History provides the opportunity to understand the diversity of human experience through the study of one?s own and other cultures and societies as they have evolved over time. It is also a rigorous intellectual discipline involving research techniques, problem solving, the critical evaluation of evidence, and intensive writing.?

The department offers a wide variety of learning experiences, including lectures, individual tutorials, discussion groups, 300-level seminars, and senior research seminars. Students are expected to take courses in many areas of history in order to achieve a broad training in the discipline. A number of distinguished academic historians began their training at Colby; in addition, many majors find that history is excellent preparation for careers in secondary education, business, law, publishing, and other professions. In recent years, media research, preservation, and museums have offered new opportunities for persons trained in history.