History

When you study history at Colby, you’re signing on for an intellectually rigorous and rewarding experience.

Working alongside our accomplished faculty, you’ll examine the diversity of human experience by studying the evolution of your culture and others around the world.

Colby students research about Benjamin Franklin Butler, a former Colby alum and Civil War hero

About History

Colby’s history majors gain a broad knowledge of the rich human past and become critical readers, skilled problem solvers, disciplined researchers, and accomplished writers. Students explore the vast scope of human history from a comparative perspective, and also focus on specific time periods, regions of the world, and themes. Faculty expertise includes world history as well as the history of the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia, Africa, the U.S., Europe, Russia, and the Soviet Union. Faculty specialize in global health, the environment, technology, Islam and other world religions, war, gender, Native American and African American history, and more.

History faculty are committed to student learning in a variety of pedagogical settings, including lectures, class discussions, historiographical seminars, senior research seminars, independent research and honors projects with individual faculty members, and study abroad.