Welcome to MSU Department of History!
History majors learn to think broadly, and they develop skills in critical analysis, research, and oral, written and digital communication. They grow as informed citizens, and they find the joy of making new discoveries and conquering great challenges. Knowledge and experience gained in History coursework enables our majors to excel in a wide variety of fields such as education, law, government, international development, business, journalism, medicine, social work and much more. Make history and do so with an eye toward the future. Become a major.
News & Updates
- MSU History celebrates 2025 outstanding senior Anna LePageThe Michigan State University Department of History is proud to announce that Anna LePage has been named the 2025 College of Social Science Outstanding Senior in History. Born in Texas with roots in Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, LePage graduates this spring with a degree in history and two minors, in Peace and Justice Studies and… Continue Reading Home
- Graduate Student of History Joe Karisny receives College of Social Science Graduate Student Teaching AwardThe MSU Department of History would like to congratulate Joe Karisny on his reception of the 2024-25 College of Social Science Graduate Student Teaching Award. This award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated their dedication to instruction through innovative techniques and who has shown excellence in teaching with evidenced impacts on student learning. In… Continue Reading Home
- Dr. Helen Veit honored with College of Social Science Faculty Teaching Innovation awardThe MSU Department of History would like to congratulate Associate Professor Helen Veit on her reception of the 2024-25 College of Social Science Faculty Teaching Innovation Award. This is Dr. Veit’s second College awards honorific, and her first since 2018, when she was named the College of Social Science Outstanding Teacher. Veit is a historian… Continue Reading Home
- Assistant Professor Shayan Rajani on Leaving Legacies: The Individual in Early Modern South AsiaAssistant Professor Shayan Rajani recently published his first book, Leaving Legacies: The Individual in Early Modern South Asia, with Cambridge University Press. We are glad to highlight this significant achievement, and we spoke to Dr. Rajani to find out more about his new book. What is the focus of Leaving Legacies: The Individual in Early… Continue Reading Home
- MSU History faculty member awarded prestigious fellowship from an organization closely connected to Albert EinsteinPhoto: Yulian Wu, in front of a nephrite jade mountain carved in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), Minneapolis Institute of Art. Yulian Wu, Associate Professor of history at Michigan State University, was recently awarded a fellowship with the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) in Social Science, one of the world’s leading centers for curiosity-driven basic research… Continue Reading Home
- History Students win top prizes in Asian Studies Center competitionText: Three students from Yulian Wu’s Fall 2024 HST 485 course won the top prices in the Asian Studies Center’s S.C. Lee Best Paper Competition: Congratulations, everyone!