History

Why Study History?

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in History degree program at Caltech imparts the freedom to find answers to questions that truly matter to you through a lens of evidence-based critical thinking. History majors develop the ability to evaluate complex evidence, craft compelling arguments, and communicate with precision. These skills transfer seamlessly to scientific research, policy development, and technological innovation, allowing you to understand how past decisions shape our current reality and how historical patterns inform future breakthroughs.

Caltech's history program equips you with scholarly rigor, whether you're examining the evolution of interpretations of ethics in scientific thought or seeking to create technological solutions to medical issues or climate change. Enrich your scientific education with insight into the human experience across politics, economics, culture, religion, science, and technology, challenging existing narratives and questioning your assumptions by looking at what's come before.

Why History at Caltech?

Our bachelor's in history uniquely complements your training as a scientist with a discussion and workshop-structured approach to courses, where peers and faculty unpack historical movements and trends and connect them to scientific problem-solving. In small classes, collaborate with experts across disciplines, from environmental science to data visualization, gaining unique insights into how historical methods can inform and enhance scientific inquiry.

History majors at Caltech access unrivaled opportunities for student-driven original research in course projects and independent opportunities, where previous students have documented oral histories of their own family's cultural identity across three generations, and explored the evolution of political polarization. Through connections with the Lind Center for Science and Public Policy, find yourself at the epicenter of where historical perspectives contribute to contemporary challenges like vaccine hesitancy, AI ethics, and election systems.

What You'll Learn

The overarching logic of history at Caltech is that learning the humanities can solve problems. The history curriculum spans from the Middle Ages to modern times and emphasizes mastering research methods to solve social and cultural questions. In a course like "Heritage and Its Discontents," students challenge what makes historical objects, buildings, rituals, and practices worth preserving and examine preservation practices across various cultures and time periods. Another course may explore how the definition of "waste" has evolved over time and its implications for what society deems disposable.

In "Literature and Scientific Imagination, " you will explore the evolution of scientific thought and societal views of science throughout history. This course examines cultural understandings of scientific progress, from magic to post-Einsteinian physics. Apply historical perspectives to scientific inquiries in this unique major, or add a minor in history to enhance another bachelor's degree program.

View the Caltech catalog for degree requirements and curriculum information.

Who You'll Learn From

Caltech's 14 history professors and diverse humanities experts in the division bring specialized expertise in film studies, literature, and the history of science directly to small seminar classrooms, where ideas flourish through debate and dialogue. These researchers employ historicist approaches—contextualizing developments and theories within their unique time periods, challenging you to examine primary texts, and encouraging you to develop your own scholarly voice.

Career Possibilities

History majors leave Caltech equipped with highly transferable skills in critical thinking, research, and communication that prepare them for graduate study and STEM careers, while also opening doors across various industries. Many graduates integrate their history foundation with Caltech's scientific education, providing valuable perspectives on technological innovation and interdisciplinary research. Graduates pursue:

• Law and policy development
• Science communication and journalism
• Museum curation and heritage management
• Research and academia
• Technology ethics and policy

Curriculum Components and Prerequisites

The core humanities and social sciences courses, history core courses, and a senior research tutorial sequence with faculty-mentored research opportunities build on the Caltech core. As you advance, take on key components including:

• Core history course requirements
• Courses in a student-selected area of concentration
• Electives in historical courses outside of area of concentration
• Course units in science, math, and engineering disciplines
• Oral communication
• Senior research tutorial

You can select from areas of concentration in ancient history, medieval Europe, early modern Europe, modern Europe, Russian history, American history before 1865, American history after 1865, history of science, or economic history.

Pursue a Bachelor's in History at Caltech

Through Caltech's distinctive history major program, discover how historical thinking enhances scientific innovation and helps solve modern problems. Sharpen your analytical abilities and connect historical insights to contemporary technological challenges, developing the intellectual versatility that distinguishes the most innovative scientific leaders.