AUC's history department, established in 1998, offers courses in the history of Europe (medieval and modern), the U.S. (modern), and the Middle East (modern). Since 2003, the department has also been the home of AUC's professor of comparative religion.

As well as serving history majors and minors, history courses also serve the needs of a variety of other majors at AUC, especially  programs in Political Science and Middle East Studies. Middle East history courses are also very popular with international students, who come to AUC primarily from the U.S. and Europe, and who want to take advantage of their sojourn in Cairo to become acquainted with the rich history of the region.