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Welcome New History Majors
Dear New History Major,
Welcome to the Cal Poly History Department.
As you plan your academic schedule, refer to the required curriculum for History majors found in the 2009-2011 Catalog (PDF). In order to graduate in four years, you will need to average 15 units a quarter. Initially, however, we recommend you take 12 to 14 units during your first quarter on campus in order to adjust to the demands of the University.
As proper introduction to the History curriculum, you should consider taking HIST 100, a new course designed for first-time freshmen. You will also be scheduled into one or two of the following courses: HIST 110 and HIST 207. These courses, as well as HIST 111 and one world history course (HIST 221, 222, 223), should be completed during your first four quarters at Cal Poly. The History Department also requires intermediate-level foreign language ability for graduation (the 121-level course of Mandarin Chinese [MLL], French, German, or Spanish); you should consider beginning progress towards this goal during your freshman year. This training will also provide a good accompaniment to many of the classes offered in the History Department. The Modern Languages & Literatures Department (at 805-756-1205) can provide assistance and advice with regard to placement in the appropriate class level.
Communication courses are basic to any University-level work and are in high demand. Try to register for ENGL 134 or COMS 101 or 102 during Fall or Winter Quarter. You must, however, have qualified for these courses by virtue of having scored appropriately on the English Placement Test (EPT) or being exempt from having to take it. Depending on your EPT status, you may need to take a remedial English class or enroll in ENGL 103 simultaneously with ENGL 134.
You should also plan on taking your required math or statistics courses during your first year at Poly. If you are ineligible for the math courses required for graduation based on your Entry Level Math (ELM) status, you must enroll in the recommended remedial course during Fall Quarter. For more information on the English Placement Test (EPT) and the Entry Level Math (ELM) test, please call 756-2067 with EPT questions and 756-2268 with questions about ELM. Keep in mind that students who have not taken the tests and have not met the exemptions will have a hold placed on their Fall Quarter registration.
We strongly encourage all History majors to become involved with our chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society. This organization provides an opportunity to get to know professors and fellow classmates in a social setting, while becoming more intellectually immersed in the history major through extra-curricular activities.
For additional assistance in understanding your requirements, please go to the College of Liberal Arts home page at cla.calpoly.edu and click on the "New Student Advising and Class Scheduling for Freshmen and Transfer Students" link.
As part of Cal Poly's Preface Shared Reading Program, all new students are expected to finish reading a selected book by the end of summer as it will be discussed during Week Of Welcome.
We look forward to helping you begin your academic career at Cal Poly. You can view the Cal Poly catalogs in PDF format at www.calpoly.edu/~acadprog. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the History Department at 805-756-2543.
Sincerely,
Andrew D. Morris, Chair
Department of History
