History Major and Minor

History is grounded in curiosity. It promotes historical consciousness, refusing to be imprisoned by present-mindedness or nostalgia. Historians explore the past with a variety of techniques, such as statistical analysis, oral history, and the insights of sociology, archaeology, anthropology, and other social science disciplines. Vital to a solid Liberal Arts education, history builds upon skills in written communication, research, and analytical approaches to problem-solving. History wants its graduates to be able to understand a complex world of diverse cultures and traditions.

At the University of Connecticut

The Department of History at the University of Connecticut is highly ranked nationally. We have active scholars with national and international reputations who have won prestigious prizes, fellowships and awards. They are also dedicated teachers. Take full advantage of office hours and attend departmental events so that they have a chance to get to know you.

Our upper-division classes range between 19 and 40 students. Our emphasis is on learning to read critically, to write clearly and forcefully, and to think independently. Our students become equipped with analytical skills that will enable them to learn and develop for the rest of their lives.

TO DECLARE A HISTORY MAJOR OR MINOR

Students should visit the site ppc.uconn.edu. Login will require a student’s net ID. The site is open to students in any school. Prospective History minors are welcome to declare at any time.

Please Note: To declare a double major, students will need to complete the Double Major Declaration form through the Academic Services Center. Once at the site, click “Forms.”

 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORY MAJORS

To complete the History major, students must satisfy the following requirements:

Required Courses: HIST 2100 & HIST 4994W.

  • All majors should enroll in HIST 2100 sometime during semesters 3, 4, or 5.
  • All majors except Honors students must take HIST 4994W in their senior year. Honors students should take, in sequence, HIST 4996 and HIST 4997W; (in some cases, honors students may substitute 4994W for 4996).

Course Credits in History
History majors need at least 27 credits of upper-level History courses, including History 2100 and History 4994W. Students planning careers in teaching are also encouraged to take at least two of the following introductory courses: History 1300 (Western Traditions Before 1500), History 1400 (Modern Western Traditions), History 1501 (United States History to 1877), and History 1502 (US History since 1877)

Distribution Requirements
In addition to HIST 2100 and HIST 4994W, the 27 credits in History must include:

  • One 3-credit course from Group A (Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern History)
  • One 3-credit course from Group B (Modern European History)
  • One 3-credit course from Group C (United States History)
  • Two 3-credit courses from Group D (African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern History)
  • Two 3-credit courses from any Group.

Note: Any “Variable Topics” courses (HIST 3098, 3100W, 3101W, 3102, 3991, 3993, 3995, 3998, 4989, 4994W, 4997W, 4999, or graduate-level course) may be applied as determined by course content and Advisor consent. The same course may not be counted in two different distribution groups.

Though a total of 27 credits is required, students are, of course, welcome to take additional History courses.

Grade Point Average
History majors must achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in the 27 credits counting towards the History major. Individual courses for which the student received grades below a 2.0 may be counted toward the major, as long as the cumulative GPA for the 27 credits is at least 2.0.

Transfer Credits & Study Abroad Credits
The History Department will accept no more than six transfer credits (typically, two courses) towards the major. Students should consult the Undergraduate Academic Advisor for approval of transfer credits and for approval to use Study Abroad credits toward the major requirements.

Related Courses
History majors must receive at least 12 credits in Related Courses. History will accept as “related” any upper-level course in the humanities or social sciences (courses with the designation AFAM, AFRA, ANTH, ARTH, AASI, CAMS, COMM, CLCS, DRAM, ECON, ENGL, FREN, GEOG, GERM, HEB, HDFS, HEJS, some HRTS, INTD, ILCS, JOUR, JUDS, LLAS, LING, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, SOCI, SPAN, URBN or some WGSS). Other courses need advisor approval.

  • Related courses may be taken from a single department or from a variety of departments.
  • Courses cross-listed as History courses cannot be counted as “Related Courses.”
  • The 27 History credits and the 12 Related credits may be included in the total of 45 upper-level credits required by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORY MINORS

Course Credits & Minimum Grades

  • Students must complete at least five upper-level History courses (15 credits).
  • No more than three of these credits may be transferred from another college or university.
  • Substitutions are not allowed for courses in the history minor.
  • Courses in which the student received a C or below do not count toward the minor.

Distribution Requirement

  • The 15 credits must be distributed across at least three of the department’s four distribution groups (A,B,C and D, below).
  • Students who have taken History 2100 (formerly 211) may count that class toward any one of the distribution groups, depending on content.

History Minor Plan of Study

Students should declare a minor in History as soon as possible via ppc.uconn.edu. Students may declare multiple minors at this site – a different process than declaring multiple majors.

Questions

If you have any questions about the history minor, please contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor, who serves as the advisor for all History minors.

Please use this link for the Catalog Description of the History Minor.