We offer graduate training leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. in a wide range of fields, including Early America, Modern America, African-American, Colonial and Modern Latin America, Military, Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Modern Europe, British and British Empire, South Asia, Imperial and Soviet Russia, Traditional and Modern China, Modern Japan, Africa, History of Medicine, and History of Science and Technology.
Upcoming Events
Wed
17
Oct
Nationalism and Development in Asia
12:00 PM @ Sanford School -- Rubenstein Hall, Room 200
Mon
22
Oct
Gender, Race and Labor in the Academy
3:00 PM @ East Duke Parlors
Mon
22
Oct
Gender, Race and Labor in the Academy
3:00 PM @ East Duke Parlors
About Us
Duke’s History Department — among the top programs in the country — regard the creation of knowledge as one of the fundamental missions of a research university. Our world-renowned faculty, who work closely with our students and collaborate with colleagues across disciplines, are at the cutting edge of research in their fields as they address society’s greatest challenges. And our graduate and undergraduate academic programs — designed to help students critically think about the world around them — successfully prepare students for a wide range of careers.
Latest News
"Why tech’s gender problem is nothing new...
Duke alum, Prof Marie Hicks, publishes "Why tech’s gender problem is nothing new" in the guardian.com. Marie recieved her PhD and MA in History at Duke. read more about "Why tech’s gender problem is nothing new" »
Lucian Li, History major, featured in blog
Lucian Li, a history and computer science double major, is featured in the Duke Research blog. Read more here. read more about Lucian Li, History major, featured in blog »
Fall 2018 Undergraduate Office Hours for Drop/Add
The Director of Undergraduate Studies office will hold office hours during drop/add to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have about your History major or minor. ... read more about Fall 2018 Undergraduate Office Hours for Drop/Add »
Travis Knoll publishes "Black Theological...
Travis Knoll recently published an article entitled, "Black Theological Politics from Obama to the Present" in Tocqueville21.com. Black Theological Politics from Obama to... read more about Travis Knoll publishes "Black Theological Politics from Obama to the Present" »
Ayanna Legros featured on NBC 6 in South Florida
Ayanna Legros was featured on NBC 6 in South Florida as a result of her article "As A Haitian-American Woman, I Know I’m Afro-Latina But It’s Time For You To Acknowledge It, Too... read more about Ayanna Legros featured on NBC 6 in South Florida »
History PhD candidate Travis Knoll receives...
Duke History PhD candidate Travis Knoll received an AY 2018-2019 Andrew Mellon Foundation-funded Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship.... read more about History PhD candidate Travis Knoll receives Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship »
Nancy MacLean invited to Senate hearing on Janus
Nancy MacLean was invited by Senators Whitehouse and Stabenow and the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee to open a hearing entitled “After Janus v. AFSCME: Why... read more about Nancy MacLean invited to Senate hearing on Janus »
Bill Chafe writes op-ed "What happens when...
Bill Chaf'e latest op-ed published in the Des Moines Register asks the question, "What happens when dedication to 'civility' is used as a basis for suppressing protest?" You can... read more about Bill Chafe writes op-ed "What happens when dedication to 'civility' is used as a basis for suppressing protest?" »
Trump and the future of our republic: The omens...
By John Jeffries Martin Normally the image would not have crystalized my anxiety. But I happened upon it in a dark time: as Donald Trump began to campaign in earnest for the... read more about Trump and the future of our republic: The omens aren't good »
Academics
Graduate Program
Undergraduate Program
We offer a Bachelor of Arts major where students can focus their studies in two ways: Thematic Concentrations to explore contemporary issue and themes from historical perspectives, and Geographic Concentrations to explore issues present in specific parts of the globe. A minor is also available.
Featured Courses
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Gateway Seminar: The Global Sixties: Race,...
HISTORY 160SThe 1960s in global context, focusing particularly on Europe, Latin America, and the United States. The rise of mass movements dedicated to racial, economic, and sexual justice, against the backdrop of Cold War and decolonization. The...
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Gateway Seminar: The Price of Sex- Gender and the...
HISTORY 188SExplores how sex and gender have shaped economic policies and opportunities in different settings, particularly in the modern era (19th, 20th, and 21st centuries). Will focus on public policies and normative practices at the local,...
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PUBLISHING & MKTG POP FICTION: Book...
HISTORY 248SA case study of the US romance fiction industry and its global reach. The romance novel is the most popular form of fiction in the world. Its industry is powered by women, produces a product consumed by women, and exports to global...
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Latin American Wars of Independence
HISTORY 264This course covers the conspiracies, uprisings, and wars that led to the independence of Haiti and the Latin American colonies of Spain and Portugal between 1780 and the 1898 withdrawal of Spain from Cuba. It focuses on the key military...
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Crime and the City from Dickens to The Wire
HISTORY 313Crime and the City from Dickens to The Wire. Compares representation of crime and the city in two key "texts": Charles Dickens's “Oliver Twist” and the HBO television series, “The Wire.” Juxtaposes the social and political contexts to...
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The Modern Regulatory State
HISTORY 365DThe Modern Regulatory State. Interdisciplinary inquiry into the origins/evolution of modern regulatory institutions in Western Europe and North America, along with the more recent rise of global regulatory bodies. Examines conceptual...
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Women, Gender, and Sexuality in U.S. History
HISTORY 374Women, Gender, and Sexuality in U.S. History. CCI, CZ, EI, SS, W Major questions relating to women and women's place in society over the course of U.S. history, broadly defined, from the colonial period to the present: How did different...
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Slavery and Capitalism: The Political Economy of...
HISTORY 390S.03This course traces the emergence of slavery as a mode of production in the 16th century and its relationship to the rise of modern or industrial capitalism in the nineteenth century United States and broader Atlantic world economy. The...
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Rethinking Care Economies
HISTORY 590S.01This course explores the economic nature of caring — including not only dependents and households but also communities, workplaces, and environments. By taking an interdisciplinary, transnational approach to thinking about care labors...
People
Professor of History
As an historian of early modern Europe Dr. Robisheaux has particular interests in social and cultural history, German-speaking Central Europe,... read more »
Associate Professor in the Department of History
Associate Professor Juliana Barr received her M.A. and Ph.D. (1999) in American women’s history from the University of Wisconsin Madison and her... read more »
Professor of History
My work engages issues of difference, particularly racial, gender, class, and spatial formations. My current book project is “Making a Modern U.... read more »
