Frequently Asked Questions for Undergraduates
Basic Information
Where is the History Department located?
The History Department is located in Wood Hall. The secretary’s office is located in room # 119 of Wood Hall.
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, 8:30 to 4:30).
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 speak to one of the advisors in the History undergraduate academic advising office, located in room 124 on the first floor of Wood Hall. Students can also direct questions to the advising office’s e-mail address at advisehst@uconn.edu.
Students who have already declared a history major should consult their advisor. All students should contact their advisors early in their academic career in order to ensure that the necessary requirements are being met.
The faculty advisor for all History minors is the department’s Undergraduate Director.
How do I declare History as my major or minor?
In order to officially declare History as a major or minor, you need to visit the History undergraduate academic advising office, (Room # 124, Wood Hall) or the History Department's main office (Rooms 118 and 119, Wood Hall). There, you will complete a History Major Declaration Card or a History Minor Declaration Card. If you are becoming a history major, you will be given a slip of paper with the name of your new advisor as well as his or her contact information. The department advisor for all History minors is the History Undergraduate Director.
You will also need to fill out a major declaration form or a minor declaration form, and have it signed by your advisor. The signed form should then be taken to the CLAS Academic Services Center. NOTE: It is very important that this last step is carried out – if the form is not taken to the CLAS Academic Services Center, the student is not officially declared as a major or minor.
Advising
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. A list of faculty and T.A. office hours can be found outside the History Department’s office as well as on the department website. 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 also be found in the UConn Phone Book.
What if my advisor is on leave or otherwise unavailable?
Undergraduates whose faculty advisors are on leave or otherwise unavailable should direct their questions to the History Department's Undergraduate Advising Office. The office is located at 124 Wood Hall. Emails can be sent to advisehst@uconn.edu.
The History Department's Undergraduate Director supervises the work of the advising office and can answer questions or sign forms that, for whatever reason, cannot be handled by the advising office. The Undergraduate Director serves as the interim advisor for all students whose regular advisor is on leave.
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. However, students can decide which advisor will serve as the primary advisor.
Requirements
What are the degree requirements for the History Major?
A list of the degree requirements can be found here, on the History Major Plan of Study. It is important that you become familiar with the degree requirements as soon as you declare the major, as some requirements need to be fulfilled early on in your academic career. The two required courses, HIST 2100 and HIST4994W, fill up quickly so you need 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.
Please Note: It is important that you fill out the plan of study and have it approved by your History major advisor within the first four weeks of the final semester. Once the advisor signs the plan of study, the student should take the completed form to the Degree Auditors in the Registrar’s Office in Wilbur Cross Hall.
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.
Please Note: It is important that you fill out the plan of study and have it approved by the History Department's Undergraduate Director within the first four weeks of the final semester. Once the advisor signs the plan of study, the student should take the completed form to the Degree Auditors in the Registrar’s Office in Wilbur Cross Hall.
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.
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." Students pursuing a dual degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the Neag School of Education may count their Neag education courses 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 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.
Students are often alarmed by a message that appears on their Peoplesoft Degree Progress Reports, warning them in red letters that they must complete a third "W" course. Please ignore that warning if you plan to graduate before August of 2009. Though the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has a rule that all of its graduating students must have passed three "W" (writing-intensive) courses, the College has repeatedly waived the requirement for the third "W." As of Spring, 2007, this moratorium on the third "W" has been extended to August of 2009.
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. If you feel that you are in a highly unusual situation that prevents you from following the same requirements as everyone else, you should discuss the matter with the department's Undergraduate Director as soon as possible, and certainly no later than your registration appointment for your final semester.
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.
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 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.
How can I over-enroll in a class?
You need to ask the instructor who teaches the course. If no instructor is listed in PeopleSoft, contact the department office (860-486-3717) to find out the instructor's name. The earlier you ask to over-enroll, the better your chances of getting in.
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 Director.
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 3.2 or higher are eligible for the honors program. For more information on the honors program in History, please click here.
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. The chapter has not been very active in recent years, though several members participate in the History Club.
History Club
Undergraduates at UConn have organized a History Club, which is open to all UConn students. For further information or current contacts, please email the Undergraduate Director.
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.
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 Director 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 Director. The Undergraduate Director 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 Undergraduate Director 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.
I would like to write a Senior Thesis, but I'm not in the Honors Program. Can I do that?
No, but you might be able to undertake a major research project as part of an "Independent Study" course with a faculty member. Discuss the matter with the faculty member whose research interests are closest to your own. (Start by looking at the History Department's list of faculty and their webpages). If the faculty member agrees, you would register for "History 4999: Independent Study" using a permission number provided by the instructor. This course would not take the place of History 4994W.
Graduation
What forms do I need to fill out to graduate?
First, make sure that you have met all requirements for the History Program and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. You should do this, in consultation with your advisor, no later than your registration appointment for your final semester.
Second, fill out the History Major Plan of Study and have it approved by your History advisor within the first four weeks of your final semester. Once the advisor signs the plan of study, the student should take the completed form to the Degree Auditors in the Registrar’s Office in Wilbur Cross Hall.
Third, you need to apply to graduate, which you can do online at the registrar's office web site.
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