History
Chair: Margaret H. Darrow
Vice-Chair: Leslie A. Butler (Summer), Douglas E. Haynes (Fall-Spring)
Professors C. G. Calloway, P. K. Crossley, M. H. Darrow, H. M. Ermarth, G. R. Garthwaite, M. Navarro, A. Orleck, H. W. Whelan, J. Wright; Associate Professors R. E. Bonner, L. A. Butler, S. J. Ericson, C. B. Estabrook, D. E. Haynes, R. L. Kremer, P. D. Lagomarsino, C. E. Naylor, T. Padilla, W. P. Simons; Assistant Professors J. F. Cullon, M. C. Gaposchkin, J. J. Kim, E. G. Miller, N. Sackeyfio, G. R. Trumbull IV; Instructor R. J. Rickford; Visiting Professors R. W. Edsforth, A. V. Koop.
The Department of History offers a Standard Major, a Modified Major, an Honors Major, and a Minor. Most courses fall into one of four areas: (1) United States and Canada, (2) Europe, (3) Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, or (4) Interregional and Comparative. A Major or Minor in History focuses on a field of concentration. Students take the initiative to craft their own concentrations in consultation with their respective faculty advisers within the department. A concentration may be geographical (e.g. European History), chronological (e.g. the 20th Century), or thematic (e.g. Social History). Participants in the Department’s Honors Program then crown their field of concentration with a thesis written in the senior year.
Because planning is essential, it is critical that a student establish a relationship with a faculty member who can act as an adviser. Any member of the Department can serve as a major adviser, and it is best to pursue this relationship as early as possible. If you do not know whom to approach, the Department Chair or Vice Chair will be happy to suggest a possible adviser to suit your interests.
While the course information listed below was complete and accurate as it went to press, it is normal for scheduling changes to occur, including the adding and dropping of courses. For the most up-to-date list of courses, see http://www.dartmouth.edu/~history/calendar.html.
STANDARD MAJOR IN HISTORY
Requirements:
The Standard Major in History comprises the successful completion of at least ten History courses that meet the following requirements:
A. Field of Concentration
1) At least five History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
2) A culminating experience in the form of an upperclass seminar (History 96) taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
B. Total of Ten History Courses
Besides the courses in A, select four additional History courses to bring your total up to ten. These do not need to address your field of concentration, but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements for the major mentioned below.
C. Geographic Distribution
Your ten History courses from A and B contain at least one course from each of the following areas:
1) United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
2) Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
3) Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
4) Interregional (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
D. Chronological Distribution
Your ten History courses from A and B must contain at least two pre-1700 or three pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1700 requirement are designated <1700, while <1800 designates those fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement.
Limits and Exclusions:
1. At least five History courses must be taken in residence at Dartmouth College, one of them being the upperclass seminar (History 96).
3. History 7 (First-Year Seminar), History 98 (Honors Seminar), and History 99 (Honors Thesis) may not be counted toward the Standard Major.
4. Students may not include more than two of the following courses: History 1, 2 or 3.
5. Students may not use more than two upperclass seminars (History 96) or two independent study courses (History 97) in satisfying the requirements of the Standard Major.
6. Major GPA is figured on all History courses taken.
7. The Department will consider approving transfer credits for History majors and non-majors only for History courses taken at institutions with which Dartmouth College has institutional exchange programs.
8. Entering first-year students may receive one unspecified credit for a History course by achieving a score of 5 on the relevant College Entrance Examination Board’s Advanced Placement Tests or scores of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) exam. This unspecified credit counts as one course credit toward the degree requirement but receives no credit within the major.
MODIFIED MAJOR IN HISTORY
A Modified Major will be approved only if the student provides a convincing written rationale for the intellectual coherence of the proposed program of study.
Requirements:
The Modified Major consists of the successful completion of twelve courses, eight of them in History, and four from one or more modifying departments/programs. If the four modifying courses are in a single department/program, your Modified Major plan and rationale must be approved by the chair of the History Department and the chair of the modifying department/program. If the four modifying courses are drawn from more than one department/program, your plan and rationale for a Modified Major needs to be approved only by the chair of the History Department. The requirements in History need to meet the following requirements:
A. Field of Concentration
1) At least three History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
2) A culminating experience in the form of an upperclass seminar (History 96) taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
B. Total of Eight History Courses
Besides the courses in A, select four additional History courses to bring your total up to eight. These do not need to address your field of concentration, but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements for the major mentioned below.
C. Geographic Distribution
Your eight History courses from A and B must contain at least one course from each of the following areas:
1) United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
2) Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
3) Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
4) Interregional (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
D. Chronological Distribution
Your eight History courses from A and B must contain at least two pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement are designated <1800.
Limits and Exclusions, described under the Standard Major, also apply to the Modified Major.
HONORS MAJOR IN HISTORY
Potentially eligible students should meet with their respective advisers to plan for the History Honors Major. History majors who have achieved an overall College grade point average of 3.0 and one of 3.5 in History (based on a minimum of five graded History courses) may apply for admission to the Honors Program through a written proposal submitted in the spring term of their junior year. Others interested in the program should petition the Department for admission by August 15th of the summer term leading into their senior year.
The Honors Program in History consists of the successful completion of the following requirements:
1. The minimum number of courses as specified in (A), (B), (C) and (D) under the requirements for the Standard or Modified Majors.
2. In addition to completing the requirements of the Standard Major or Modified Major, honors majors must complete the Honors Seminar (History 98) in the fall term of their senior year and submit a thesis (History 99), normally written in the winter and spring terms. History 98 counts as one course credit toward the degree requirement but receives no credit within the major. History 99 may carry up to two credits toward the degree requirement, but receives no credit within the Standard Major.
Limits and Exclusions, described under the Standard Major, also apply to the History Honors Program.
MINOR IN HISTORY
The Minor in History consists of the successful completion of seven History courses:
A. Field of Concentration
1) At least two History courses must relate to a field of concentration selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. Concentrations may be geographic, chronological or thematic.
2) A culminating experience in the form of an upperclass seminar (History 96) taken in the general area of the proposed geographic, chronological or thematic concentration.
B. Total of Seven History Courses
Besides the courses in A, select four additional History courses to bring your total up to seven. These do not need to address your field of concentration, but can be used to fulfill the distributive requirements for the major mentioned below.
C. Geographic Distribution
Your seven History courses from A and B must contain at least one course from each of the following areas:
1) United States and Canada (such courses are designated Major Dist: US & CAN in the course listing below);
2) Europe (designated Major Dist: EUR in the course listing below);
3) Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean (designated Major Dist: AALAC in the course listing below);
4) Interregional (designated Major Dist: INTER in the course listing below).
D. Chronological Distribution
Your seven courses from A and B must contain at least two pre-1800 courses. In the course listing below, courses fulfilling the pre-1800 requirement are designated <1800.
Limits and Exclusions, described under the Standard Major, apply to the Minor.