Welcome to the Department of History. We offer a wide range of courses on Asian, Canadian, European, Latin American, and American history. Many of them are organized thematically: focuses include cultural, environmental, political, social, urban or world history, and the history of science.  

Although the following courses cover a wide range of subjects, each has been designed to provide a basic introduction to the skills common to all historical studies. Most courses will employ primary sources in addition to secondary works. Most will also aim at covering a general understanding of what historians have previously thought and written about the subjects being studied. Through regular written assignments, each course will introduce students to the historians' methods and their medium of expression. In weekly discussion groups, students are expected to participate in the articulation and criticism of historical opinions and judgments.

The Lower Division Program is intended to be diverse and flexible. Any twelve credits selected from this group taken during your first two years will count towards admission to the honours or majors programs in history. If you prefer, all twelve credits can be taken from 100-level offerings, or you can take six credits from 100-level offerings and six credits from 200-level offerings. We recommend that all students, especially those planning to do majors or honours work in history, begin with a 100-level history course before taking a 200-level course. But with permission of the instructor, a 200-level course can be taken without having taken a 100-level course or its equivalent. Consult a Departmental Adviser for suggestions about which courses go together well. Plan your first and second years as one "package."