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Organization, Regulations, and Courses 2012

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History Requirements

Standard Major in History

Required for the Class of 2014 and later. Students in classes prior to 2014 may follow this plan or, if they prefer, the previous major plan. See History Department website (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~history/major/index.html) for the requirements of the previous major.

Requirements:

The Standard Major in History comprises the successful completion of at least ten History courses that meet the following requirements:

  1. Seminars and Colloquia

    Your major must include at least one upper level seminar or colloquium (HIST 96) as part of your field of concentration (see B2 below) and one more HIST 096 that need not be part of your field of concentration but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements of the major described in C and D below.

  2. Field of Concentration
    1. At least four History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
    2. In addition, a culminating experience in the form of HIST 96 taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
  3. Geographic Distribution

    Your ten History courses must contain at least:

    1. one course from the United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
    2. one course from the history of Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
    3. two courses from the histories of Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
    4. one Interregional or Comparative history course (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
  4. Chronological Distribution

    Your ten History courses must contain at least two pre-1700 or three pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1700 requirement are designated <1700 , while <1800 designates those fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement.

Limits and Exclusions:

  1. At least five History courses must be taken in residence at Dartmouth College, one of them being HIST 96.
  2. HIST 7 (First-Year Seminar) and HIST 99 (Honors Thesis) may not be counted toward the Standard Major.
  3. Students may not include more than two of the following courses: HIST 1, HIST 2 or HIST 3.
  4. Students may not use more than two independent study courses (HIST 97) in satisfying the requirements of the Standard Major.
  5. Major GPA is figured on all History courses taken.
  6. The Department will consider approving transfer credits for History majors and non-majors only for History courses taken at institutions with which Dartmouth College has institutional exchange programs (see Regulations section of this Catalog).
  7. Entering first-year students may receive up to two unspecified credits in History that can be applied toward the degree requirement of 035 courses. One unspecified credit each can be obtained for up to two of the following: (1) a score of 5 on the CEEB Advanced Placement (AP) test in American history, (2) a score of 5 on the AP test in European history, (3) a score of 5 on the AP test in World history, (4) a score of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) exam, or (5) a grade of A on the British A-Level exam. History majors may not apply pre-matriculation credits toward their fulfillment of major requirements. Only transfer students may receive credit for courses taken at other colleges or universities prior to matriculation at Dartmouth.

Modified Major in History

A Modified Major will be approved only if the student provides a convincing written rationale for the intellectual coherence of the proposed program of study.

Requirements:

The Modified Major consists of the successful completion of twelve courses, eight of them in History, and four from one or more modifying departments/programs. If the four modifying courses are in a single department/program, your Modified Major plan and rationale must be approved by the chair of the History Department and the chair of the modifying department/program. If the four modifying courses are drawn from more than one department/program, your plan and rationale for a Modified Major needs to be approved only by the chair of the History Department. The requirements in History need to meet the following requirements:

  1. Field of Concentration
    1. At least three History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
    2. A culminating experience in the form of an upperclass seminar or colloquia (HIST 96) taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
  2. Total of Eight History Courses

    Besides the courses in A, select four additional History courses to bring your total up to eight. Honors students may count HIST 98 as one of them. These courses do not need to address your field of concentration, but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements for the major mentioned below.

  3. Geographic Distribution

    Your eight History courses from A and B must contain at least one course from each of the following areas:

    1. United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
    2. Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
    3. Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
    4. Interregional (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
  4. Chronological Distribution

    Your eight History courses from A and B must contain at least two pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement are designated <1800 .

Limits and Exclusions , described under the Standard Major, also apply to the Modified Major.

Honors Major in History

Potentially eligible students should meet with their respective advisers to plan for the History Honors Major. History majors who have achieved an overall College grade point average of 3.0 and one of 3.5 in History (based on a minimum of five graded History courses) may apply for admission to the Honors Program through a written proposal submitted in the spring term of their junior year. Others interested in the program may petition the Department for admission. Please consult the History Department’s website at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~history/major/honors.html for more information.

The Honors Program in History consists of the successful completion of the following requirements:

  1. The minimum number of courses as specified in (A), (B), (C) and (D) under the requirements for the Standard or Modified Majors.
  2. In addition to, or as part of, the Standard Major or Modified Major, honors majors must complete the Honors Seminar (HIST 98) in the fall term of their senior year. HIST 98 may serve as one of the two required upper level seminars and colloquia described in (A) for the Standard Major; it may not serve as the culminating experience (B2).
  3. In addition honors majors submit a thesis written in their senior year (HIST 99). HIST 99 may carry up to two credits toward the degree requirement, but receives no credit within the Standard Major.

Limits and Exclusions , described under the Standard Major, also apply to the History Honors Program.

Minor in History

The Minor in History consists of the successful completion of seven History courses:

  1. Field of Concentration
    1. At least two History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
    2. A culminating experience in the form of an upperclass seminar or colloquium (HIST 96) taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
  2. Total of Seven History Courses

    Besides the courses in A, select four additional History courses to bring your total up to seven. These do not need to address your field of concentration, but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements for the major mentioned below.

  3. Geographic Distribution

    Your seven History courses from A and B must contain at least one course from each of the following areas:

    1. United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
    2. Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
    3. Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
    4. Interregional (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
  4. Chronological Distribution

    Your seven courses from A and B must contain at least two pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement are designated <1800 .

Limits and Exclusions , described under the Standard Major, also apply to the Minor.