All concentrators in History choose a major field in the History Department during the first semester of concentration, ordinarily the second semester of the sophomore year. The major field may be thought of as providing focus to advising conversations; it helps students and advisers plan an individualized program of courses and tutorials in some broad subject area within the wider study of history. Of course, student interests develop and change, so there is no strict rule regarding minimum number of courses in the major field.  Note that students planning to write a thesis must choose courses that provide background for the anticipated thesis subject.

The major fields currently offered by the Department are as follows:

1. American history
2. International relations
3. Modern European history
4. Premodern Western history to 1600 (including Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance)
5. Intellectual history
6. Comparative history (with focuses on East Asian, Near Eastern, Latin American or African history)

Sophomores will receive further information from the History Department concerning major field selection sometime in November, and will ordinarily be expected to have chosen their field upon return from the Thanksgiving break.