You can major or minor in history. As a major you can choose a regular track and write a research paper in any quarter before graduation or go for the research track and write a BA thesis in your senior year, which may qualify you to graduate with honors.
How to Prepare? Join the history undergraduates' list, ugradhistory@lists.uchicago.edu, come to our parties, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Take a Civ sequence in your freshman year. Civ is a terrific way to test your interest in history and gain a foundation in one of the world's great civilizations. You can choose to study Africa, the ancient Mediterranean world, the Americas (Latin America or the US), Europe, East Asia, Russiam or South Asia. Or you might prefer to view human civilizations through the lens of science and medicine, gender and sexuality, or colonization.
Next, take gateway courses, such as "History of the Present" or "Italian Renaissance," which are designed specifically for students in their first years in the College.
Look into the major and minor requirements and take more history courses in your second year.
Learn a language and travel abroad. Its so much easier to understand the past when you walk the streets of a city where evidence of historic events is around every corner.
Peruse our undergraduate page for further details on our program.
Apply: Stop by the History office (Social Science 225) in the beginning of your junior year and talk with our friendly Academic Advisor, who can help you with the simple process of declaring yourself as a history major or minor. Make your decision no later than sixth week of winter quarter (majors) or no later than the end of spring quarter (minors). Welcome!