Welcome to the UK Department of History.

“Tracing change over time signals that change can be made in the future.” -Anne Gray Fischer

Thank you for visiting our website!  We are proud to share information about our program, which is home to 27 faculty, one staff member, about 250 undergraduate majors and minors, and about 30 graduate students between the M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Our undergraduates pursue careers in business, law, politics, education, and other fields that require a strong background in analysis and communication.  Our graduate students have gone on to careers in the academy, public history, and other exciting pursuits. 

We excel in teaching and scholarship that connects to our local and global communities.  History Department professors have won every teaching award available at the University of Kentucky and have been honored as invited lecturers at some of world’s most prestigious institutions. Our faculty have been awarded research funding by the most prominent foundations and government-granting agencies: for example, the National Endowment for the Humanities,  the National Humanities Center, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, the Ford Foundation, and the American Council of Learned Societies.  Scholars investigate political, diplomatic, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, religious, and legal history, and the history of science and medicine. Our research spans the globe from Appalachia to Zimbabwe. The numerous prizes for books and articles that faculty have been awarded attest to the high quality of our scholarship.

Our undergraduate students encounter highly dedicated faculty who not only prioritize student learning in the classroom, but outside of it as well.  We teach essential skills for the gathering, analysis, and synthesis of information about how change occurs in human societies. We offer unparalleled opportunities for hands-on learning through internships and independent projects. Our students go on to leadership positions in law, business, education, government, entertainment, medicine, and technology.

At present, we are very excited about our graduate program, which positions us in the forefront of changes taking place throughout the academic world.  The next generation of historians are trained not only across chronological periods but also cultural and geographical borders. We are developing new strengths in Africana and International History at the same time that we continue to offer rigorous training in American and European History.

Thank you for visiting our website. We hope it will spark your interest in the exciting research and teaching offered by the Department of History.
 

Anastasia Curwood, Chair
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