Department of History

Message from the Chair

Jason CoyThe knowledge and skills that students gain as History majors are vital for preparing for the challenges facing us in the 21st century. Today’s problems—epidemic disease, racial oppression, political unrest, violent extremism, environmental crises, economic inequality—also confronted people in the past, and historians’ efforts to understand how they faced these threat provide valuable insights for us today. Our faculty, made up of dynamic teacher-scholars, offer courses that afford students a fascinating glimpse into how societies in the past sought to overcome these threats and how they changed in the process. Likewise, the History major equips graduates with valuable skills for launching successful careers after graduation. read more

Professor Jason Coy
Department Chair

Department News

History Major Wins SEWHA Award for Best Undergraduate Paper
The Department of History recently hosted the Southeast World History Association’s 35th Annual Meeting: “Water in World History.” One of our own remarkable history majors, Francesca Gibson, received the award for Best Undergraduate Paper. She had this to say about her work: I received the Best Undergraduate Paper award for my research, “To Cool Her Immoderate […]
Read More
Study Abroad Offers Exciting Opportunities for Historians
Hey Historians: have you considered studying abroad? Did you know you can apply for a Department of History Experiential Learning Grant to help cover your costs? HSS also has scholarships available for study abroad students. Recently, Dr. Delay taught a course in Italy: During the spring semester, I was fortunate to take 27 CofC students […]
Read More
Assistant Professor Sam Payne Wins Prestigious Award
CONGRATULATIONS to assistant professor Sam Payne on winning the prestigious Allan Nevins Prize from the Society of American Historians! The Nevins Prize is awarded “annually for the best-written doctoral dissertation on a significant subject in American history.” Sam won the prize for her work, “The Last Atlantic Revolution: Reconstruction and the Struggle for Democracy in […]
Read More