In the B.A. Program in History and Culture, students will explore the ways in which particular groups of people and individuals create and are created by their histories and cultures. This major emphasizes the importance of understanding the ways that past and present intersect in exhibitions of creativity and power, the construction and expression of identity for groups and individuals, and values and beliefs embodied in the ideas, actions, and objects in society.

The program is designed to provide students with a broad base of knowledge and skills from the perspectives of anthropology, art history, and history. Through these multiple and overlapping lenses, students will analyze and interpret the ideas, events, and artifacts that shape and define contemporary and historical cultures. The skills and cultural sensitivity that are developed through this major may be applied to careers requiring multicultural and/or international perspectives, in addition to those calling for a strong liberal arts background.

The core courses provide an introduction to comparative cultural and historical concepts and methods, as well as a common framework and vocabulary for creating deeper understanding in the concentrations: Art and Museum Studies, European Studies, and Developing Area Studies.