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San Diego State University - Department of HistorySDSU Home PageDepartment of HistoryGo to the Department of History Home Page

Undergraduate Advising FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

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How do I declare history as my minor, major, or second major?
Declaring the minor or major is easy -- there are no deadlines, fees, or hassles. Just visit one of the department's advisers for a signature and informational materials.  Their office is located in AH 4227.  They may be reached by telephoning (619)594-8095 or emailing hstadvsr@mail.sdsu.edu.  You may drop by during office hours, or make an appointment by telephone or email.

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What is impaction, and how does it affect me?
Because demand for seats at SDSU runs far ahead of supply, many popular majors have had to implement various formulas for enrollment management. In the history department you are initially admitted as a "premajor," and earn the opportunity to move into the major by clearing the following "impaction" requirements:

A. Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.4 or higher.
B. Complete a minimum of 60 semester units.
C. Complete 12 units "preparation for the major" with a C or better in all four courses (History 100 and 101, and two other courses from History 105, 106, 109, 110, 115, or 116).

Impaction does not affect history minors.

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What is the difference between a premajor and a major?
Premajor is a temporary status assigned while you demonstrate the ability to succeed in history courses. Until you have cleared the impaction criteria (see above), you will remain a premajor. Once you clear the requirements, you must visit with a department adviser to be moved into the major.  When you meet with the adviser, you should bring copies of transcripts of all the work you have completed.  The transcripts need not be official.

Premajors can do nearly everything majors can do. You may take nearly all of our courses (including upper division) and earn credits toward your BA degree. However, premajors cannot enroll in History 400W or History 450W, nor can they earn credit for internships. It is, therefore, imperative that you clear impaction requirements and move into the major in order to be able to take these two required courses.  You must receive a grade of "C" or better in History 400W before you will be allowed to enroll in History 450W; hence, you will require a full academic year to complete those courses.  You must also have met the requisite writing proficiency in order to enroll in History 400W.

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Can I take upper division courses even though I am still a premajor?
We do not normally recommend that freshmen and sophomores enroll in upper division courses. However, if you are nearing completion of your premajor requirements and you feel competent in history and confident enough to face the challenge of more advanced coursework, you may proceed with upper division coursework, as long as you meet any prerequisites for the particular courses. Any units you earn as a premajor will apply to your major (see above).

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How do I move from the premajor to the major?
YOU are responsible for advancing yourself into the major once you have cleared the impaction criteria! This is NOT automatic, so you must remember to visit one of the history undergraduate advisers when you have completed the premajor requirements so that you may become a declared history major.  When meeting with the adviser to declare the major, be sure to bring copies of transcripts of all your coursework, including work completed at other institutions.

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What are the requirements for the history major?
History is a 42-unit major. Like all Bachelor of Arts degrees, it requires clearance of the writing proficiency and foreign language requirements. In addition, you need 12 lower division and 30 upper division units of history. History is divided into specialized fields; majors are required to take 3 courses in field (a) Thematic, Comparative, and Interdisciplinary History; 2 courses in field (b) The Ancient Through Early Modern World; and 3 courses in field (c) The Modern World.  At least 9 units (3 courses) must be at the 500-level.  Up to six units from other departments may be applied to the history major upon written approval of an undergraduate history adviser.   Once you have met the prerequisites, you must be declared as a major, then prove proficiency in writing so that you can register for the first of the two REQUIRED history courses:  History 400W and History 450W.

You should print out the history pages of the current university catalog and keep those for reference; course offerings and requirements may have changed since you purchased your catalog.

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What are the requirements for the history minor?
History is an 18-unit minor, requiring a 6-unit sequence at the lower division level and 12 units of upper division coursework in no more than two of the fields outlined in the university catalog.  You may leave your Declaration of Minor form at the Department Office for an adviser's signature, or visit an adviser during advising hours to obtain a signature.

We recommend that you print out the history pages of the current university catalog; course offerings and requirements may have changed since you purchased your catalog.

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Can I change my history minor into a first or second major?
Many history minors are surprised to discover that as they near completion of the minor they are only a few courses away from a second major. This is particularly true if you have already cleared the foreign language requirement, have demonstrated writing proficiency, and took the 100 and 101 courses as the introductory history sequence. Dropping the minor and adding history as a first or second major is easy (see requirements for the major, above), and all prior history coursework will apply.  It will, however, require that you complete the courses of the three fields, including three 500-level courses, as well as the 400W and 450W courses.

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What are the department's rules about writing proficiency and foreign language?
These match university requirements, as spelled out in the "graduation requirements" section of the university catalog. Your performance on the Writing Proficiency Assessment exam will determine whether you may enroll in History 400W, or require additional writing coursework.

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Can I change my catalog year to take advantage of new program requirements?
Yes. If a new catalog reveals changes to your major or minor curriculum that appeal to you, you may adopt the catalog in effect during the year in which you graduate. You can see a department adviser, or you can indicate your preference for the current catalog on your graduation application (e.g., on the "major" line, write "history, current catalog").

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Can I take history courses for my "explorations" requirement?
If you are a history MAJOR, you CANNOT use history classes to satisfy upper division general education (explorations area B). The general rule on campus is that while lower division courses can "count twice" to satisfy various requirements, upper division courses can only count once. Note, however, that there is an exception: upper division coursework for general education CAN apply to the MINOR. Hence history minors can indeed satisfy explorations with one of the history courses and apply those units to the minor as well.

