Requirements for the History Minor changed as of September 1, 2006. All students officially declaring a minor on or after this date must fulfill the new requirements.
NOTE: "Official Declaration" means that the History Minor appears on a student's transcript. Having a History Minor on a Penn InTouch worksheet—whether official or unofficial—is not sufficient.
Requirements
The History Minor consists of six courses, four of which must be taken in the Penn Department of History (none from other Penn departments, unless they are cross-listed with History). Courses for the Minor may not be taken pass/fail.
A. Geographic Distribution
Students must take a course in three of the following five geographic areas:
- United States and Canada
- Europe (including Britain and Australia)
- Africa
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East
Note: The content of some history courses—History 354, American Expansion in the Pacific, for example—crosses regional boundaries. This course may be used as either an American or an Asian requirement, but it may not count for both areas.
B. Chronological Distribution
- Pre-1800 Course
- Post-1800 Course
All pre-1800 courses are designated (PRE-1800) within the Department of History Undergraduate Course Directory.
Note: Minors may "double-count" chronological and geographic distribution courses. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to take HIST 308, Renaissance Europe, and HIST 097, China in the Twentieth Century, in order to fulfill both chronological requirements and two of the three geographic requirements.
C. Seminar (200-level or above)
All seminars are designated (SEM) both in the Registrar's Timetable and in the Department of History Undergraduate Course Directory. The seminar must be taken in the Penn Department of History.
D. Concentration (Optional)
Concentrations within the Minor are optional. Students who wish to have a concentration within the Minor must take three courses in that concentration, including one seminar. Minor concentrations do not appear on a student's transcript.
A minor concentration in Jewish History requires three of the six courses to be in the area of Jewish history, divided as follows: 1 of the 3 Jewish history surveys—HIST 139 (formerly HIST156, HIST 140, and HIST141— and two additional courses in Jewish history, including one seminar. (With permission from a Jewish history faculty advisor, students may take one of these courses in another department.) The other requirements are the same for the general History Minor.
Declaring the History Minor
When you have completed the majority of your History Minor, you must fill out a Minor Declaration Form (available from your home school office and the History Undergraduate Advisor), listing which courses you will count towards your minor. After these courses have been approved, your transcript will indicate a History Minor. Wharton students must return their form to the Wharton Undergraduate Office.
Declaring a minor will not automatically enable you to enroll in "majors only" seminars. Contact the History Undergraduate Advisor (see link above), who can issue permits for these seminars. Remember, the Department offers many additional seminars that are not "majors-only" and are available to you without a permit. See the Undergraduate Course Directory, and look for the (SEMINAR) designation.
Minor in Legal Studies and History
The Wharton School and the College also offer an interschool minor in Legal Studies and History. The Legal Studies website has detailed information on the minor requirements. Please read these pages very carefully. If you still have questions about the minor, Wharton students should contact the Legal Studies Advisor, Prof. Ann Mayer. College students should speak to Prof. Julia Rudolph in the Department of History. All prospectives Minors must declare through the appropriate department in their home school: Legal Studies for Wharton students; History for College students.
