History and Classical Studies
About History and Classical Studies
About History
The Department offers a wide variety of history courses on diverse cultures and societies around the world from antiquity to contemporary times, as well as covering thematic subjects such as historical theory and methodology, history and sexuality, imperialism and colonialism, histories of science, environmental history, and the history of thought and ideas. Exploring the past provides a context for understanding the present. Indeed, history is a window onto the full diversity of human experience. The study of history also encourages the development of transferable skills in research, writing, and critical thinking, and lays the foundation for careers in a variety of professions, including law, business, journalism, academia, finance, government, the arts, science, education, and medicine.
Programs in History
The Department offers four kinds of undergraduate programs:
- Minor Concentration
- Major Concentration
- Honours
- Joint Honours Component (combined with another component from a second discipline)
In all four of our programs, students are required to take a minimum number of courses at the advanced level in order to build research skills and encourage depth. Additionally, students in the major, honours, and joint honours programs are expected to achieve breadth and diversity in their studies. Please visit the Program website for more details.
Students are encouraged to meet regularly with a departmental advisor to work out a program that suits their specific needs while making sure all program requirements are fulfilled.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits may not be included in the overall credit requirement for History programs, but may be considered as having met prerequisites for an upper-level course—please discuss with the professor of an upper-level course requiring the prerequisite, or with your academic program advisor.
About Classics
Classical Studies provides an in-depth study of the languages, literature, history, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Students may complete an undergraduate program in Classics by selecting from Classics courses (CLAS), History courses (HIST) that focus on ancient Greece or Rome, as well as courses in several related disciplines in the Faculty of Arts such as Philosophy, English, and Art History. Classical Studies is inherently interdisciplinary.
A complete list of Classics, Ancient History, and related courses is found on the Department's website.
The Department offers four kinds of undergraduate degrees:
- Minor Concentration
- Major Concentration
- Honours
- Joint Honours Component (combined with another component from a second discipline)
The Minor and Major concentrations provide a useful complement for students in the arts and sciences. The Joint Honours and Honours degrees are designed to train students who wish to make Classics a foundation for academic careers, and they also offer students the prospect of favourable consideration for graduate and other professional schools.
About South Asian Studies
The Minor Concentration in South Asian Studies – collaboratively offered by the Departments of Anthropology, English, History and Classical Studies, Political Science, and Sociology, as well as the Institute of Islamic Studies and the School of Religious Studies – offers breadth and depth on the history, literature, languages, politics, religions, and cultures of South Asia.
The minor concentration offers two streams:
- Culture and Civilization; and
- Languages (e.g., Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Urdu-Hindi).
The Culture and Civilization stream allows students to explore their interests in Southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan), through humanities and social science classes while the Languages stream permits combined study of two South Asian languages (at introductory and intermediate levels) or one South Asian language in depth.
For further details, please contact the advisor for the Minor Concentration in South Asian Studies, Prof. Andrea Farran (andrea.farran@mcgill.ca).
Available Programs
- Classics Honours (B.A.) (54 credits)
- Classics Joint Honours Component (B.A.) (36 credits)
- Classics Major Concentration (B.A.) (36 credits)
- Classics Minor Concentration (B.A.) (18 credits)
- History Honours (B.A.) (54 credits)
- History Joint Honours Component (B.A.) (36 credits)
- History Major Concentration (B.A.) (36 credits)
- History Minor Concentration (B.A.) (18 credits)
- South Asian Studies Minor Concentration (B.A.) (18 credits)
Location
Faculty of Arts
Administrative Service Centre II
Stephen Leacock Building, Room 712
855 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal QC H3A 2T7
Telephone: 514-396-1496
Fax: 514-398-7476
Email: undergrad.hcs@mcgill.ca
Websites: History: mcgill.ca/history; Classical Studies: mcgill.ca/classics