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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

Where are you located?

The main office for the History Department is located in the King Juan Carlos Center (KJCC) room 701, on the 7^th floor. The street address is 53 Washington Square South, between Sullivan and Thompson Sts.

How do I declare a major or minor in history?

If you are a CAS student, you can declare your major or minor in history by filling out a Declaration form. You can download the form from the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html or pick it up in the department office (KJCC 701). Return the completed form to the Undergraduate Advisor, Sadie Paschke, in person or via email at sadie.paschke@nyu.edu.

If your primary school at NYU is not CAS, you will need to fill out a Declaration form from your home school, which needs to be signed by your major advisor and by the Undergraduate Advisor in the history department. The completed form needs to be taken back to your home school; they will declare you there. If you’re unsure where to get the Declaration form from, Sadie can direct you to the right place.

Who is my advisor in the history department? When should I come to you and when should I see my CAS advisor?

The advisor to all history majors and minors is Sadie Paschke. She can be reached via email at sadie.paschke@nyu.edu, by phone at (212) 998-8647, and in person in KJCC room 701. If you have any questions about the history major or minor that are not answered on our website, please direct them to Sadie. If you have advising questions about your other courses at CAS, the CAS Advising Center (Silver, 9^th floor) is your best resource.

If you would like to speak to a faculty member in the History Department, you may contact Prof. Maria Montoya, the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) via email at maria.montoya@nyu.edu, by phone at (212) 998-8988, and in person in KJCC rm. 208. A complete list of our faculty is available on our website at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/page/faculty

How can I tell if a course is considered Introductory or Advanced? What’s the difference?

An Introductory level course is not necessarily “easier” than an Advanced level course. Rather, Introductory courses, usually broad and general, are useful to prepare students for courses that treat subjects in more depth and detail. Advanced courses examine themes or narrower subjects, usually over shorter periods of time, in greater depth and detail than Introductory courses.

In the history department, introductory courses are listed under course number V57.0099 and below. (So that’s any course with a number V57.00--). Advanced courses are listed under course number V57.0100 and above.

What’s a “Topics” course?

“Topics” is an administrative term used with new courses that do not yet have permanent course numbers established for them. “Topics” does not indicate whether a course is Introductory, Advanced, a Lecture, a Seminar, or a Workshop. You do not need to take a certain number of “Topics” courses to fulfill a major or minor requirement. In a nutshell, if you see the word “Topics” listed at the beginning of a course title, just ignore it!

I want to take a course pass/fail. Can I count it towards my major or minor?

No pass/fail courses may be counted towards the history major or minor.

I’m taking a course that is crosslisted with history and another department. I registered under the other department’s course number. Will the class still count towards my history major or minor?

Yes. If it’s not showing up under your history major/minor on your Degree Progress Report on ALBERT, let Sadie know, and she will do a memo to the Registrar to fix it.

Are there pre-requisites for any history courses?

No. It is strongly suggested that students take the Workshop course before taking an Advanced Seminar, but there are no pre-requisites for any courses in the history department.

For History Majors:

I transferred into CAS from the Liberal Studies Program. Do any of my LSP classes count towards my major?

If you declared the major BEFORE January 2010: Three GSP Courses (Social Foundations I & II, Non-Western Civilizations/Global Cultures) count towards the major. Each GSP course counts as introductory and only three introductory courses can count towards the major. (The remaining six classes must be advanced - above V57.0100).

If you declared the major AFTER January 2010: Two LSP Courses (Social Foundations I & II) count towards the major. Each LSP course counts as introductory and only three introductory courses can count towards the major. Students who use both LSP courses for the major may only take one more introductory course. (this must be in either US or Non-Western history to fulfill a geographical requirement; otherwise it will be used as an elective).

Can I count a history course that I took at another university or another NYU department towards my major?

You may petition to count up to 4 courses from other institutions or other NYU departments towards your history major. You will need to complete a Course Petition, which you can download from the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html or pick up in the department office (KJCC 701). You will find instructions on the form.

**Please note that the Course Petition through the History department is to assess whether a course may be counted towards the history major or minor. It does not guarantee acceptance of credits at NYU. If you are petitioning a course taken outside of NYU, you must also go to CAS Advising (Silver Center, 9^th fl.) to petition for the credits to be accepted at NYU.**

Can I count AP credit towards my major?

The History department accepts up to 4 credits of AP history to count towards the major, provided that CAS has accepted the credit. AP United States credit will fulfill the Introductory US requirement; AP European credit will fulfill the Introductory European requirement. You do not need to petition to count AP credit towards the major; just let Sadie know and she can do a memo to the Registrar.

Can I count MAP classes towards my major? What about Freshman Honors Seminars, Advanced/Collegiate Honors Seminars, or courses in the Collegiate Seminar Program?

