Rice University, BA, History

The study of history informs students about the many worlds of the past from which our diverse community has come, providing analytical tools with which to understand the present in terms of the past, and creating a knowledgeable citizenry that can confront the challenges of the future with confidence and historical insight. History lies at the heart of the Humanities, which provides the moral core of all great universities. The department of History at Rice offers a diverse and exciting range of undergraduate electives that encourage engagement with the past as a way to understand the present and that foster appreciation of past societies for their own sake as important elements of the human experience. Our undergraduate major emphasizes critical skills in communication, writing, and especially research skills, and our department funds travel to archives and libraries as students prepare senior seminar papers and honors theses. The history major is flexible and offers an International Concentration that recognizes study abroad experience and research competency in languages other than English. The Honors Program offers highly motivated students the chance to engage deeply with historical research and writing.