Program Focus

This course equips students with all the fundamental skills required for historical research. Learning how to conduct historical inquiry is a core competency of humanities education at the world’s leading universities. The research project in the Alexander course centers on reading and analyzing one of the most important pieces of propaganda authorized by Alexander during his campaigns. Students will learn or further refine the key intellectual and research skills historians use to understand and interpret both the past and the present, including: how to read and critically evaluate primary sources and modern scholarship; how to interpret and assess the significance of coins, inscriptions, archaeological artifacts, and works of art; how to formulate and support well-reasoned hypotheses about historical and contemporary issues; and how to conduct historical research and write history. Mastering these skills lays an essential intellectual foundation for a well-rounded liberal arts education. • In-depth investigation into the life, leadership, and legacy of Alexander the Great. • Training in historical research, primary source analysis, and academic writing.