...for students who declared the major on or after the first day of Fall semester 2003.

Courses:

• Minimum GPA of 2.0 in courses counted toward the major
• 36 semester hours of History Courses

These 36 semester hours may include a maximum of two of the following courses:

• Western Civilization I (16:001)
• Western Civilization II (16:002)
• Western Civilization III(16:003)
• Civilizations of Asia: China (16:005)
• Civilizations of Asia: Japan (16:006)
• Civilizations of Asia: South Asia (16:007).
• Important notes:
• These courses may be counted both toward the history major and also toward fulfillment of General Education requirements
• At least 30 semester hours must be in courses numbered above 16:040. Issues and Perspectives courses may not count towards the major.

The 36 semester hours in history courses must include:

• Colloquium - 3 semester hours
• A minimum of 18 semester hours taken at The University of Iowa
• A minimum of two courses each in European, non-Western, and U.S. History
  • At least one of the two courses in each of these areas must be numbered 16:100 or above
• A minimum of 3 semester hours in pre-1700 history. See the list of the courses which fulfill this requirement. A course taken in fulfillment of this requirement may also be counted towards the requirement in American, European or non-western world history.
• A maximum of 18 semester hours of American History counted toward the major

The portfolio consists of three graded papers

• from courses you've taken in history and
• that show the development of your skills
• one of these papers must be from the Colloquium

Turn in the portfolio at the department office early in the semester in which you plan to graduate.

Keep in mind:

• Capstone courses
• Apply to graduate
• Keep us informed

Requirements: Details and Discussion

36 semester hours:

• Transfer work and study abroad courses in history that meet University of Iowa expectations can be counted toward the major. Under the old requirements, a maximum of 15 semester hours of transfer or study abroad credit may be counted towards the major. Under the new requirements, a maximum of 18 semester hours of transfer or study abroad credit may be counted towards the major.
• CLEP (College Level Equivalency Program) credits and Advanced Placement Program credits cannot be counted towards fulfillment of the major. This is true both under the new requirements and under the old requirements.
• The pass-fail option cannot be exercised in history courses counting towards the history major.

The Distribution Requirement: To identify the regional focus of courses, note that undergraduate courses are listed in the Catalog and in the Schedule of Courses in four categories: United States history (prefix 16A), European history (16E), non-Western or world history (16W) and topical courses that have no area designation (016). Depending on their content, courses in this last category may be designated as US, European or World for purposes of counting course distribution, by consultation with your advisor.

The Colloquium: Once you declare yourself a history major -- this generally happens in the sophomore year although you can declare at any time after admission -- you will be assigned a history advisor. Your departmental advisor will steer you to one of the Colloquia for History Majors (16:051). The colloquia are key introductory courses: they have small enrollments (15 or fewer students), they emphasize essential skills such as reading, writing, and arguing, they introduce you to work in the Main Library, and they are usually restricted to history majors. Every semester, three to six colloquia are offered. The subjects of the colloquia change from semester to semester, and nearly every faculty member in the department teaches one from time to time. As a result, when they begin their work in history, majors have the opportunity to be taught by and confer directly with professors.

The colloquia are intended to be the foundation of your learning as a history major. This is where you will acquire--or perhaps embellish--the historian’s basic skills. In addition, one of the essays you write while in the colloquium will be included in the portfolio of papers that you submit to your advisor before graduation.

• Short descriptions of the colloquia are prepared by instructors in advance of registration and can be found in the departmental office and in The Liberal Arts & Sciences Guide to Courses.
• At least one colloquium each semester focuses on World (or non-Western) history, one on European history, and usually more than one on American history.
• Sometimes a colloquium will have a topical rather than a geographical focus--for example, economic, medical or gender history.
• Individual faculty members frequently change the emphases of their colloquium.
• Colloquia which are marked 16A:051 , 16E:051, 16W:051 may be counted towards the distribution requirement in U.S., European or World history.

The Portfolio: Every department needs a yardstick to measure how well its instructional program is working, and the History Department has settled on a close scrutiny of students' essays as its method of evaluating performance. The portfolio is the History Department's measure of educational "outcome." While other departments employ standardized tests, or rising and falling grade point averages or exit interviews as measures of "outcome," our department considers essay writing to be the prime indicator of students' analytic and expressive attainment. We expect that your written work will improve over time as you receive more instruction in history.

The portfolio requirement poses no risk to graduating students. Your advisor will not re-grade your papers, and the portfolio will not affect your grade point average. What your advisor will do is read through your essays and then make notes for the benefit of the Department’s self-reflection. He or she will then ask the department secretary to certify by email to the Registrar's office that you have met the portfolio requirement.

As a practical matter, it is your responsibility to deliver copies of three graded essays, including one colloquium essay, to the History Department. Do this by the middle of the semester in which you expect to graduate. The Department will forward the papers to your advisor.

• Graded originals with comments, not copies, are preferred; you should include one from the "Colloquium for History Majors."
• Please include a short note with your three papers identifying the course, instructor, and semester that each paper comes from
• Turn in the portfolios EARLY in your last semester.
• For students doing honors, for purposes of portfolio evaluation the honors’ thesis is not enough, but a colloquium paper, one other paper and the honors’ thesis may be submitted.

Capstone Courses Opportunities: Juniors and seniors who are nearing completion of their history major requirements may register for an additional credit hour in conjunction with one of the department’s designated 100-level courses. For this additional credit, history majors meet on a weekly basis in a separate discussion section of the course. The section meetings provide an opportunity for students to explore in greater depth some of the issues raised in the readings and lectures for the course. History majors who earn the 4th (capstone) credit may also work on somewhat more substantial papers and have the opportunity to present their work to others in the section. The section is facilitated by an experienced teaching assistant under the guidance of the course instructor.

Apply to Graduate: Finally, although this is not a History requirement per se, students must apply for their degree by filling out the proper forms at the Office of the Registrar, 1 Jessup Hall, before the appropriate date.

Keep us informed: If you’re applying for graduate school or Law school or applying for jobs after graduation, it is useful for us to know that. You never know what knowledge of opportunities we may be able to pass on to you.