Major in History — Western History

The master’s program in the field of Western History gives students the opportunity to acquire basic knowledge by reading primary historical sources and basic research literature covering a somewhat broader field than the individual research fields of the faculty members listed below. In the doctoral program, students develop the ability to carry out high-level research independently based on the basic knowledge they acquired. The goal is then to develop researchers through the writing of a dissertation. This will involve study of part of the vast temporal and spatial domain covere

Three distinct features define the Western History Program within the Department of History: (1) small class sizes that allow for individual guidance, (2) training to develop skills in analyzing primary sources and historical viewpoints, and (3) historical research from an interdisciplinary point of view. In the master’s program, students acquire basic knowledge by reading primary sources and basic research literature.

In the doctoral program, students leverage the basic knowledge they have acquired to further develop advanced research skills. We aim to train researchers through dissertation preparation. Research in the Western History Program covers a vast range of time and space, from ancient to modern. Different research topics require different skills and abilities, so unlike in the undergraduate course, the doctoral program in particular is most successful when the research fields of the student and the supervisor are closely related. Faculty members' research interests include medieval Britain, the medieval Western Church, 20th-century Spanish culture, modern Spanish society and culture, modern Germany and Yugoslavia, early modern Swiss society, ancient Roman society and economy, and modern French society & international relations.