A History Major prepares students for successful careers in many fields, including business, journalism, politics, law, education, and public service. The study of history is an essential component of a liberal arts education and is beneficial to any course of study and career objective. Our courses are designed both to enhance analytical, research, and critical thinking skills, and to provide our students with a historical context for evaluating and assessing contemporary issues.
At John Jay College, the study of history encompasses the study of justice with courses that focus on such topics as the history of violence, crime, police, immigration, and the law. Specific courses examine: violence and social change in the United States; the history of crime in New York City; American legal history; the history of policing in Western society; immigration and ethnicity; the development of political institutions in the United States; and the history of terrorism.
The department offers a Major in Global History, a Minor in History, and a Minor in History and Law. Students also have the option of pursuing an accelerated BA/MA program in Global History and Human Rights. Courses taught by members of the History Department play an important role in the Humanities and Justice Studies major. Members of our faculty also teach in the History Doctoral Program at The City University of New York Graduate Center.
With a distinguished faculty of internationally known scholars who are committed to excellence in teaching, the History Department of John Jay College offers a wide array of foundational and specialized courses that provide students with an understanding of people, society, values, and the processes of change.