Department of History

About the Department

History matters

Watch our faculty discuss their interdisciplinary research and public impact.

The study of history prepares students to live thoughtfully, to work in a wide variety of professions, and to participate as national and global citizens.

A popular undergraduate major at Pitt, history develops skills (research and synthesis, critical reading, careful and clear writing and speaking) that are critically important in politics, law, business, teaching, and public relations. History faculty members are experienced and passionate scholar-teachers of both undergraduate and graduate students. Along with the students they train, they bring the long-term perspective of history into important debates about the present.

The History Department at the University of Pittsburgh enjoys an international reputation. The area studies—U.S., Asia, Latin America, and Europe—rank among the best programs in the nation and attract both national and international students.

The Department of History offers a wide range of courses covering Atlantic history, world history, the African diaspora, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, environmental history, and cultural and intellectual history.  Labor, social, and urban history, fields to which Pitt made pioneering contributions beginning in the 1960s, continue to be important areas of faculty and student interest.

Why History at Pitt

At the Department of History at Pitt, we're not just thinking about the past: we think about the present and future too. From creating strong relationships with professors and peers to gaining transregional expertise, we prepare you to do research abroad, apply cutting-edge methods, and speak to urgent public debates. Make history with us today.

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