History Undergraduate Resources
Department of History

Academic Announcements

New Historian’s Craft Course for Spring 2026: Medicine and Society in China
 
We have recently added a new Historian’s Craft course for spring 2026: History of Science 211: Medicine and Society in China.
Spring 2026 Theme: From Plague to COVID-19: How Disease Shaped Modern China
This Spring’s seminar examines how major epidemics—from bubonic and pneumonic plague to tuberculosis, and eventually, SARS/Covid-19—shaped Chinese society, state power, medical knowledge, and global health. Using China as method, we explore a pluralistic and historically informed understanding of medicine in the contemporary world.
No previous knowledge of Chinese history or Chinese language is required.
As a Historian’s Craft course, History of Science 211 satisfies the requirement for the major and the certificate, as well as Comm-B, and offers students the opportunity to experience the excitement and rewards of doing original historical research. Not open to students with credit for History 201.
Join Phi Alpha Theta (PAT)!
General Member Applications are NOW OPEN!
PAT is currently accepting general membership applications! If you are interested, please complete the attached application and email it to me (jgraettinger@wisc.edu) before January 24th, 2026. To meet induction requirements, or to remain in good standing, all members must attend three events per semester. If you have been attending events, but have not submitted the application, you are not considered a full member. You must submit the application in order to be inducted in the spring. 
Executive Board Applications are Opening Soon!
Applications for the 2026-27 Phi Alpha Theta Executive Board will open at the start of second semester. In order to be considered for the 2026-27 Executive Board you must be inducted by the end of this school year. If you have any questions, please contact phialphatheta@mailplus.wisc.edu
New Student Org: Students Against Mass Incarceration (SAMI) 
See below for a message from a new student organization:
Students Against Mass Incarceration (SAMI) is a newly registered student organization that seeks to address key concerns about the carceral state. We want to confront prison policy through intellectual discourse and civil discussion. Moreover, we are planning to partner with ex-incarcerated advocacy groups all over Madison so that interested students get hands-on experience in working towards the betterment of the justice system. Although SAMI does not meet until next semester, we are registering potentially interested students through our mailing list attached below! If you would like to learn all about Wisconsin’s Truth in Sentencing Act, private versus public prisons, and why some consider the justice system to be racist, please consider registering!
https://forms.gle/Y7Ni47xQ6kZUasup9
Opportunity to Get Published: Submit a Paper to ARCHIVE!
The ARCHIVE Undergraduate Journal of History is now accepting submissions for its Spring 2026 edition! ARCHIVE is the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s undergraduate journal dedicated to publishing original historical research.
While we are nominally a history journal, we also welcome submissions in history-adjacent fields such as art history, historiography, and classical studies. We are also open to publishing research in formats other than traditional essays (creative writing, graphic design, etc.) as we believe that history should be accessible to as broad of an audience as possible. In general, pieces that are at least ten pages long and make original contributions to the field by primarily using primary sources have been the most successful submissions.
If you are interested in submitting something to be published, please fill out this Google Form by January 31, 2026. Please refer to the ARCHIVE submission guidelines when submitting your paper and ensure that you submit an anonymized copy of the submission as a Word or Google doc. You can expect to receive a decision from us in early March. We look forward to reading your submissions!
Scholarships and Fellowships
 

L&S Continuing Students Scholarship Application

L&S scholarship applications are now open!  Awards will be disbursed in fall 2026/spring 2027 and typically range from $500 to $5,000.

There are 2 separate applications, one for first year students and the other is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Both applications ask for well-written essays, transcripts, and involvement/activity records. The sophomore, junior, and senior application also has a recommendation requirement.

Application Period: December 5, 2025 – February 16, 2026

Eligibility:

  • Cumulative GPA of 2.50 (minimum)
  • Must be a degree-seeking L&S undergraduate who plans to be enrolled in the 2026-2027 academic year

Wolff Fellowship Award

Up to $45,000 award to an outstanding graduating L&S senior to support a year-long travel, service, or study-abroad experience.

Application Period: October 24, 2025 – January 25, 2026

Eligibility:

  • Must be an L&S senior who is graduating in May 2026.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.75 (minimum)
  • Students must have distinguished themselves by demonstrating academic achievement, service to the University, and service to the greater world community.
  • Transfer students are ineligible – students must have attended UW-Madison for the entirety of their undergraduate career.

Richard Ralph Winter Phoenix Rising Humanitarian Scholarship

This $5,000 scholarship rewards humanitarian achievement and service, encourages excellence and commitment in the application of humanitarian ideals, and affirms the moral obligation to provide for human welfare. A recommendation is required from applicants who are selected as a finalist. Finalists are required to participate in an in-person interview during spring 2026.

Application Period: November 21, 2025 – January 25, 2026

Eligibility:

  • Second- or third-year L&S undergraduate with a strong record of community/humanitarian service

Lawless Louis and Mathea Helen Mollere Pre-Medicine Scholarship

This scholarship supports a L&S junior or senior who is an aspiring physician and plans to attend medical school. Students must also demonstrate financial need, so a FAFSA should be on-file with UW-Madison. A letter of recommendation is required. Award ranges from $5,000 to $10,000.

 

Application Period: November 21, 2025 – February 1, 2026

 

Eligibility:

  • Second- or third-year L&S undergraduate at time of application
  • Successful applicants demonstrate academic excellence, and evidence of progress in pre-medical course work, and service to the Madison or campus community.
  • Preference for students who demonstrate breadth in the liberal arts, outside of biological sciences

Please reach out to scholarships@saa.ls.wisc.edu with any questions about these scholarship awards.

