Civil War U: The Nau Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia

University of Virginia: John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History (website)
Dr. Caroline Janney, director

 Fun Fact: Willie Lee Rose, a protege of C. Van Woodward and one of the first women scholars of Reconstruction, taught at UVA until 1973. While Gary Gallagher was instrumental in making UVA the place where a generation of Civil War scholars trained, the department has a history as a place where women scholars of the war have thrived.

By Carson Hayek

At the University of Virginia, studying the Civil War means more than just focusing on politics, battles, and Reconstruction. Students who are part of the Nau Center for Civil War History gain experience through a community of scholars, hands-on research opportunities, and an emphasis on studying history across periods and fields.

The Department of History is routinely ranked in the top 20 nationally among history graduate programs, with an especially strong American history program. Central to this is the team of Civil War and Reconstruction specialists in Caroline Janney, Elizabeth Varon, and Justene Hill Edwards. Beyond the history department, graduate students have the opportunity to work with Civil War specialists in other departments, including English and Environmental Science.

A seminar meets once or twice a month that provides a central gathering place. Although the seminars are not for academic credit, students are required to go to the seminars, as it gives them an opportunity to workshop chapters, theses, and research. Students also meet visiting scholars who come to the center’s public events.

Additionally, the history department pushes its learning past the classroom. Graduate students have the opportunity to contribute to digital history projects and apply for summer internships at historical sites such as National Park Service locations. The Nau Center also sponsors a one-day Civil War conference each spring.

According to Caroline Janney, the director of the Nau Center for Civil War History, the strongest part of the program is the community and its versatility.

“It really is the community spirit that I enjoy the most,” Janney said. “We have students working on a range of topics from environmental to political history and everything in between. Moreover, students work closely with our 19th-century team—meaning that if you come to study with me, you will also work closely with Professors Hill, Edwards, and Varon.”

For graduate students, they complete two years of coursework consisting of three graded classes each semester. They develop three fields of study: a specialized area such as Civil War and Reconstruction, either the first or second half of U.S. history, and an outside field defined geographically, chronologically, or thematically. Oral and comprehensive written exams follow in the fall of the third year.

The program awards degrees in history, with an M.A. earned along the way as part of the Ph.D. program.

In addition, graduate students serve as teaching assistants, an experience Janney described as essential even for those pursuing careers outside of academia.

“Every semester I learn from my students—both undergraduate and graduate,” Janney said. “I encourage prospective students to embrace this part [the teaching]. It really is the good stuff.”

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Carson Hayek, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., is a junior journalism student at St. Bonaventure University.

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For a student’s perspective on the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History, Emerging Civil War’s Chris Mackowski spoke with McKenna Caruso. McKenna is a 2026 UVA graduate now attending UVA’s law school. The interview was recorded in early summer 2026.