Students in virtually any field will find a minor in history to be a valuable complement to their major. History bridges disciplines. It encourages students to consider a society in all its aspects—political, economic, social, moral, and aesthetic. Above all, history teaches an appreciation of change and continuity over time. Classes in history help develop skills in communicating ideas and evaluating arguments. The study of History is a fundamental part of a liberal education.

REQUIREMENTS:

Requirements for the minor if declared Spring 2023 or earlier:

Six History Department courses of 3 or 4 credits each, taken for a letter grade.

• Courses should be distributed in at least three geographic fields. For purposes of this requirement, the geographic fields are: Africa (HIAF), East Asia (HIEA), Europe (HIEU), Latin America (HILA), Middle East (HIME), South Asia (HISA), and United States (HIUS).
• No more than three General History (HIST) courses may be counted toward the minor.
• At least two courses should be numbered 3000 or above.
• Courses taken in other departments may not be counted toward the minor unless cross-listed in the History Department (e.g., ECON 2061/HIUS 2061).  Nor can they be counted toward the minor if they are intended to count for the major in the other cross-listed department, in this case Economics. 
• All six courses must be taken in residence at the University or on approved study-abroad programs taught by a member of the History faculty.
• There are no prerequisites for the minor.

Requirements for the minor if declared Fall 2023 or later:

1. Six History Department courses of 3 or 4 credits each, taken for a letter grade.
2. Courses should be distributed in at least three distinct mnemonics (HIAF, HIEA, HIEU, HILA, HIME, HISA, HIST, HIUS).
3. Of the six courses required for the minor, no more than three may be taken in any one mnemonic.
4. Courses taken in other departments may not be counted toward the minor unless cross-listed in the History Department (e.g., ECON 2061/HIUS 2061).
5. Up to two approved transfer courses may be applied toward the minor. Courses taken before matriculation transfer toward the minor if they have been approved by the University and are on SIS with a History mnemonic (HIAF, HIEA, HIEU, HILA, HIME, HISA, HIST, HIUS). Courses taken after matriculation require departmental approval. Consult the Transfer Credit Approval Procedure link. 
6. Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) courses cannot be counted towards the minor.
7. There are no prerequisites for the minor.

HOW TO DECLARE:

To declare a minor in history, you will need to submit the declaration form via DocuSign.

The form requires you to list the courses you have completed in the past and tentatively plan to take in the future to complete the minor requirements. Any history faculty member can help you devise a program of study or answer questions about the minor. Your form should list a total of 6 courses.

When completing the form, list the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Jennifer Sessions, jes4fx@virginia.edu) as the Declaration of Major/Minor Contact.

Note: You cannot declare a minor unless you have already declared a major. Your form will be rejected if you do not have a major in SIS.

ADVISING:

Minors are not assigned faculty advisers. Any member of the department, including the Director of Undergraduate Studies, will be glad to consult with minors about their program of study.

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements.