Declaring a Major or Minor

How to Declare

Major Planning Worksheets

Students are required to speak to their history faculty advisors before submitting their worksheets.

Declaring a major or minor in history is the first step on your path to becoming educated on the many facets of humanity's past.

  1. Pick up a major or minor planning worksheet from the Department of History office, Rush Rhees 362B OR download it from our website. Note: This worksheet is not optional; you must complete it and return it to the department as described in step #4 below.
  2. Make an appointment with a professor in an area in which you are particularly interested or whose class you particularly enjoyed. This professor will become your major or minor advisor. For faculty office hours and contact information, please visit our faculty page.
  3. At the meeting, you will discuss your proposed program of study and fill out the major or minor planning worksheet. Both you and your advisor must sign it (electronic signatures are acceptable).
  4. Bring your planning worksheet to the Department of History office, Rush Rhees 364, OR email it to the undergraduate coordinator, Jacquilyn Rizzo. Her contact information is on our staff page. When the director of undergraduate studies approves your worksheet, you will be notified via email. You can then officially declare your major. Your major or minor declaration will not be approved if you submit it before your worksheet is signed.
  5. Once your planning worksheet is approved, you can complete the .
    1. Enter your NetID and Password, and select "Declare a New Major/Minor."
    2. Enter your student information in the first section.
    3. Using the information on the planning worksheet, fill out the "Major/Minor Declaration Information" section.
    4. Fill out the "Primary Writing Requirement" section.
    5. In the "91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Curriculum Registration" section, you will need to enter your major/minor as History under the "Social Sciences" section. In the remaining sections you will enter your clusters or minors in Humanities and Natural Sciences.
    6. Click submit. You will receive an email verifying your declaration has been submitted, and from there it will be reviewed and approved by the department.

Congratulations! You are now a history major or minor.

Note: The forms do not commit you to take every course you list. Rather, they set down a plan from which you will launch your major and serve as a reminder of your interests as you proceed. However, any changes to this plan should be reviewed with your advisor and approved by the director of undergraduate studies and may require submission of a formal revision or a new department planning worksheet and declaration form.