[quote]
Where do undergrad history majors end up?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>For me it was first a very short stint in law school. Then grad school in history where I got an MA. Then a 30 plus career in the Federal Government in civil rights in the Departments of Justice and Education using the research, writing, and investigative skills I learned in the history departments at Rutgers and UNC-CH. Now I'm with the University of Wisconsin doing investigative work.</p>
<p>For those I was with at Chapel Hill, all of who have PHds: one is a computer consultant (he learned his skills in the Federal Government); another is an educational consultant; another is a an administrative law judge; another has had a 30 year career at the history department of the U. of South Alabama; another has had a 30-year career at Shepard College in WVA; another is in a family business; another taught at the UA-Little Rock and was a stay at home mom but still managed to publish one book, edit another, and have a third being considered for publication; and, a former roommate with an MA is a chief regional historian with the National Parks Service.</p>
<p>Thanks....no astronauts?</p>
<p>
[quote]
no astronauts?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, but among the people I went to grad school with I'm sure one or two may have wound up as academic military historians or as civilian historians with the military and written about astronauts.</p>
<p>If you'd like some info on special areas, I might be able to help:</p>
<p>For Civil War history, Gettysburg can't be beat.</p>
<p>For medieval history, Fordham, Smith, Wellesley, Vassar, and most of the women's/historically women's colleges are good choices.</p>
<p>Bates is good for classical, medieval, and East Asian history.</p>
<p>Harvard has excellent programs for Celtic, Byzantine, and East Asian history. I believe UCLA has a Celtic Studies program, but it might be another UC.</p>
<p>There's some school (probably more than one, but there's one in my mind) with a military history institute, but I can't think of it for the life of me.</p>
<p>I like this thread. Thanks for the list, Alexandre.</p>
<p>I'm considering majoring in history, and I think it's basically inevitable career-wise that I'll end up teaching at a college level. I heard a lot of history majors do go into law, but my parents won't let me go to law school.</p>
<p>Hon, look at it this way: If you have your Bachelor's at 22 and your parents are still dictating your life so much that you're not "allowed" to go on to law school, you don't deserve to go. ;) If that's your dream, go for it.</p>
<p>^
^^
^^^
^^^^
Brandeis is top in Middle Eastern Studies</p>
<p>Ancient Egypt, I believe is a specialty at Brown</p>
<p>Haha, I don't think it is, beginning. Nearly everyone in my family is a lawyer or has gone to law school and no one is happy they did. If I REALLY wanted to, I'm sure I could figure out a way but it's always been "No kids of mine are going to be unhappy lawyers like us" with my family.</p>
<p>Besides, teaching or researching seems way more interesting.</p>
<p>Ah, okay. The way you made it sound, I thought you were being held back from your dream by your parents. If you don't want to be a lawyer and instead want to teach, thank you. ;)</p>
<p>That's right about Brown -- they're the only school in North America with an Egyptology major. Brandeis is sometimes accused of being too Judaic-focused (surprise!), but I don't know much else about their program.</p>
<p>Alexandre what's the link for what you posted?</p>
<p>Top 38 graduate programs from US News:
1. Yale University
2. Princeton University
University of CaliforniaBerkeley
4. Harvard University
Stanford University
University of Chicago
7. Columbia University
University of MichiganAnn Arbor<br>
9. Johns Hopkins University
University of CaliforniaLos Angeles
11. Cornell University
University of WisconsinMadison
13. University of North CarolinaChapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
15. Brown University
Duke University
17. Northwestern University
Rutgers State UniversityNew Brunswick
19. Indiana UniversityBloomington<br>
University of TexasAustin<br>
University of Virginia<br>
22. New York University<br>
University of IllinoisUrbana-Champaign<br>
University of MinnesotaTwin Cities<br>
25. University of MarylandCollege Park
26. CUNY Graduate School and University Center
Ohio State University<br>
University of CaliforniaDavis<br>
29. Emory University
University of Washington<br>
Vanderbilt University
32. College of William and Mary
Georgetown University
University of CaliforniaIrvine<br>
University of CaliforniaSan Diego<br>
University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara
University of Iowa ***********
University of Notre Dame</p>
<p>Virginia Tech has a pretty awesome Civil War history program, by far one of the best in the country, and at a good price as well.</p>
<p>I heard UC Davis' undergrad history department is one of the best when compared to the other UC's...</p>
<p>can anyone verify?</p>
<p>Mary Washington is famous for historical preservation.</p>
<p>Wich university or departament have special studies for medieval Balkane's?</p>