History & Social Sciences | Upper School Curriculum at Milton Academy

ACADEMICS

A Program Defined by
Depth and Choice

Milton’s History & Social Sciences Department stands out for its breadth of advanced, college-level courses. Faculty help students find their voices in the dynamic conversation about the people, places, events, patterns and themes of human civilization.

Specialized Topics

The History of Civil Rights in America
Activism for Justice in a Digital World
Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
Religions of the Middle East
History of Modern China
Economic Inequality: The Study of Race, Class and Gender in the US
Gender Studies
Introduction to Art History

Our economics program features three course offerings, each diving deeply into global systems, market behavior, and human decision-making. This level of choice and academic rigor is a distinguishing feature of the Milton experience, providing opportunities usually reserved for college students.

Inquiry and Independence

Milton students are encouraged to pursue independent research on topics they’re passionate about and become experts in the process. They work directly with primary source documents, interpreting firsthand accounts of historical and current events and developing the analytical skills to think critically about context, motivation, and consequence.

Our classrooms are rooted in discussion-based learning, often gathered around a Harkness table, where students test new ideas, challenge assumptions, and build a deeper understanding through dialogue with peers and faculty. Milton’s goal is not only to teach students where they come from, but to help them see how they can contribute to the world with clarity, empathy, and purpose.

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History & Social Sciences Beyond the Classroom

Economics Club

History Club

Various Clubs

Public Issues Board

PRISM

Annual Bisbee Tea and Social Science Forum

The annual Bisbee Tea and Social Science Forum recognizes outstanding research in U.S. History and the social sciences. Student honorees have the opportunity to discuss their research with guests. Topics have ranged from the role of immigrants in American vaudeville and the evolution of San Francisco’s Chinatown to a comparative study of paid parental leave, the Teapot Dome Scandal, and African American whalers.

OUR History & Social Sciences Faculty

Milton's History and Social Sciences Faculty bring a genuine passion for teaching, reading, and discussing the world around them to every class. We are a faculty that integrates both current scholarship and our extensive travel experiences into our teaching as tools to make the material come alive for students.