Prospective History Major Information

I. OBJECTIVES AND DEFINITION OF THE MAJOR
The objectives of the History major have both a general educational aspect and an aspect that is more narrowly professional. On one level, work in the major develops skills of research, analysis, and expression; on another level, it introduces the student to some of the major civilizations that human beings have created during the past three thousand years; on still another level, majoring in History confronts students with specific problems of interpreting the past--the conflict of opinions among historians and the difficulties of reconstructing past societies from their sources.

In view of the variety of departmental offerings, no specific combination of courses can be considered the ideal program. If you choose History as a major you have, in effect, to design your own mix of courses to meet these objectives. The department offers a few guidelines, even fewer requirements, and the services of a departmental advisor. Still, most of he choice is up to you; it should reflect your particular interests and abilities, and perhaps also your career plans.

Sophomore Year Declaration. After you declare your major, you will receive an e-mail from the History department administrative assistant to set up a very brief meeting with the department chair to give you your adviser assignment and to answer any questions. We do NOT require a lengthy essay about why you want to become a History major, but it is useful if you fill out and bring this form listing courses you have already taken and your main areas of interest to the advising-assignment meeting. It shows where you are at this stage of your History major and helps to determine who the most helpful advisor might be for you. The department tries to match majors with advisers who share their interests. If you would like, please review our faculty list to review who might be your best advising fit. If you already have an adviser preference, please tell the chair at your meeting. Once you have your advising assignment from the chair, you are officially considered a History major.

II. DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES

HISTORY 110 SEMINARS FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS. The History Department does not require its majors to have taken a History 110 seminar. However, we strongly recommend that all prospective majors take a History 110 during their first year, designed to provide an introduction to the study of history at the college level through a focus on real historical problems and debates. Even if a student took an A.P. history course and received a score of 4 or 5 on the A.P. exam in European or U.S. History, we still recommend that he or she take a History 110 seminar if a history major is under consideration.

COURSE NUMBERS AND SEQUENCES. Courses numbered in the 100s are appropriate for first-year students but may be taken by more advanced students. Courses numbered in the 200s are mid-level courses not open to first-year students without the permission of the instructor. Courses numbered in the 300s are advanced courses not open to freshmen or sophomores without the instructor's permission. Contact instructors.

CREDITS. A major in History consists of 66 credits of work, chosen in consultation with your departmental adviser. First-year seminars (History 110s), History 298, History 395 and Comps are included in the total. Credit toward the major will also be awarded for a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination in American or European History. Off-Campus program credit.

DO NON-DEPARTMENTAL COURSES COUNT FOR HISTORY MAJOR CREDITS?
Yes! History of Economics 232, 233, (Econ 250 consult with History department Chair), Greek, Roman, and Byzantine History (Classics 227, 228, 229), American Studies 115, certain Religion, Women's Studies, ENTS courses, all courses cross-listed with History in African American, American, Asian, or Women's Studies and courses taught by visiting historians in both History and other departments. If in doubt, please contact the Chair (aigra@carleton.edu) or the History Department Office (nlambert@carleton.edu ext. 4217).

JUNIOR YEAR COLLOQUIUM (History 298).
In either fall or winter term of your junior year, you must take History 298, a six-credit reading and discussion course. The general purpose of History 298 is to help you reach a more sophisticated understanding of the methods of historians. The course will culminate in the visit to Carleton of a major historian whose work you will have read during the term. If you must be off-campus both the fall and winter terms of your junior year, you should take History 298 in the fall of your senior year. For more information, click here: The Herbert P. Lefler Endowment for Visiting Speakers in History. Recommended books. Recommended articles. History 400 Distinction Comps Titles, essay/journal length 1996-2008.

RESEARCH SEMINAR (History 395)
All majors must take a research seminar (History 395), preferably in the primary field though a seminar in the secondary field is also acceptable. Normally the student majoring in History takes a seminar in the junior year or early in the senior year.

INTEGRATIVE EXERCISE - COMPS (History 400)
The senior integrative exercise, six credits during the senior year. Comps credits may not be counted toward fulfillment of the field requirement but do count toward the total of 66 credits in History. See History Comps Information.

OTHER FAQs. OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM: If you are interested in organizing or participating in any of the following things, please contact the Department Office.

Some frequently asked questions:

What is the first History Department Event in 2008-09?
The Fall Term Welcome Back Everyone Reception (we also introduce new faculty at this reception), Leighton 2nd floor corridor, outside the History Department, Tuesday, September 22, 2008, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Refreshments! And everyone is welcome!

When is the History Department Picnic? Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. on the Leighton lawn and 2nd floor Leighton. The department will send you a picnic sign-up note to choose your hoagie Spring term.

What events have pizza? SDAs office hours can offer Pizza once a term! The Senior Comps lunch winter term has pizza, and so does the Spring term Junior Comps lunch. Some classes also have pizza or other refreshments to celebrate various things, depends on the faculty member.

Will we have a Department T-Shirt? T-shirts and other department memorabilia are organized by one single enthusiastic History major or several majors who want one. In the past History majors solicited designs, planned, ordered, collected, and distributed department t-shirts, glasses, and mugs. The Department office will help you as much as possible by forwarding announcements and reminder e-mails drafted by you to majors and faculty, and can be your pick-up location. Discuss with Department Administrative Assistant.

Do we have any History Department Intramural Teams? Past majors have organized and captained History Major (and sometimes included faculty) Intermural Broom Ball, Frisbee, and Bicycling teams. History department office will announce, publicize, post sign-up sheets, send e-mail reminders about games, and support as best as it can the team you organize, and will do all it can to help you if you choose to be a team captain or team leader.

Do we have any History Department social outings for majors? Past majors have suggested and arranged a few fun outings for History majors - bowling night (included pizza), bicycle outings, sledding/traying events on Evans Hill. Other fun outing ideas might include a History Majors Hike in the Arb or a field trip to the Nerstrand Big Woods, a History majors and faculty field trip to the Minnesota Historical Society, the Rice County Historical Society, the Northfield Historical Society, or a group bicycle trip to the Dundas Mill. Contact the History Department Office if you have an idea for an outing you would like to organize, or would enjoy organizing any of these.

Can You Make a Suggestion? The History department Give-and-Take Bookshelf was suggested by Katie Thompson Newell, '05, and established in 2004: "It's the end of the year and as such you are probably trying to decide whether to sell back to the bookstore all of your books from all of the classes you've taken this year. You know what a rip-off the buy-back service is. Why not donate your old history books to a History Department Give-and-Take bookshelf? We would love to have them, and I'm sure future students would also appreciate the chance to find books there. Consider this option in lieu of expensive storage and cheap buy-back!" We loved Katie's suggestion, and you can find her Give-and-Take Bookshelves in Leighton 218, the History Department auxiliary lobby where you can still give books or take books (with no need to return). Open during regular office hours. So you see, if you have a suggestion, we are happy to consider it, and will do our best to implement it!

Organization for History Majors - H-HistMajor:
http://www.h-net.org/%7Ehstmajor/about.html

The H-Net: http://www.h-net.org/

For more information or to be added to the mailing list announcing the Herbert P. Lefler lectures, please contact Nikki Lamberty at NLambert@Carleton.edu, (507) 222-4217.