Welcome to Undergraduate Studies in History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign!
We are one of the country’s most distinguished and dynamic history departments, with an illustrious track record of excellence in undergraduate education. Our professors include specialists in every time period, in just about every part of the world, and in a wide range of timely topics. We pride ourselves in offering small classes where you can connect with other students, engage in stimulating conversation and debate, and develop lasting intellectual and professional relationships with renowned historians.
The Department prioritizes helping you develop, pursue, and nurture your own individualized intellectual passions and career goals. You will have the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research in our undergraduate seminars and in individualized research projects, and to gain hands-on experience in our internships. You will be exposed not only to stimulating treatments of historical events, trends, and concepts, but also to practical skills that you can use in your post-college career, including analytic skills, writing skills, communications skills, and, more recently, digital humanities skills, as found in cutting edge initiatives like SourceLab and History Harvest.
To learn more about what History@Illinois has to offer, and for any type of advising question, please email the Academic Advisor Stefan Djordjevic at djordje1@illinois.edu. Stefan and I will be happy to answer your questions and meet with you to listen to what you need and help you tailor a custom roadmap toward your goals. Please make an appointment using the online scheduler.
With very best wishes for your Illinois journey,
Ralph Mathisen
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies