Understand the past to shape the future
Welcome to the Florida State University Department of History, a place to explore and examine the past to cultivate a deeper understanding of the present. Choose from a rich selection of areas and themes and access exceptionally rich historical resources as you pursue your undergraduate or graduate degree in the field.
Who we are
FSU History faculty are committed to excellence in both teaching and research, and our courses and areas of specialty span a wide range including Asian, American, Latin-American, and European history, and gender and sexuality, military history, race and racism, legal history, environmental history, and more. You’ll find topics and resources that spark your curiosity in learning more about humanity’s journey to the present and the histories – told and untold – that help us understand our world.
As a leading history department in the Southeastern U.S., FSU History has a lengthy tradition of scholarly excellence and academic achievement. Our graduates, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, go on to work in public policy, law, museum and public history operations, and education, among many other areas, and they excel at the local, state and national levels.
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Programs and Institutes
The FSU Department of History offers a variety of programs designed to prepare students with valuable, marketable skills that enable them to succeed in the career of their choosing.
While many people enjoy history simply because it is interesting, there are a number of practical reasons for studying it: Understanding the past helps us live in the present and build the future, and it also helps us understand how political, economic, social, and cultural systems work and the benefits and disadvantages of each. Understanding the ways in which historical experiences have shaped our own lives and outlooks, and those of others, enables us to see why we think the way we do and examine differing experiences in context.
FSU history students receive training and gain experience in analytical thinking, research, problem-solving, communication and presentation, and project management — in-demand skills sought by employers across industries — through coursework and engagement with the department's specialized programs and institutes.
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InstitutesDepartment of History
News and Features
FSU History alumna Denise Spivey reflects on her career. " Since I was a teenager, I have known I wanted to teach. When I took an amazing Classics course as an undergraduate, I realized I wanted to teach at the college level. Today I am a tenured History professor at Tallahassee Community College, the result of a somewhat unconventional but strangely direct path."
FSU alumna Angel Purganan talks about her experiences teaching English in Korea with the EPIK program.
Ethan and Noah Dubroff are both currently double-majoring in History and Classical Archeology. They have a life-long passion for history. This past summer, they participated in the “Archaeology in Tuscany” program run by FSU International Programs. This allowed them to work at the Cetamura del Chianti archeological dig for four weeks. Here they tell us about their summer abroad experiences.