At ºù«Ӱҵ, the history major helps you make sense of how people, power, and ideas have shaped the world. The ºù«Ӱҵ History Department trains you to assess the context and reliability of information, synthesize complex issues, and link theory with practice.
Earn Your History Degree from ºù«Ӱҵ
As a history major at Occidental, you’ll study how societies change over time and how events in one place ripple across the globe. The Occidental history undergraduate program emphasizes how global institutions and systemic structures shape hierarchies, inequalities, and individuals’ roles within them across diverse geographic and temporal contexts. You’ll learn to evaluate competing interpretations, work with primary and secondary sources from around the world, and apply multiple historical approaches—from social and political history to economic, cultural, intellectual, gender, and the history of science—before forming well-reasoned conclusions.
The ºù«Ӱҵ History Department connects classroom learning with hands-on experience. You might intern at museums and archives across Los Angeles, join faculty mentored research projects, or study the history behind contemporary debates on migration, memory, human rights, and democracy. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your writing, research, and public speaking skills, building a toolkit that prepares you for careers in law, public policy, education, journalism, business, and the nonprofit world.
