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
- The Politics of Historical Writing on the Vietnam War since the Fall of Saigon, Dr. Peter ZinomanOn Monday 3/24 from 3:30-5 PM in room 255, the department will host Dr. Peter Zinoman, Professor of History at UC-Berkeley, for a talk titled “The Politics of Historical Writing on the Vietnam War since the Fall of Saigon.” The talk will take place a little more than a month from the 50th anniversary of… Continue Reading Home
- Professor Nwando Achebe elected to senior leadership role in African Studies AssociationThe College of Social Science and the Department of History would like to congratulate Nwando Achebe on her recent elevation to the role of Vice President-President Elect of the African Studies Association. Achebe is the Jack and Margaret Sweet Endowed Professor of History, Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation in the College… Continue Reading Home
- History Department alumnus publishes bookAlan Offen (BA, 1965) recent published You Can’t Make This Up: The Memoir of a Matrimonial Attorney, which narrates his life and experiences practicing law in New York. After graduating from MSU, Offen earned a JD from the New York University School of Law. He practiced primarily matrimonial law in the Rochester area until his retirement… Continue Reading Home
- Professor Ronen Steinberg to deliver keynote addressDr. Ronen Steinberg will be delivering the keynote address at a conference on Building Peace: Transitional Justice in the Early Modern World. The conference will take place 3-5 April at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The title of Dr. Steinberg’s address is “Transitional Justice and Historians: Why Early Modernists should Care about the 1970s.”… Continue Reading Home
- Professor Johann Neem on “The Daily Life of Democracy.”After the American Revolution, the daily life of democracy happened in small towns across America as ordinary people, forgotten to history, stepped up to serve their communities. Neem offers a story about the ordinary citizens who contributed to the public good. A story that includes men and women, free and enslaved, rich and poor, it… Continue Reading Home
- The Department of History congratulates its alum, Dr. Nana Kesse (formerly Eric Kesse), on receiving a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) FellowshipThe Department of History congratulates its alum, Dr. Nana Kesse (formerly Eric Kesse), on receiving a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship worth $60,000. This fellowship will support Dr. Kesse in completing his book manuscript,Living with Water: Aquaculture, Environment, and Slavery in a West African Stilt House Community, which explores the environmental and social history of Nzulezo,… Continue Reading Home