entranceway to Bosworth Hall
An entranceway to Bosworth Hall, built of Indiana limestone, fronts Tappan Square and has a central Romanesque tower and hand-carved medieval doorways. Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97
Program Overview

History

Program Type:
  • Major
  • Minor
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department: History

The Department of History provides students with a broad range of historical viewpoints and events, problems and approaches to the societal, cultural, political, intellectual, economic, and global challenges and developments. Rigorous coursework coupled with a research component helps our students gain deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Program Director

Leonard V. Smith ’80

Interim Chair of History
Contact

Jennifer Drop

Administrative Assistant 440-775-8520

Why Study History at Oberlin?

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Study Away Programs
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Variety of Courses
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Archival Collections
image of two brochure pages
Brochure from History Design Lab project on the Washington, D.C. courts of the 19th century. Photo credit: History Design Lab

History Design Lab

The History Design Lab is a collaborative community of students, faculty, and staff working on original research-based projects centered on history. These projects typically deviate from the standard history paper or research project to focus on innovative ways to answer questions about history. The lab is open to anyone who wishes to be involved.

Browse History Design Lab

Student Clubs and Organizations

With nearly 200 student groups and clubs from which to choose, you’d be hard pressed not to get involved in something. From literary to faith and identity, and from counseling to sports, Oberlin has an array of clubs open to new and returning students.

Special Collections

Our history courses provide entry points into many related fields of study, including comparative American studies, Jewish history, Africana studies, the classics, among others. You’ll have a variety of digital and electronic resources at your fingertips to delve into the kinds of research that interests you.

Sample Courses

  • HIST 285 - American Indians: Pre-Columbus to the Present 4 credits
  • HIST 180 - Global Environmental History 4 credits
  • HIST 238 - Slavery in the U.S. 4 credits
  • HIST 383 - Borders, Wars, and Refugees from the Ottoman Empire to ISIS 4 credits
Curriculum and requirements

History Faculty

Explore Faculty within History

“The Oberlin history department offers students a chance to work closely with committed and accomplished faculty, to immerse themselves in the study of many different eras and geographic locations, and to discover the ways in which understanding history is central to the practice of engaged citizenship today.”

Renee Romano, Professor of History, Comparative American Studies, and Africana Studies
See Profile

History News

Oberlin historical marker sign. Photo.

App-based Tour Illuminates Oberlin’s History

July 15, 2019
What began as an aspiration to open a history museum in Oberlin morphed into a series of app-based tours that aim to represent the city’s diverse history—including the first 100 years of Oberlin College.
View all History news

Life After Oberlin

Graduates of the Department of History apply history to such professions as law, journalism, editing, and museum history; and have attended graduate programs at such schools as the University of Chicago, University of North Carolina, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Michigan.

Notable Oberlin Alumni

Matt Kendrick

2014 Associate Editorial Producer, Fareed Zakaria GPS, CNN

Erica Long

2013 Veterinary School, Tufts University

Warren Harding

2013 PhD student, Africana Studies, Brown University