The following answers to questions are meant as a reference to students and thus are neither definitive or official.
Basic Information
Where is the History Department located?
The History Department is located in Wood Hall. The administrative offices are located on the first floor (east end).
Where are the faculty mailboxes?
Faculty mailboxes are located in room # 118, Wood Hall. They are accessible only during hours when the department is open (usually, 9am to 5pm).
Who can answer my questions about the History major, the History minor, or my degree progress?
Students who are not currently History majors or minors but are interested in becoming so should set up an appointment to speak to the Undergraduate Academic Advisor. During the academic year, students may make appointments through Nexus.uconn.edu. At other times, please email to contact.
Students who have already declared a history major should also consult the Undergraduate Academic Advisor. All students should contact their advisor early in their academic career in order to ensure that the necessary requirements are being met.
The advisor for all History minors is the department’s Undergraduate Academic Advisor.
How do I declare History as my major or minor?
In order to officially declare History as a major or minor (either as a change from another subject or from ACES), visit the CLAS Program Plan Change site. Pay attention to the links in the upper left-hand corner; the site defaults to major declarations. To declare or change your minor, select “Add New Minor Request,” then proceed to the drop-down menu below.
Please note that if you are not changing your major but would like to declare a double major with History, you will need to complete the Double Major Declaration form.
To declare a second minor, please contact the Academic Services Center.
The department advisor for all History majors and minors is the History Undergraduate Academic Advisor.
Advising
When should I get in contact with my Advisor?
Students should meet with the Undergraduate Academic Advisor before signing up for classes. Discussions with your advisor are a good idea at any point in your college career!
How can I get in contact with my Advisor, Professor or Teaching Assistant?
Faculty and T.A.s generally hold office hours each week in order to meet with and assist students. Office hours should be listed on the faculty member’s or teaching assistant’s department profile webpage. For those students unable to make it to the set office hours, most faculty members and T.A.s are willing to schedule appointments to meet with students when it is mutually convenient. Email addresses and office phone numbers can be found in the UConn Phone Book.
If I am double-majoring and already have a faculty advisor in another department, do I still need to have a History advisor?
Yes. All History majors should have an advisor in the History department.
Requirements
What are the degree requirements for the History Major?
Nine upper-level History courses (cross-lists of History courses are also acceptable) that include:
HIST 2100, Historian’s Craft
Group A: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern – 1 course required
Group B: Modern Europe – 1 course required
Group C: American – 1 course required
Group D: Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East – 2 courses required
HIST 4994W – Senior Seminar (and the W in the major)
Two additional History courses, at the 2000-level and above
For all CLAS majors, four “Related” courses are also required. These courses must be at the 2000-level or above. Related coursework for the History major is pre-approved and will appear on your advisement report.
The two required courses, HIST 2100 and HIST4994W, fill up quickly so it is important to plan ahead, in order to make sure that you are able to register for them. Failure to do so may result in a delayed graduation.
Seniors, Please Note: It is important that you apply for graduation and submit the final plan of study within the first four weeks of the final semester. This process is completed through PeopleSoft.
What are the grade requirements for the History Major?
Students pursuing a major in History must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the 27 credits counting towards the History major. A course for which you received a D can still count toward the completion of the major.
What are the degree requirements for a History minor?
A list of the degree requirements can be found here, on the History Minor Plan of Study.
What are the grade requirements for a History Minor?
Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses counting towards the History minor. Please note that this requirement is different from those for the major.
Can I substitute class credits from another department or university for some of the required credits for the history minor?
No. No substitutions are allowed, except for courses taken through the Study Abroad program.
What courses qualify as “related” courses?
History will accept as “related” any course in the humanities or social sciences (courses with the designation ANTH, ARTH, AASI, CAMS, COMM, CLCS, DRAM, ECON, ENGL, FREN, GEOG, GERM, HEB, HDFS, INTD, ILCS, JOUR, JUDS, LAMS, LING, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, PRLS, SOCI, SPAN, URBN, WS). Other courses may apply, but would need advisor approval. Related courses may be taken from a single department or from a variety of departments. Courses taken for a Minor in another subject, or a second Major, can be counted as “related.”
Can I take a History course as a pass/fail?
Yes, you can take a History class as a pass/fail, but you cannot apply any pass/fail course to the HIST major or general education requirements.
How many “W” classes do I have to take in order to graduate as a History Major?