If you take a MAP class (V55), a Freshman Honors Seminar (V50), an Advanced/Collegiate Honors Seminar (V28), or a course in the Collegiate Seminar Program (V70) with a professor in the History Department or an Associated faculty member (refer to our website for a list: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/page/faculty), the course may count towards your history major. You do not need to petition to count these courses towards the major; just let Sadie know and she can do a memo to the Registrar. If the course was not taught by a professor in the History Department or an Associated faculty member, it may not count towards the history major.

Advanced/Collegiate Honors Seminars (V28) will be considered Advanced level. MAP classes (V55), Freshman Honors Seminars (V50), and courses in the Collegiate Seminar Program (V70) will be considered Introductory.

Can I count a class I took abroad on a NYU program towards my major?

Yes. If the class was offered under a history (V57) course number or if it was crosslisted with history, it will count towards your major just as if you took it here on the Washington Square campus. All classes taken abroad are considered Advanced level classes.

Can I count a class I took abroad on a non-NYU program towards my major?

You may petition to count up to 4 courses from other institutions towards your history major. You will need to complete a Course Petition, which you can download from the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html or pick up in the department office (KJCC 701). You will find instructions on the form.

I am a transfer student. Will the history classes I took at my previous college count towards my major?

I checked my Degree Progress on ALBERT today and it says that I still need to take a course that I know I’ve already taken! (For example, ALBERT says I still need one United States history course, but I’ve taken 2 courses in US history already.) What should I do?

First, don’t panic! Sometimes, the courses you take will not be properly reflected on your Degree Progress Report on ALBERT. This happens because sometimes courses can fulfill more than one requirement and because ALBERT is an imperfect system. If this happens, let Sadie know, and she can audit your Degree Progress and do a memo to the Registrar to fix how courses are being recorded on ALBERT if there is a mistake.

I’m registered for a course that is crosslisted with history and another department that I am also majoring or minoring in. Can the course count towards both my history major and my other major or minor?

The History department policy is that students may double-count up to 2 courses towards their history major and towards another major or minor. You will need to double-check with the other department to ensure that they have a compatible policy regarding double-counting.

I want to do an Independent Study. Can I count it towards my major? What does an Independent Study in history involve and how do I register for one?

Students interested in undertaking independent study on a specific or specialized topic of their choice may do so by applying to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for 2 or 4 points of course credit. Applications are available from the History office or on the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html Instructions can be found on the application form.

The student will write a short (one or two paragraph) description of the proposed course of study 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.

I want to do an Internship. What type of internships can I get history credit for? How do I apply?

Students who wish to engage in history-related work in an agency or institute within or outside New York University (e.g. UN agency, an archive, museum, library, philanthropy, a publishing house, or an appropriate television program) may apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for 2 or 4 points of course credit. Note that the internship must be directly related to history in order for the DUGS to consider it for credit towards your major. Applications are available from the History office or on the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html Instructions can be found on the application form.

What is a Workshop? When should I take it?

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.

The Workshop should be taken during the sophomore, junior, or first semester senior year, and it is strongly suggested that it be taken before the Advanced Seminar. Work undertaken in the Workshop will prepare the student for the historical research paper to be written in the Advanced Seminar.

What is an Advanced Seminar? When should I take it?

Advanced 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. This is not a lecture course and normally there are no mid-term or final examinations; each student will conduct research using primary sources and will submit a research paper to the professor at the culmination of the course.

The Advanced Seminar should be taken after the Workshop.

For History Minors:

In brief, the minor in history consists of 4 classes. 1 may be Introductory; the other 3 must be Advanced. 3 of your 4 courses must be taken within the NYU History Department (V57 course number). There are a variety of courses that may fulfill the 4^th course (outside of the NYU History Department). Details on these various options as well as answers to other common questions are below.

I transferred into CAS from the Liberal Studies Program. Do any of my LSP classes count towards my minor?

Yes, the History Department accepts 1 course from GSP to fulfill a minor requirement. It will count as an Introductory course; the remaining 3 courses towards the minor must all be Advanced level. You may count 1 of the following 3 courses from GSP:

Social Foundations I or Social Foundations II

If you wish to count one of these courses towards your minor, please let Sadie know, and she will do a memo to the Registrar to move it under your History Minor on your Degree Progress Report on ALBERT. Keep in mind that your remaining 3 classes towards the minor must all be taken within the NYU History Department.

Can I count a history course that I took at another university or another NYU department towards my minor?

You may petition to count up to 1 course from another institution or another NYU department towards your history minor. You will need to complete a Course Petition, which you can download from the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html or pick up in the department office (KJCC 701). You will find instructions on the form.

Can I count AP credit, an Internship, or an Independent Study towards my minor?

No. AP credit, Independent Studies, and Internships may not be counted towards the minor in history.

