Transfer Students

It is recommended that you speak to the Undergraduate Administrator prior to picking classes for your first semester at Rutgers.  The Undergraduate Administrator can evaluate your classes and advise you how to complete the requirements of the major. 

Please note: Transfer students are expected to take 506:299 History Workshop during their first semester at Rutgers. 

Additional major requirements can be found here (please follow the NEW requirements): Major Requirements

Transferring History Courses: Information for Majors and Minors

The History Department at Rutgers-New Brunswick accepts many History courses taken at other institutions for credit towards its major or minor. Such courses can be transferred from two-year colleges, other four-year universities, or programs sponsored by the Rutgers Study Abroad Program. We will also consider requests to transfer credits for summer courses taken at other institutions and requests to transfer credits taken through other Study Abroad Programs. Even courses that do not correspond closely with the title or content of a course taught at Rutgers are eligible for transfer. There are, however, some rules and regulations that govern the transfer process:

1. First of all, the department requires that majors must complete a minimum of eight courses at Rutgers-New Brunswick, meaning that no more than four transfer courses can be counted towards a major.
2. Similarly, the department requires that minors complete a minimum of four courses at Rutgers-New Brunswick, meaning that no more than two transfer courses can be counted towards a minor.

We also frequently grant transfer credit at levels below the level assigned by the institution where the course was taken. The procedure for gaining transfer credit varies depending on the originating college or program. Common procedures are as follows:

1.) Transferring Courses from Two-Year Colleges in New Jersey

Many courses taught at two-year colleges in New Jersey have been pre-approved for transfer to Rutgers and will automatically transfer when you register at Rutgers. Information about these courses can be found on the website NJ Transfer: http://www.njtransfer.org/. If you find a course listed on NJ Transfer with a direct equivalent at Rutgers, you do not need to do anything; the transfer equivalency will automatically appear on your transcript following your registration at Rutgers.

If the course you took is not listed on NJ Transfer, you will need to schedule an appointment with the Undergraduate Vice-Chair in the History Department to determine how the course will transfer (contact information is available on this website). When you meet with the Vice-Chair, you will need a copy of the catalog description of the course and a copy of the syllabus used in the course. At the meeting, the Vice-Chair will fill out a transfer approval form indicating the appropriate geographical area of History related to your transfer course (506, 508, 510, or 512), and the appropriate level of credit (100-level or 200-level). For some courses, it is possible to give an exact equivalency with an existing course at Rutgers, but frequently there is not an equivalent or similar course offered at Rutgers. In such cases, you will be given equivalency by area and general level (e.g. 512 credit at the 100-level) rather than an exact equivalency. If you cannot acquire a copy of the syllabus for the course, you can still get transfer credit, but only at the 100-level (many courses will transfer at this level even with a copy of the syllabus). The Vice-Chair will give you a copy of the transfer approval form to take to the SAS Dean’s Office for processing. (The Dean’s Office nearest to the History Department is located in Milledoler Hall, across the quad from Van Dyck Hall).

2.) Transferring Courses from Four-Year Colleges

All transfers from four-year colleges need to be approved by the Undergraduate Vice-Chair. The procedure is similar to that outlined above for two-year colleges not listed on NJ Transfer. Courses taken at four-year institutions are, however, eligible for transfer at the 300 or 400 level. Only courses that have reading and writing requirements comparable to our own upper-level courses will transfer at higher levels. If possible, students should bring to their meeting with the Vice-Chair copies of papers written in upper-level courses at other institutions as well as copies of the course description and syllabus. Courses that were graded solely on the basis of exams or a combination of exams and short papers (e.g. five pages) will ordinarily transfer at the 100 or 200-level.

3.) Transferring Courses from Study Abroad

All transfers of Study Abroad courses need to be approved by the Undergraduate Vice-Chair. The procedure is the same as that outlined above for transfers from four-year colleges. Students contemplating studying abroad are encouraged to consult with the Vice-Chair about likely equivalencies BEFORE they sign up for any courses. Formal equivalency cannot be given in advance, but advice and suggestions from the Vice-Chair will be helpful in planning a course of study that will yield maximum benefit upon returning to Rutgers. Equivalency decisions ultimately depend on the nature of the reading and writing requirements of each individual course, which can be formally determined only after course completion. Ordinarily, students returning from Study Abroad should arrange to meet with the Vice-Chair early in the semester following their return to the U.S.

Any questions about transfer credits not covered on this page should be addressed to the Undergraduate Vice-Chair.

Helpful tips

Here are some helpful tips to ease your transition to the Rutgers History Department:

• If you would like to declare the history major or minor please log in to mymajor.sas.rutgers.edu.
• Get to know your professors. You will only have two years instead of four to build relationships. It is wise to develop relationships with 2-3 faculty members in the history department. You may need to get information about research or internship opportunities. You may also want information about graduate programs, and eventually, you may need to ask for a letter of recommendation.
• It is important to go to office hours, especially for larger courses and seminars.
• Attend every class; leave extra time for class and exam preparation and for researching, writing and revising your papers before you submit them.
• Meet with the undergraduate administrator to talk about Degree Navigator questions and transfer course evaluations. If you are trying to get a course evaluated make sure you have a syllabus and any other relevant information (copy of final paper, etc.)
• If you need a special permission number for a course you must get the approval of the instructor in writing.
• Look out for emails from the undergraduate administrator. This is how you will be informed about important programs such as the Honors Program, Phi Alpha Theta (the history honor society), internships, and other exciting opportunities.