Description of the major

The major in International History draws on the resources of the School of Foreign Service, the Department of History and other departments of Georgetown University to offer a program of study that focuses on historical changes in an international context.

One of the cornerstones of the major is diplomatic history, an area in which Georgetown in especially rich in teaching resources. Unlike most international history programs, however, the major transcends study of the formal relations between states - the traditional subject matter of diplomatic history - and also addresses themes in social, cultural, and intellectual history.

A second distinguishing characteristic of the major in International History is its multidisciplinary character. Historical scholarship today draws on ideas and data from subjects as varied as anthropology, philosophy, sociology, political science, religious studies, and literature, and this mix is reflected in the coursework for the International History core. The required course for the major, Global Perspectives on International History, explores diverse approaches to historical globalization.

The major in International History also requires students to develop a self-designed concentration devoted to exploration of a period, theme, region or question of interest. Students work with their faculty mentor and curricular dean to design a coherent program of courses that addresses the focus of their concentration. Past concentrations have focused on a wide range of subjects, including the history of oil, environmental history, the history of security, economic history, imperialism, history of science, women's history, and studies of various regions and historical periods.