Explore the past, and through it, shape the future.
Past is Prologue
At Purchase, history isn’t just about knowing what has happened; it’s about understanding it. It’s about figuring out how society works and where we fit into it. If you’re looking to untangle the complexities of the world, a major in history might just be for you.
Gain Valuable Skills
Far more than the mere memorization of dates and events, history is a living world waiting for us to set it free. Its study presents the opportunity to discover new stuff, generate original insights, revise the conventional view, and influence the world in which we live.
Whether you become a professional historian or not, majoring in history will give you the knowledge, analytical skills, and perspective you need to make the most of your journey into the future.
Proof of Purchase
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Special Effects + Pyrotechnician -
Historian, Author, Content Manager -
Journalist
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Litigation Attorney -
Senior Staff Writer
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Policy Strategist -
LMSW
News:
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Assistant Professor of History Jessica Levy Receives NEH Grant
The competitive National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipends support humanities scholars in undertaking archival research for books and articles.
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Elizabeth Hyman ’11 Signs Deal With Harper Perennial
The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: A Female Military History of the Warsaw Ghetto and its Uprising, a narrative history, will be published in 2025.
Upcoming:
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Apr
20
The Archive Thief: The Man Who Salvaged French Jewish History in the Wake of the Holocaust – A Book Talk with Professor Lisa Leff
Time: 6:30pmWhy did renowned Jewish historian Zosa Szajkowski steal tens of thousands of archival documents from France—and why did libraries in the U.S. and Israel accept them? In this gripping talk based on her award-winning book The Archive Thief, Prof. Lisa Leff uncovers the complex story of a scholar whose illicit actions helped preserve a vital Jewish past. Through Szajkowski’s life, Leff explores urgent questions of memory, ownership, and the legacy of Holocaust-era archives.
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May
3
2026 Humanities Symposium
Time: 8:30am—2:00pmThe Humanities symposium is a way to share and celebrate the great work of our students with faculty, friends, and family.
