Chart Your Path
Our advising support system is designed to help students see themselves as belonging to a community of scholars, to encourage students to advocate for themselves, and to support students as they plan for their professional careers.
Our advising support system is designed to help students see themselves as belonging to a community of scholars, to encourage students to advocate for themselves, and to support students as they plan for their professional careers.
History and Social Studies Secondary Education students meet with faculty advisors each semester to discuss their degree progress and to share the opportunities they wish to pursue while at West Virginia university.
Advisors impart information about courses, minors, experiential and service learning opportunities, and university resources to help students identify their academic aspirations and chart a plan for how to realize them.
Students may enter the History Department as incoming freshmen or transfer students. Current WVU students studying other majors can enter the department if their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
You should plan to meet with your advisor at least once a semester during WVU pre-registration for the next semester. If you have any problems, please schedule an appointment at other times during the semester.
During pre-registration, your advisor will work with you in selecting appropriate courses and discussing other academic and experiential opportunities including Internships and Placements, Capstone options, Undergraduate Research, and Study Abroad. Your advisor will also lift the advising hold on your account, which will enable you to register beginning with your priority date.
At the same time, it is very important that you come prepared to your scheduled advising appointment. Each History major and Social Studies/Secondary Education major is expected to understand the departmental and college requirements for their degree.
DegreeWorks serves as a way for both the advisor and the student to record progress on degree and General Education Foundation requirements. You should keep track your progress and consult DegreeWorks. To enhance the quality of your pre-registration advising appointment prior to your advising meeting, please review the online course schedule and make a list of potential classes. When you are ready to declare a minor, let your advisor know.
Pre-registration for the spring semester occurs from early October to mid-November, and from early March to mid-April for the summer and fall semesters. Priority is based on whether you are an Honors College student as well as your class year. Schedules are circulated prior to each pre-registration season.
Please consult the Department of History staff or your advisor if you have any questions.
All History majors must take HIST 484, Introduction to Historical Research. Topics vary each semester. Students must take the Lead-in course (listed next to the capstone) to enroll in the seminar. Please note that these are small classes with 18 students, and that if your preferred section is full, you might have to enroll in another. Students are encouraged to take the prerequisites for HIST 484 in preceding semesters. Please consult your advisor with any questions.
During pre-registration, the Department of History produces a handout listing upcoming capstones and prerequisite courses. Recent capstone topics include: