Major Requirements
History majors must complete 12 courses in history (36 credits) with a grade of C or better in each course. A minimum of eight courses for the major must be taken at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. All history majors must fulfill the following requirements:
1. Of the twelve courses, at least eight courses must be at the 200 through 400 level
2. At least five courses must be at the 300 or 400 level
3. All majors must take the History Workshop, 01:506:299, ideally by the end of the sophomore year; transfer students must take 01:506:299 in their first semester at Rutgers.
This course must be taken before the History Seminar or Public History Internship.
Four Workshops on different topics are offered each semester.
4. All majors must take the History Seminar (either 01:506:401 or 402), or Public History Internship (01:506:451), or History Honors Thesis (01: 506:495 and 496) usually taken in the junior year or senior year. Prerequisite: History Workshop (01:506:299).
Four Seminars on different topics are offered each semester.
The Public History Internship and the two Honors courses are also offered each semester.
5. Of the 12 history courses, at least two must be in each of the following three areas:
a. Global, African, Asian, Latin American, or Native American history (selected 506 courses and all 508 courses).
At least ten courses that meet this requirement are offered each semester.
b. European history (510)
At least eight courses in European history are offered each semester.
c. United States history (512)
At least ten courses are offered each semester.
6. At least one course focusing on the period before 1500C.E.
- At least ten courses are offered each semester.
7. A minimum of eight 200- through 400-level courses, at least five must be at the 300- or 400-level.
8. At least eight of the total number of courses must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick
9. No more than two courses used to complete a major or minor in another department can be used to fulfill the requirements of the history major
10. The history department does not accept CLEP test credits even for general elective credit.
Download a major worksheet to help you keep track of your progress. You can fill it out on your own or bring it to your advisor.
For any questions about major requirements, please contact the Undergraduate Administrator, Kenneth Linden,