Visit Carleton! Book your tour today.
Program Details
The study of history allows us to recognize and understand the complex issues that shaped the contemporary world. The History Department offers courses in African, United States, Asian, Canadian, Caribbean, European, Latin American, and South Asian history. Some courses trace the history of social, political and cultural change of a region or period. Others are thematic and may examine women’s history, the histories of sexuality, sport, alcohol, war or global migrations.
In the Public History Concentration, Honours students explore how history appears in our everyday lives, not only in museums and monuments, but also in movies and video games, and the stories families and communities pass from one generation to the next.
In first year, History students may choose a small seminar class and one or more larger lecture courses, some of which have discussion groups. Both formats foster debate and discussion.
Capital Advantage
There is no better place to study history than the nation’s capital. History courses encourage student research which may draw on the rich array of libraries and archives in the national capital, including Carleton’s own valuable collections and resources.
Work Experience
Students have the opportunity to participate in Co-op and practicum placements, allowing them to transfer skills acquired in the History program to the workplace and gain work experience.
Get started in Carleton360 to receive tailored information on our programs, student services and community.
Program Videos
Program Videos
Career Outcomes
Explore your passions, refine new skills and discover the career that’s right for you.
A degree in History at Carleton provides a valuable first step into many different and exciting careers.
Sample Courses
HIST 1003 - Empire, War, and Revolution in Europe, 1850-1939
Examination of Europe from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1930s. Emphasis on how nation-building, empire, war, and revolution transformed Europe’s politics, culture, society, and relationship to the world. Provides context for understanding contemporary Europe.
HIST 3105 - Renaissance Europe
The political and cultural history of Europe in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with emphasis on the Italian Renaissance and its diffusion into England and France.
Visit the Undergraduate Calendar to view a comprehensive list of course offerings for this program and discover the exciting things Carleton students are learning in the classroom!
Featured Stories
Read exciting stories from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Carleton University Research Opportunity Program (CUROP) is one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had. I was able to pursue my own academic research on the relationship between colonialism and cultural heritage in my family's home country of Malta, under the supervision of an amazing historian, Professor Susan Whitney. I used some of the funding to spend the summer in Malta so I could visit archives and libraries there. It was a great chance learn a bit more about the ins-and-outs of academic research, which really helped to prepare me for graduate school. As a first-generation student, this opportunity has continued to benefit me and I would absolutely encourage all research-oriented undergraduate students to give it a shot.
