Looking to declare a major or minor within the history department? Then you’ve come to the right place! Follow this step by step list of instructions below:
1.) You can begin the declaration process by reviewing the webpages below for your intended major or minor:
- History Major – FAQs
- History Minor – FAQs
- History of Public Policy and Law Major – FAQs
- Labor Studies Minor – FAQs
- Poverty, Inequality, and Social Justice Minor – FAQs
*Please note that the Poverty, Inequality, and Social Justice minor has a separate and detailed application process with specific timelines. More information about this can be found on the BLUM Center website.
2.) Once you have thoroughly reviewed the document for your intended major or minor, please email the history department Undergraduate Advisor (history-undergraduate-advisor@ucsb.edu) with your name and PERM number, and state your interest. The undergraduate advisor will then complete a requirements sheet with all the work you have completed in the major/minor so far, review what you still have left to do, and give you more information about the program.
3.) After any lingering questions about the major/minor requirements have been answered, the undergraduate advisor will declare your minor OR send you the Change of Major request form to complete via DocuSign (you do not need to complete this before meeting with the history department advisor – it is much easier to process straight through DocuSign). If you plan to declare a double major, you will also need to complete the Memo of Understanding for Double Majors which can also be completed through DocuSign (see our guide on how to run a major progress check for help filling out this form).
4.) Once you have completed all the necessary paperwork, the history advisor will turn it in to be processed by the College of Letters and Science and the Registrar’s Office. The history advisor will also add you to our department email list so you can stay up to date on important announcements regarding new courses being offered, department events, internship/job opportunities, and much more.
5.) You can view your currently active majors and minors in GOLD. Once logged in, navigate to the yellow “registration” tab at the top of the screen. In the bottom left-had box titled “Additional Registration Information”, you will see all your active majors and minors. Minor declarations should appear after a week or two, and majors changes can take a month or two to process, so don’t worry if you don’t see your new major or minor right away!
*If you are a first year student, you must wait two quarters before changing your major or declaring a double major. You may still contact the history advisor for help choosing major classes, but you won’t be able to officially change your major for two quarters.