Major

Prerequisites for the History Major

-2.00 UW GPA.
-10 credits of college history with 2.50 average.
-10 credits of composition or writing with a 2.00 in each course.
-Enrolled, registered, and attending classes at the University of Washington during the current quarter.

Declaring the History Major

History is a minimum requirements major. Students may declare the major as soon as they have met the prerequisites listed above. There is no application process. To declare the major, please make an appointment with History Undergraduate Advising.

Major Requirements

Students who declared the History major prior to Autumn 2014 have a different set of requirements. Contact History Undergraduate Advising with questions.

To earn the major you will need 60 credits of history with a history GPA of 2.25 and a 2.0 in each history course, broken down as follows:

30 credits of upper division history coursework (300-400 level) completed in residence at the University of Washington. Transfer and AP credit, correspondence courses, and foreign study courses are not classified as "in residence."

5 credits each in four of the following six areas of study:

  • Asian History (all HSTAS courses)
  • European History (all HSTAM and HSTEU courses)
  • Latin American & Caribbean History (all HSTLAC courses)
  • Middle Eastern & African History (all HSTAFM courses)
  • United States & Canadian History (all HSTAA courses)
  • Comparative and Transregional Global History (all HSTCMP courses)

10 credits of approved courses in the Pre-Modern period.

10 credits of approved courses in the Modern period.

One 5-credit HSTRY 388: Introduction to History (Junior Seminar) completed at the University of Washington.
This course should be taken within two quarters of declaring the major and must be completed before a student may take the senior seminar; concurrent enrollment is not permitted.

One 5-credit HSTRY 494: Historiography OR HSTRY 498: Colloquium in History (Senior Seminar) completed at the University of Washington in which a major research paper or its equivalent will be written.
The junior seminar must be completed before the senior seminar my be taken; concurrent enrollment is not permitted.

The choice of remaining elective History coursework (to reach a total of 60 credits) is entirely at the student's discretion. This coursework varies, however, depending on whether you have chosen to declare one of the History Thematic Majors. For the Thematic Majors, students must choose 25 elective credits from the approved course lists available by clicking here. Remaining elective credit to reach 60 total History credits is at the student's discretion.

The history department faculty has determined which of our courses fulfill the above requirements. Click here to see the Approved Course lists.

Applying to Graduate

Students must complete a Graduation Application no later than the third Friday of the quarter in which they plan to graduate. Students must meet with an adviser to complete this paperwork. Graduation applications may be completed up to two quarters in advance.

If you have questions about these requirements, please contact the History Undergraduate Advising Office.

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