Two: History 4994W and one other. All history majors, except those in the honors program, are required to take History 4994W by the end of their senior year. The second “W” course may be either at any level, and may be taught by any department.
Can I change a regular class into a “W” class?
This is almost never allowed. The University’s General Education Oversight Committee (GEOC) has instructed departments not to grant “W” (writing intensive) credit to any students in a class that is not an approved “W” class.
I took history courses at my previous university. Do those credits count toward the completion of the History Major?
No more than six upper-level transfer credits may be counted toward the History Major.
I took history courses at my previous university. Do those credits count toward the completion of the History Minor?
No. Transfer credits do not count toward the completion of the minor. Please note that this requirement is different from those for the major.
I would like to take a writing-intensive history seminar in my Study Abroad program. Can I count that as History 4994W?
No.
I would like to take a writing-intensive history seminar at another American university. Can I count that as History 4994W?
Probably not. That is very rarely allowed, under very unusual conditions, and then only with the prior approval of the Undergraduate Director and Department Head.
Registration Issues
What if there are bars on my account when I try to register for classes?
The History department does not put bars on students’ accounts. If you have a bar, you should check to see if it was put on by the Bursar’s office due to unpaid fees. If you are a double-major, it is also possible that the bar was placed on your account by your other advisor, in which case you should contact him or her in order to have it removed.
I am a History major but I was unable to get into any section of History 2100 because they were all full by the time I tried to register. What should I do?
If you are a freshman or sophomore, don’t worry. Try again next semester. If you are a Junior, you should contact the instructor of your preferred section to ask for permission to over-enroll in the course. If you are unable to obtain a permission number from any instructor, you should contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor.
Why is Peoplesoft not letting me register for History 4994W?
If there are still spaces available in the class, but PeopleSoft will not let you register for History 4994W, the most common reason is that you have not yet taken History 2100, the prerequisite.
Additional Opportunities
Is there an Honors Program in History?
Yes. Students with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher are eligible for the Honors Program.
History Honor Society
The History department encourages all qualified UConn students to join Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society. The UConn chapter is called Delta Omicron. (This organization is completely different from the UConn Honors Program). Each February, the department determines which UConn students meet the requirements. It then emails all of these students to ask them to apply. The induction ceremony is held as part of History awards day, at the end of April / beginning of May. The chapter has not been very active in recent years, though several members participate in the History Club.
Are internships available in History? How can I get course credit for an internship?
Yes. The History Department can assist students in locating appropriate history internships, and it can provide course credit for academic work connected with the internship. It is also worthwhile to review Career Services’ Internships page. Further information, including advertised internships listings may be found here at HuskyCareerLink.
The department maintains an online list of some of the many internships at museums, historical societies and other institutions in Connecticut and surrounding states. Individual faculty members are likely to know of other internship possibilities that are not listed.
Students who want to receive course credit for an internship should ask a History Department faculty member to serve as the instructor. The student and instructor would develop a learning contract and have it approved by the History Department’s Undergraduate Academic Advisor before the student begins the internship. The student would then register for HIST 3991, “Supervised Field Work,” for the semester of the internship. For further details, click here.
As part of your search for an internship, you should meet with your advisor to discuss your interests. Your advisor should be able to identify which faculty member would be best suited to serve as your instructor for HIST 3991.
How can I participate in a Study Abroad program?
The best place to start with questions regarding foreign study would be to first visit the university’s Study Abroad website, in order to see which of the available opportunities seem the most appealing. Then, you should make an appointment to meet with one of the Study Abroad advisors.
Once you have decided on the courses you plan to take, you meet with your advisor to discuss your plans and how they will affect the timely completion of your major. You will also need to get your advisor’s signature on an “Academic Advisor Form,” available online from the Study Abroad website.
Some courses at foreign institutions have been pre-approved for UConn course credit. If you want to get upper-level history credit for any of the courses that have not yet been approved, you should meet with the History Department Undergraduate Academic Advisor. The Academic Advisor will need to see as much specific information about this course as can be provided, preferably a course syllabus giving a course description with topics covered in the course, time spent in the classroom, readings, and assignments. The Academic Advisor will determine whether the course merits upper-level credit, and whether corresponds to an equivalent UConn course. If an upper-level history course does not match anything at UConn, you will probably receive credit for it as “History 3993, Foreign Study.” There is no limit to how many “HIST 3993” credits you can receive. Course approval forms are available on the Study Abroad website.
Approved Study Abroad courses do count toward History major and minor course requirements.