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Will transfer units from another college or university apply to my minor or major?
Transfer credit depends upon comparability of courses, existing "articulation" agreements between institutions, and quarter versus semester hours. Normally you must wait until the transcript evaluators have determined transferability of your coursework from other institutions (usually during your first semester). However, you can easily log on to http://www.assist.org (the web-based clearinghouse for articulation among California institutions of higher education), to determine if agreements exist for the courses and schools in question. If the Registrar rejects a course you believe should have been transferable, bring supporting documents to a department adviser to determine if that decision can be challenged by a Request for Adjustment of Academic Requirements (RAAR). 

Many schools offer equivalents to SDSU's major preparation (lower division) courses. Note that SDSU need not offer an equivalent course in order to accept transfer credit, particularly at the upper division level. If you have taken history courses elsewhere for which no SDSU equivalents exist, we can probably apply those units toward the major or minor, presuming you can support a petition with relevant documents (e.g., course description and syllabus). You will need to meet with a department adviser to determine field eligibility of the course(s) in question. Under no circumstances will the university allow more than 12 units of upper division coursework to be transferred for the major, or 6 units to the minor (that is, half of your upper division major or minor units must be completed at SDSU).

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How do I know if the introductory history courses I took elsewhere are equivalent to SDSU's history courses?
While some community and junior colleges offer direct equivalents to all of SDSU's major preparation (lower division) courses, you must be particularly careful because the course numbers may be different (or even reversed!). Thus when you arrive at SDSU and discover that here you will need to take both History 100 and 101, you may not know which course you already took and which to take next. DO NOT make the mistake of just "guessing" and proceeding with one or the other -- if you guess wrong, you will lose the units!

For example, if you took only one introductory history course, and you do not know if it is the equivalent of 100 or 101, log on to www.assist.org (the web-based clearinghouse for articulation agreements among all California institutions of higher education) to determine if agreements exist for your course. "Assist" will tell you if your courses are equivalent to our courses.

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Will units earned in study abroad or foreign exchange apply to my minor or major?
San Diego State University is a recognized leader in international education, and boasts a wide variety of excellent opportunities for study abroad. The History Department strongly encourages students of all majors and minors to take advantage of these opportunities for international experience, and strives to accommodate units transferred from overseas institutions and programs.

Most study abroad programs require that you meet first with a major or minor adviser for approval of planned coursework. However, final approval of units is done upon your return. Normally you must wait until the international transcript evaluators have determined transferability of your overseas coursework, though we can facilitate this process by meeting to go over your materials. If the Registrar rejects a course you believe should have been transferable, bring supporting documents to a department adviser to determine if that decision can be challenged by a Request for Adjustment of Academic Requirements (RAAR).

Note that SDSU need not offer an exact equivalent course in order to accept credits from abroad, particularly at the upper division level. When you take courses overseas for which no SDSU equivalents exist, we can usually apply those units toward the major or minor, presuming you can support a petition with relevant documents (e.g., syllabus or catalog description). You will need to meet with a department adviser to determine field eligibility of the course(s) in question. Under no circumstances will the university allow more than 12 units of upper division coursework by transfer to the major, or 6 units to the minor (that is, half of your upper division major or minor units must be completed at SDSU). Note that official "SDSU study abroad programs" (such as the London, Paris, and Florence semesters) earn "resident" units, just as if earned on campus.

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Can history majors receive credit for internships?
History majors with a grade of "C" or better in History 400W and a minimum of 15 units of upper division history may receive 3 units of credit for History 452.  Interns may work in campus or community archives, museums, government or other historical agencies as supervised interns.  They must make specific arrangements with a San Diego State University History Department professor to assess the critical analysis, writing, and historiography component of the internship.  The agreement between the student and supervising professor must be approved by an undergraduate history adviser and the Department Chairperson.  The grade in the course is assigned by the SDSU supervising professor.

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What can I do with a degree in history?
History is not a vocational major such as nursing, nutrition, or accounting, all of which train you with a specific set of skills tied to certification for professional practice. Rather, history is a liberal arts degree, which -- like most university majors -- is designed instead to prepare you broadly for professional development, critical thinking, citizenship, and lifelong learning. By completing a BA you develop many skills -- organizational, analytical, technological, research, writing, speaking, and more --, which equip you for many different possible applications.
Graduates in history go on to a full range of career paths including state, local, or federal government service, nonprofit and advocacy work, law, business, journalism, international careers, education, campaigns and polling, lobbying, public administration, social and marketing research, social work, and many other professional arenas. Some history majors go directly into private, nonprofit, or public sector employment, while others continue their education by pursuing advanced degrees or single-subject teaching credentials.  The single-subject teaching credential requires passing a battery of tests in subjects other than history, hence, those wishing to become teachers of history at the high school level are recommended to pursue the Social Science degree or be prepared to pass the California State Examinations for Teachers (CSET).

Undergraduate advisers can provide some informational materials regarding careers for history majors.  If you are nearing graduation and are looking for ways to put your skills to work, we also recommend that you take advantage of the data, materials, and services provided by SDSU's Career Services (http://career.sdsu.edu).

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Where can I find answers to other advising questions?
You may direct inquiries to hstadvsr@mail.sdsu.edu or call their office at (619)594-8095.  Their office is located in AH 4227.  You may call or email to set up an advising appointment, or drop in during their regularly scheduled advising hours.