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The Major in History

Requirements:

A minimum of 36 points in history (typically 9 courses) with the grade of C or better in each course. (No pass/fail courses may count towards the Major or Minor.)
At least 6 advanced-level history courses (course # V57.0100 or above).
2 courses in each of the three geographic areas: US, European & Non-Western. 1 course in each geographic area must be an advanced-level course.
1 Workshop
1 Advanced Seminar
1 pre-1800 course

Important Guidelines:

Introductory Courses (V57.0000 – V57.0099)

12 of the 36 points (3 classes) may be in introductory courses.
Introductory Courses, usually broad and general, are useful to prepare students for courses that treat subjects in more depth and detail.

Advanced Courses (V57.0100 & above)

All 36 points of the history major may be in advanced courses, but 24 of the 36 points (6 classes) must be in advanced courses.
Advanced courses examine themes or narrower subjects, usually over shorter periods of time, in greater depth and detail than introductory courses. Many of these courses have limited enrollments and require access codes before a student can register for them.

Geographic Requirements (1 advanced course required in each area)

2 US History Courses
2 European History Courses (Eastern / Western Europe & Russia)
2 Non-Western History Courses (Africa, Asia, Latin America & Middle East)

Workshop (V57.0900)

One Workshop is required for the history major.
The Workshop is a course in the historian’s craft and it gives students an opportunity to learn about the discipline of history. Students learn how to pose researchable questions, gather evidence, and present their findings before an audience of their peers in a seminar setting. Students will learn how to critique Historical arguments or interpretations as well as to create their own.
A Workshop usually requires two short papers based on core assigned readings and a slightly longer paper using primary and secondary sources.
The History Workshop should be taken during the junior or first semester senior year, and before the Advanced Seminar.
The History Workshop CANNOT fulfill the Geographic or pre-1800 requirements.

Advanced Seminar

One Advanced Seminar is required for the history major.
Seminars are designed to offer students an opportunity to discuss a series of topics or issues around a table in an intimate setting of fewer than twenty students and a faculty director. Each student is expected to undertake a research project and make an oral presentation in class about some or all aspects of the project. The professor and fellow students critique each others work in progress and offer helpful suggestions and insights of their own.
At the end of the semester,the student will submit a final paper to the professorwho will then assess a grade based on the quality of the paper as well as class participation throughout the semester. This is not a lecture course and normally there are no mid-term or final examinations.
The Advanced Seminar should be taken after the Workshop and can double count towards the Geographic or pre-1800 requirements, as long as the student takes 9 courses total.
Freshman Honors seminars and other seminars below V57.0100 are not considered advanced-level seminars. Advanced Honors Seminars (V28, NOT V70) taught by History professors can fulfill the Advanced Seminar requirement.

AP Credits

For Majors, we will allow up to 4 points of AP credit provided you achieved a score of 4 or better as one INTRO history course. (AP credit is not accepted for the minor.)

Transfer Classes

After the credits are accepted by CAS, they must be evaluated by the Assistant to the DUGS or the DUGS. Normally, a transfer student must take at least 5 history courses (20 points) in our department, including the Workshop and an Advanced Seminar.

Courses Outside of the History Department

Courses cross-listed with the history department and V57-courses taken during study abroad will count towards the history major.
Courses taken within CAS but not cross-listed with the history department must be approved by the DUGS. Students can petition for these courses to count towards their major by bringing the syllabus into the History Department and filling out a course petition application. No course is guaranteed.

MAP Courses and Freshman Honors Seminars

MAP courses (V55) and Freshman Honors Seminars (V50) can only count towards the history major if they are taught by a history professor.
MAP courses (V55) and Freshman Honors Seminars (V50) can only count as introductory courses.

LSP Courses

Students that have transferred from GSP to CAS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 may apply three GSP courses towards their history major: Social Foundations I & II and the Non-West Civilization course. These three courses will always be counted as introductory courses. If you transfer to the History dept from GSP, your remaining 6 classes must be advanced (V57.0100 or above).
Students that transfer from GSP to CAS AFTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 may apply two GSP courses toward the major: only Social Foundations I and II. NOT the Non-West Civilization class. Students must take 6 advanced courses so only one more introductory course (V57.0100) course may be counted toward the major.

Double Counting of Courses

Up to 2 courses may be double counted between the history major and another major or minor.

Internships (V57.0980/0981)

Students who wish to engage in history related work in an agency or institute within or outside New York University (ie. UN agency, an archive, museum or library, philanthropy, a publishing house or an appropriate television program) may apply to the DUGS for 2 or 4 points of course credit. Applications are available from the History office or on the website.
Interns must devote a minimum of 8 hours a week for a 4 points internship.
Internships may be used towards satisfying the field distribution requirement upon formal approval from the DUGS. Such courses, however, cannot be counted towards satisfaction of the Workshop or Advanced Seminar requirement.
Students interested in an internship for credit must write a 250-word proposal on the nature of their internship and describe why it is historically relevant. They must submit this proposal with a letter from their internship supervisor confirming the internship and stating that they will give the student a proposed grade at the end of the semester.
The student should maintain a daily log during the internship and must submit an 8 – 10 page paper at the end of the semester which can be a compilation of these daily logs or a more traditional thematic paper focusing on what was learned during the internship.

Independent Study (V57.0997/0998)

Independent Studies may count towards the major if they are classified as V57 and do not exceed a total of 8 points. They may also be used towards satisfying the field distribution requirement upon formal approval from the DUGS. Such courses, however, cannot be counted towards satisfaction of the Workshop or Advanced Seminar requirement.
Students interested in undertaking independent study on a specific or specialized topic of their choice may do so by applying to the DUGS for 2 or 4 points of course credit. Applications are available from the History office or on the website.
The student will indicate a general area of interest and will need to obtain the agreement of a faculty supervisor. The student and faculty supervisor must consult each other on a regular basis, at least biweekly, and the grade for the course must be submitted by the supervisor to the Director of Undergraduate Studies before the last week of the term in which the student is registered.

Graduate Classes (G57)

Undergraduate seniors with a history GPA of 3.5 or better may take some graduate level history courses. Consult the current course schedule and then seek permission to register from the DUGS. In a few cases, a graduate course involving a research paper may be used to fulfill the Advanced Seminar requirement.