Off-campus Study
Go where history is made!
History doesn’t usually happen on a college campus. In order to really learn about history, you go where history happened and where artifacts of history are collected and studied. From an island in the Caribbean to the archives of a museum, you may engage in experiential learning. You'll listen to history first hand. You can hold artifacts in yourr hands and visit the places they were found. You will talk to history makers. You will come together with historians, antiquarians, archaeologists, archivists, and librarians to understand the context in which history takes place. As a Cornell history major or minor, you will learn how to make history come to life.
Off-campus and international study
One of the biggest advantages of Cornell’s One Course At A Time curriculum is the ability you will have to leave the campus to go where history is made. For example, you might visit a former slave plantation in the Bahamas with Professor Catherine Stewart for her course, Slavery and Environment in a Comparative Context.
The block plan works well for off-campus and international study because you don’t need to be gone for an entire semester. In three weeks, you can immerse yourself in a culture, broadening and deepening your real-world experiences.
Richard H. Thomas History Scholar Awards for Off-Campus Research
As a Cornell history major or minor, you may be eligible for financial support for off-campus courses or research opportunities. Learn more about the Richard H. Thomas History Scholar Awards for Off-Campus Research and if you decide to apply, contact the History Department chair.
Public History
In recent years, the field of public history has become a viable and vibrant career option for students interested in history. What do public historians do? In simple terms, they help bring history and historical resources to life for the benefit of the general public. Many avenues exist in public history, ranging from documentary filmmaking to educational programs at museums and historical societies.
With the focused time allowed by the block plan, the Cornell history department supports a number of exciting opportunities related to public history.
Newberry Library Seminar in Chicago
Chicago's Newberry Library is a rich source of original materials related to the city's history and evolution. Cornell undergraduates have the rare opportunity to explore the Newberry's resources and many of Chicago's other historical treasures while developing independent research papers. They also have the dedicated assistance of the museum's outreach staff during this seminar tailored to the block plan.
Public Memory and Public History
This course features mini-internships at local historical societies, libraries,and museums. Students create virtual museum exhibits, using archival materials, that showcase particular aspects of their host institutions' collections. These virtual exhibits have been featured on the Web sites of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, the Iowa State Historical Society, and the African American Museum of Iowa.
The Documentary Imagination During the Great Depression
Students first explore historical truth and fiction through an examination of documentaries made of depression era America. Then they become documentary filmmakers themselves, conducting and recording oral history interviews.
In 2009, students focused on the Scattergood Hostel, which hosted refugees from Europe during World War II, as part of the Cedar County Historical Society's commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the hostel. Students created films based on interviews with individuals who worked at the hostel, as well as one of the refugees who stayed there as a child.
Students from past years have worked with the African American Historical Museum of Iowa, interviewing notable African American residents and civil rights activists, such as the late Cecil Reed, the first African American to be elected to the Iowa legislature; the late Dr. Philip Hubbard, the first African American professor at the University of Iowa; and Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris, who broke the color barrier in housing in Cedar Rapids.