History

Bright restored Romanesque-style fresco on a ceiling cornice in a museum gallery, with gold colors and ornate details.

Why Study History?

As students of history, we pursue inquiry for the sake of inquiry. At Montclair, our students learn to question the world around them. They will gain knowledge of history, analyze and interpret original sources, and contextualize them in papers, digital media, podcasts, online discussion posts, and internships at leading institutions. The knowledge and skills you learn translate into fulfilling careers.

The History Program at Montclair is a welcoming intellectual community. Our faculty are actively engaged in research and teaching, and we offer a wide range of courses on Africa, Asia, including the Middle East, as well as Europe, North America, Central America, and South America. Our students are committed to learning historical content and research and writing skills that prepare them for careers in the public and private sector as well as graduate school. 

Programs

History is the knowledge and study of the past that helps us understand the present and ourselves. History graduates are critical and creative thinkers, who are skilled and astute researchers and among the best communicators.

A docent leads a tour of college students through a history museum

Majors and Minors

Undergraduate Majors

  • BA in History, General Concentration and Public and Digital History Concentration

Undergraduate Minors

A professor stands in front of a PowerPoint detailing a New York Times article

Social Studies Teacher Certification

Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Social Studies must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education program. The Center for Pedagogy strongly advises students interested in Social Studies Teacher Certification to visit their website for the required Professional Sequence of courses and other important program requirements, guidelines, and procedures.

Social studies teachers are expected to have a broad understanding of the multiple factors which help shape society and culture and influence individual behavior. In addition to an appropriate social studies major all Social Studies students must complete a prescribed sequence of complementary social studies course work.

Inclusive Public History

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the History Department at Montclair State University $149,696 for its Inclusive Public History Project. The Inclusive Public History project entails faculty development, curriculum development, and student enrichment activities. The project focuses on the history of racial and ethnic groups in the United States, as it mirrors our student interests and demographics. 

Students tour the Morgan Library in New York City

First, the project will train faculty in public history research, methods, and scholarship through a shared reading program and guest speakers. In turn, faculty will create courses in public and digital history as well as incorporate best public history practices into their existing courses. 

Second, the project will enrich student educational experiences by establishing opportunities for place-based learning at public history sites and museums throughout New Jersey, New York City, and Washington DC. Importantly, faculty will gain practical experience as they lead students on the site visits. The history department will further develop its curriculum in permanently establishing a place-based learning opportunity in its courses.

Inclusive Public History Enrichment Opportunities

History Department faculty will accompany students to the following sites. The NEH grant pays for transportation and lunch for faculty and students as well as meals, transportation, and lodging for a weekend in Washington, DC.

April 2026 Students will visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC

Fall 2024 Schedule

  1. Faculty Participants read Jeffrey Shandler’s, Shtetl: A Vernacular Intellectual History
  2. Faculty meet with Jeffrey Shandler in person on September 25 at 1:30PM.
  3. Faculty Participants read Hasia Diner’s, Remembering the Lower East Side
  4. Faculty meet with Hasia Diner in person on October 23 at 1:30PM.

Student Resources

Advising 

As a history major or minor you have been assigned a faculty advisor. The name of your faculty advisor is listed in Degree Works on Nest. You can find the contact information for your faculty advisor by going to the History Department Website.

Contact your faculty advisor if you need:

  • advice about which courses to take
  • to know if you can graduate
  • you have a question about your analysis of progress or your final audit.

Contact the Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising for the History Department if:

  • you need a credit adjustment for a History course that transferred to Montclair State
  • you need permission to take History courses at another institution
  • you need permission to register in a History course
  • you cannot contact your advisor OR your advisor could not answer your question

Internships

If you have secured an internship, please register for for HIST 443 Internship in History and contact Richard Conway.

In the News

Our Faculty

Leslie Wilson

  • Associate Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
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Contact Us

Political Science, Law, History, and Anthropology Department

The Department of Political Science, Law, History, and Anthropology explores the institutions, ideas, and cultures that shape human societies across time and around the world. Students examine government, law, politics, history, and human societies while developing the analytical, research, and communication skills needed to address today's most pressing social challenges.

Richard Conway

  • Chairperson

History Program