History (major)

The undergraduate major in History is among the most popular at Columbia, enrolling over one hundred Columbia College students at any one time. It is overseen by the History Department.

Theses

To receive honors in the History Department, undergraduate students must complete a senior thesis. This document is usually around 50-80 pages, and must include substantial original research. Students writing theses either take seminars or work independently with individual advisors. While one cannot receive honors without writing a thesis, it is not, however, a graduation requirement.

Honors and Awards

Those theses receiving honors must not constitute more than 10% of the number of history majors in a given year. In addition to honors, the history department awards several prizes for theses and other work of note. These include:

• The Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize
• The Chandler Historical Prize
• The Lily Prize
• The Albert Marion Elsberg Prize
• The Garrett Mattingly Prize