The University of Utah is a co-educational, non-sectarian, state-supported institution of some 27,000 students and 4,000 faculty. Founded in 1850, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning west of the Missouri River. The 1,500 acre campus is located along the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, the westernmost branch of the Rockies, overlooking Salt Lake City.

The Department of History offers courses of study leading to the PhD, MA, and MS degrees, and has a particular strength in the history of the American West. In addition to the life of the Department, faculty and graduate students are engaged with the University’s most exciting interdisciplinary programs. Among them are the American West Center, Gender Studies Program, the Middle East Center, the Asia Center, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Confucius Institute, the Environmental Humanities Program, the International Studies Program, and the Tanner Humanities Center.

All graduate students have generous accommodations in the Department including a reading room and lounge as well as a dedicated consultation room in which teaching assistants can meet with students. The Department boasts a reserve library for graduate students researching the American West.

Graduates of the program not only learn about the past, they also develop a capacity for careful and rigorous thought, cultural competence, and abilities that promote success in careers throughout the global economy. These learning outcomes include content knowledge, habits of mind, and practical skills.