Excellent Undergraduate Education

As one of the largest providers of undergraduate general education courses, in addition to our majors, the faculty of the history department takes teaching seriously. Our professors have received recognition and awards for their teaching, and we continuously work to improve the breadth, depth, and quality of our undergraduate courses. Our graduate student teaching assistants have also won accolades for their teaching, and the department’s TA training program has become the basis for teaching instruction across the wider campus community. We truly believe that history matters.

Outstanding Graduate Education

Our graduate program ranks among the best in the nation, supported by the diversity of our faculty and the resources available both at USC and in the greater Los Angeles area. We pride ourselves on consistently producing some of the top winners of coveted and prestigious awards and fellowships nationwide. Doctoral students develop long-lasting and in-depth relationships with our esteemed faculty, whose mentorship helps them to become both better historians and future problem-solvers. Our commitment to supporting and professionalizing our graduate students helps them to become top-tier researchers, instructors, and sought-after candidates across a wide variety of career paths. We make history here.

A Community of Scholars

At its core, the history department is a community of scholars. Our award-winning faculty work in collaboration within the department, across the university, and with regional and national research institutions. The faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students of the history department are a gathering of minds inquiring into the human past in an environment of academic rigor. Whether a student is joining us for a general education requirement, an undergraduate degree, a public lecture, or graduate training, all who are interested in the method and pursuit of history are welcome. Let’s make history!

Department Chair

Paul Lerner

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Lindsay O’Neill

Director of Graduate Studies

Brett Sheehan