 
Wisconsin Idea Fellowships
The Morgridge Center for Public Service is pleased to announce three information sessions for the Wisconsin Idea Fellowship. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort will open in mid-November and close on February 8, 2026.
The Wisconsin Idea Fellowships support innovative projects designed collaboratively by UW–Madison undergraduate students, community partners (i.e., nonprofits, municipalities, NGOs) and faculty to help address a community-identified need. Five to ten projects are awarded up to $7,000 in funding each year. Students also receive 3 academic credits to support their learning and project needs. Projects can last for a summer, a semester, or the entire academic year.
Visit their website to learn more about the program or read about the projects awarded last year.
Contact: Rosanne Luu, rlluu@wisc.edu, Wisconsin Idea Fellowships Graduate Mentor

Opportunity to Get Published: Gateway History Journal

The Gateway History Journal is looking for submissions for their 2026 issue.  Gateway is run by undergraduate students at Washington University in St. Louis and produces one annual issue showcasing the five best pieces of undergraduate scholarship that they receive.

In order to be considered for publication, all paper submissions should adhere to the following criteria:

  • Papers must be between 10-35 pages in length (double-spaced), NOT including footnotes and works cited page(s).
  • Papers must follow the Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.

Papers are not restricted by topic, region, or time period.

HOW TO APPLY

  2. Submissions are due by Thursday February 05, 2026 and should be submitted as a follows:
    1. Papers must follow Chicago Manual of Style guidelines
    2. Email your paper as a Word Document to: gatewayhistoryjournal@gmail.com
    3. Make the header of your email “[LastName] 2026 Gateway Submission”

If you have any questions, feel free to send them an email at gatewayhistoryjournal@gmail.com.

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Announcements/Events Archive
 

Showcase Your Work at the 2026 Undergraduate Symposium

The 2026 Undergraduate Symposium application is open! Apply by 11:59pm on Friday, March 6th to present your research, scholarly work, community-based project, art, or creative endeavor at this annual campus-wide showcase and celebration of undergraduate achievement. All UW-Madison undergraduates are eligible to participate.

The 2026 Undergraduate Symposium will be held on Friday, April 17th at Union South and the Discovery Building.

Why Present?

  • Gain experience presenting your work in a professional setting.

  • Build valuable communication, public speaking, and networking skills.

  • Learn about and be inspired by other undergraduate projects in and outside of your field.

  • Share your work with and get feedback from faculty, staff, and other students from across campus.

  • Celebrate your achievements and those of your peers!

Apply Here: https://ugradsymposium.wisc.edu/apply/.

Application Deadline: 11:59pm on Friday, March 6, 2026

Please ensure that you have completed the mentor approval form and prepared a final version of your project title and abstract or artist’s statement before applying.

For more information about the Undergraduate Symposium, please visit https://ugradsymposium.wisc.edu/ or reach out to ugradsymposium@wisc.edu.

 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: 37th COOPERSTOWN SYMPOSIUM ON BASEBALL AND AMERICAN CULTURE

 

Dates: May 27 – 29, 2026

 

Place: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, New York

The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, co-sponsored by SUNY-Oneonta and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, examines the impact of baseball on American culture from interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary perspectives.

 

Proposals for papers are invited from all disciplines and on all topics. Submission is by abstract (be sure to include complete contact information). Abstracts should be narrative, limited to one type-written page. All presentations should be designed to fit into a 20-minute panel segment. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2025.

The Writing Center is Hiring – Become a Writing Fellow!
Do you love writing, sharing ideas, and talking with other students about their writing? Are you interested in joining a diverse group of students committed to helping others and serving as leaders on campus? If so, consider applying to be a Writing Fellow!
Writing Fellows are a diverse group of highly motivated undergraduate students from all majors (not just English) who participate in a peer tutoring program that places undergraduates in positions of intellectual leadership. As a Fellow, you would work closely with professors to improve student writing in carefully selected classes. Through this role, you would have the opportunity to serve as a role model for other students on campus, gain invaluable experience as a reader and writer, conduct and present original research, and receive a scholarship of $1100 per semester.
If you are interested in becoming a Fellow or want to find out more about how to apply, please visit their website or join them at an upcoming Info Session. To attend an info session, please sign-up here.
 
 
Congressional Internship Opportunity

Congressman Mark Pocan’s office is accepting applicants for their Spring internship. The deadline for Spring applications is December 15th, 2025. 

Interns will be engaged in a variety of activities in the Congressional Office that focuses on constituent services. Candidates should possess:

Intern responsibilities include:

Opportunities exist for interns to focus on a specific area of interest. Applicants must be able to devote a minimum of 10 hours per week. Internships are unpaid.

Questions may be directed to Kahlil Kaldhusdal at (608) 258-9800 or Kahlil.Kaldhusdal@mail.house.gov

Apply here: https://pocan.house.gov/services/internships

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Academic Advising

Scott Burkhardt, Academic Advisor

Jim Graettinger, Academic Advisor

Celeste Deale, Undergraduate Peer Advisor

Lauren Kelly, Undergraduate Peer Advisor

Nate Donovan, Undergraduate Peer Advisor

To make an appointment with an advisor, visit the History Starfish page.

More about the advising team