Can I count MAP classes towards my minor? What about Freshman Honors Seminars, Advanced/Collegiate Honors Seminars, or courses in the Collegiate Seminar Program?

You may count up to 1 MAP class (V55), Freshman Honors Seminar (V50), Advanced/Collegiate Honors Seminar (V28), or course in the Collegiate Seminar Program (V70) taken with a professor in the History Department or an Associated faculty member (refer to our website for a list: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/page/faculty) towards your history minor. You do not need to petition to count 1 of these courses towards the minor; just let Sadie know and she can do a memo to the Registrar. If the course was not taught by a professor in the History Department or an Associated faculty member, it may not count towards the history minor.

Keep in mind that your remaining 3 classes towards the minor must all be taken within the NYU History Department.

Can I count a class I took abroad on a NYU program towards my minor?

Yes. If the class was offered under a history (V57) course number or if it was crosslisted with history, it will count towards your minor just as if you took it here on the Washington Square campus, within the NYU History Department. All classes taken abroad are considered Advanced level classes.

Can I count a class I took abroad on a non-NYU program towards my minor?

You may petition to count up to 1 course from another institution towards your history minor. You will need to complete a Course Petition, which you can download from the website on the Forms and Resources page at: http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html or pick up in the department office (KJCC 701). You will find instructions on the form.

I am a transfer student. Will the history classes I took at my previous college count towards my minor?

I checked my Degree Progress on ALBERT today and it says that I still need to take one course for my minor, but I’ve already taken 4! What should I do?

I’m registered for a course that is crosslisted with history and another department that I am also majoring or minoring in. Can the course count towards both my history minor and my other major or minor?

The History Department policy is that students may double-count up to 1 course towards their history minor and towards another major or minor. You will need to double-check with the other department to ensure that they have a compatible policy regarding double-counting.

Do I need to take any Workshops or Advanced Seminars for the minor?

No, you do not. History majors, who are required to take these courses to fulfill their major requirements, have priority for registering for these courses. Once they have registered, these courses will be opened up to history minors. If there is space available in a Workshop or Advanced Seminar course at that time, you may enroll, but you do not need to in order to complete your history minor.

Registration Questions:

How do I get cleared for registration?

History majors will need to come into the department to meet with a faculty advisor during the Pre-Registration advising period. Dates will be emailed to majors and posted on the website as scheduled along with full details about the registration process. Once a faculty advisor has signed off on your completed Registration Worksheet and you have dropped it off in the basket in the pre-registration advising office. You will be cleared to register on ALBERT within 2 business days.

History minors must be cleared to register through their major department.

Do I need access codes for Seminars and Workshops? Has the registration process changed? How does it work now?

In most cases, no. The registration process has in fact changed for advanced courses (Workshops and Advanced Seminars) in the History department, as of registration for Spring 2008 courses. In a few cases where the professor is controlling the enrollment for his/her class, you will need to obtain an access code directly from the professor. This will be indicated on ALBERT.

In most cases, Workshops and Advanced Seminars no longer require access codes to register. These courses are instead restricted to history majors on ALBERT to ensure that you have priority for enrolling. You may register for these courses in accordance with your Registration Appointment established by the Registrar. The ensures that senior history majors have priority for enrolling, on down to freshmen.

A few weeks into registration, once all majors have had a chance to enroll in these courses, they will be opened up to minors and then to all students.

As of Spring 2008 registration, Wait Lists for Advanced Seminars and Workshops will be on ALBERT. Wait Lists will no longer be managed in the department.

I’m studying abroad next semester. Do I still need to meet with an advisor for Pre-Registration advising?

Yes, for two reasons. One, you will still need to be cleared to register if going on an NYU program. Two, it is in your best interest to meet with a registration advisor to ensure that you are on track for your history major.

I’m currently abroad. How do I get cleared for registration?

History majors currently studying abroad must email, mail, or fax a completed Registration Worksheet (obtainable on the Undergraduate page of the History department website at http://history.fas.nyu.edu/object/history.ug.forms.html) to Sadie Paschke (sadie.paschke@nyu.edu) with a list of potential classes for the upcoming semester. Sadie will review your Registration Worksheet to ensure you are on track with your major, and you will be cleared within 2 business days and then may register on ALBERT in accordance with your Registration Appointment scheduled by the Registrar.

I’m a double major. Do I need to be cleared through both departments?

No. If both of your major departments are in CAS, you may be cleared through either department. It is still advisable that you stop in to meet with a faculty advisor during the Pre-Registration advising period to ensure that you are on track with your history major.

History double-majors whose primary school is not CAS must be cleared through their major department in their home school. CAS departments do not have access to your account on ALBERT in order to clear you. Again, it is still advisable that you stop in to meet with a faculty advisor during the Pre-Registration advising period to ensure that you are on track with your history major.