Concentrating within the History major: Is it worth it?
/After my first meeting with my pre-major advisor, I was shocked at the interdisciplinary nature of History at Penn, as the major cross-listed with departments like Sociology, Economics, or even Gender studies. So it is unsurprising that within the major itself, students can concentrate within any discipline that peaks their interest.
Within the concentrations, there are Regional Concentrations (American, European, and World) and Thematic Concentrations, which are listed below. Regional Concentrations are self-explanatory, you take courses that are geographically related to your area of historical interest. They are not as specific as Thematic Concentrations, rather, they focus on how geography, time, or location affect the history of a region. Popular courses include: Discover the Middle Ages, Art History in Global Asia, or Introduction to the Middle East.
Diplomatic History: For students interested in studying foreign policy or the military. This concentration may also be for those interested in government work, as a background in foreign policy and international trade would bolster your quantitative skills in finance and qualitative skills in writing. Courses would also have to be taken in the Economics Department, cross-listed with History. Examples of popular options amongst these courses: International trade, Chinese Foreign Policy, and American Foreign Policy.
Economic History: Similar to Diplomatic History, the Economic concentration is for students who are more interested in the theory behind Economics and the history of its evolution over time in Asia, the U.S, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. This is a great choice for students interested in building their math/statistical skills whilst pursuing a humanities based major. Students are also required to take Intro to Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, so if mathematical courses are not your cup of tea, then perhaps other concentrations more involved with research would suit your interests. Most students who pursue this concentration have an interest in consulting or finance, but that is not a requirement whatsoever.
Gender History: This concentration appeals to students who are interested in the study of women, gender, and sexuality. Those who desire to conduct research may find this concentration particularly attractive, as many professors conduct Gender History studies (through potential overlap with Sociology) from cross-cultural perspectives all year-round. As an especially interdisciplinary concentration, the concentration allows students to take courses in Asian American studies, Africana studies, Health & Societies, Latinx Studies, Jewish studies, and more. Some popular courses could include: Gender and Sexuality in Chinese History, Global Queer History, and Sex and Power in the Middle East.
Intellectual History: Students interested in investigating the history of human thought, culture, and expression, in conjunction with European texts that have helped shape Western thought, will likely gravitate towards this concentration. Students majoring in Intellectual History are likely to engage in research through CURF, similar to Gender History, and are usually interested in pursuing academia of some sort, though this is not always the case. Pre-law is a popular option amongst History majors, with some students in Intellectual History going to law school after graduation. It is important to note that the courses within this concentration tend to be European dominated, however, two major-related elective courses are permitted across interdisciplinary departments. Asian American studies, Africana studies, Philosophy, or Political Science are popular options for these cross-listed elective credits.
Jewish History: Being the only concentration that has a language requirement, this concentration allows students to rigorously study Jewish history from Spain’s Golden Age to modern Israel, Eastern to Western Europe, and how Judaism has evolved throughout the centuries. Hebrew or Yiddish courses are required in conjunction with Jewish History, although a proficiency exam may be taken to test out of all or some of the four required semesters of language. Students may collaborate with the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies for research opportunities or may attend talks with Jewish scholars.
Political History: As the newest concentration, students will be able to declare a Political History concentration from August 2024 onwards. Students are invited to study the comparative approaches to the organization of government, state institutions, citizenship, and rights. How is this different from majoring in Political Science? In layman’s terms, the concentration is rooted in the historical method, encouraging students to focus on a single nation, empire, or region to consider how geography, time, and location affect the development of political infrastructure. This concentration is particularly attractive for those interested in pursuing law.
It's up to you whichever area you’d like to concentrate in, and if none of these subject matters suit your interests, then you are welcome to not concentrate whatsoever. I encourage you to experiment with courses that fulfill different concentrations, because more often than not, they end up counting towards the general history major. Students interested in pre-law may not concentrate at all however, as it leaves time for pre-law themed extracurricular activities. For those interested in pursuing PhD’s, concentrations are a popular option to dive very deeply into a subject area and conduct research with faculty. Due to History’s interdisciplinary nature, it also makes it easy for students to switch between different concentrations with little consequence.
- Seyoon C.