History Advising

Undergraduate students

For any history course (except HIST 499), directly contact the instructor of the course. 

• If you have questions about HIST 499, contact history@wwu.edu or visit the HIST 499 page.
• If the course doesn't have an instructor listed, email history@wwu.edu.
• If your transfer course isn't counting as a prerequisite for the WWU course, it can be helpful to provide the WWU instructor with the syllabus of the transfer course or a link to its course catalog.
• Please note that some history faculty may not respond to emails during summer. If this is an urgent request that cannot wait for September, contact history@wwu.edu.

Graduate students

Contact history@wwu.edu and provide the course number and your W#.

• There are no requirements & no application process to declare. 
• Simply, email history@wwu.edu or call 360-650-2324 (the history department's office assistant) and provide your availability for the current quarter. 
• Once you're assigned, please directly contact your advisor or visit during office hours to meet with them. They will answer your questions, help you plan, and approve your major/minor declaration form.

Let us know if you prefer a specific advisor. Please note that all tenured history faculty members can help get you started and handle technical questions throughout your time in the department. 

But if you wish to speak with different faculty members (maybe ones with aligned historical interests), you're welcome to reach out to them directly at any point. (No need to switch advisors.)

Visit during their office hours or contact your advisor directly to schedule an appointment. Office hours are listed on our department Canvas page. Advisors are typically not available during Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer.

• Email is the preferred form of communication for all our professors.
• Email format for all professors is firstname.lastname@wwu.edu.
• If a professor has a hyphenated last name, only the first last name is used.

If your advisor is on leave, please contact history@wwu.edu to find another advisor to work with in the meantime.

Let us know if you prefer a specific advisor. Please note that all tenured history faculty members can help get you started and handle technical questions throughout your time in the department. 

But if you wish to speak with different faculty members (maybe ones with aligned historical interests), you're welcome to reach out to them directly at any point. (No need to switch advisors.)

Log in to Degree Works. Your major information and advisor will be listed at the top of the page.

Students should work with their advisor to develop an individualized plan. For degree requirements and degree planning sheets visit:

• BA, History
• BA, History/Social Studies 
• Minor in History
• Minor in Public History 

Recommendations

Students arrive with varying course preparations, so consider your own circumstances:

• Complete your GURs as soon as possible.
• It is recommended to take at least three lower-division courses in History during your first year.
  • Choose courses in areas that interest you.
  • Don’t feel that you need to complete your 100-level courses before taking 200-level courses.

History Majors

• If you take more than one course, take them in different fields of study:
  • Europe (EUR)
  • US (US)
  • East and South Asia (ASIA)
  • Ancient (ANCT)
  • Western Hemisphere outside the US (WHEM)
  • Africa and the Middle East (AFME)
• If you’ve already taken four or more college-level history courses, consider starting with:
  • An additional lower-division history course in a field that you haven’t yet taken.
  • HIST 301 Doing History
• If you’ve taken one or two college-level history courses:
  • Two lower-division history courses at the 100 or 200 level.  

History/Social Studies Majors

• If you take more than one course, take them in different fields of study:
  • Europe (EUR1 and EUR2)
  • US (US1 and US2)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East 600-1450CE (CMB1)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Canada, and Latin America Since 1450CE (CMB2)
  • Ancient (ANCT)
• If you’ve already taken four or more college-level history courses, consider starting with:
  • An additional lower-division history course in a field that you haven’t yet taken.
  • HIST 301 Doing History
• If you’ve taken one or two college-level history courses:
  • Two lower-division history courses at the 100 or 200 level.  
• Social Studies courses outside the History Department are required in order to provide you with expertise for other courses you may be expected to teach. If you haven’t already, consider taking one of the following:
  • ENVS 204 Human Geography  
  • PLSC 250 The American Political System
  • One of the following PLSC courses:  
    • 101 Government and Politics in the Modern World
    • 261 Intro to Political Theory
    • 271 Intro to International Relations
    • 297 Intro to Comparative Politics
  • One of the following ECON courses:
    • 206 Into to Microeconomic
    • 446 Economics for the Teacher
  • One of the following ECON courses:
    • 207 Into to Macroeconomics
    • 447 Methods for Teaching about the National Economy in the Public School  

If you did not complete pre-registration in Spring 2026 and need to take HIST 499 in Fall 2026, Winter 2027, or Spring 2027, please contact history@wwu.edu asap! For more information, visit the HIST 499 page.

If you participated in pre-registration in Spring 2026, you should have received an email with further instructions. Contact history@wwu.edu with any questions.

What is HIST 499 Pre-registration?

HIST 499, the capstone seminar, is required for all History and History/Social Studies majors. Each Spring, through the pre-registration process, the History department assigns students to a HIST 499 section for the following academic year. 

A survey is sent out so that students can select and rank their top three choices. Along with this data, students are placed into each section based on the total number of credit hours they have earned. Students may not get into their top choice, but every effort is made to place them in one of their top three.

Pre-registration only reserves a seat—it does not mean that a student is registered for the course. 

Students will receive an email with their HIST 499 placement and information about next steps. A few weeks before registration begins, the history department will review students' prerequisites and grant overrides. Students will receive confirmation emails from the history department when it is time to officially register (through the regular process) for the course.

Can I pre-register for HIST 499?

• Do you have 90 credits or more? (Preferably including HIST 301 and several 300/400 level courses) 
• Are you a History, History/Social Studies, or Latin American Studies Major?
• Are you planning to graduate between fall 2026 & fall 2027?
• Have you not taken the required HIST 499 capstone seminar?

If you can answer "yes" to all 4 questions above, you’re eligible to take HIST 499 during the 2026-27 school year. Please contact history@wwu.edu as soon as possible! 

Please also note that there are prerequisite options for each HIST 499 section. Though many options may be listed, only a single prerequisite (plus HIST 301) is required for each HIST 499. 

Not sure if your courses will count? Don’t worry! Your history advisor will work with you to make sure that courses are counted toward the relevant field. In October, reach out to your advisor.

What courses should I take?

Students arrive with varying course preparations, so consider your own circumstances: 

• Choose courses in areas that interest you!
• Students who have earned Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or other credits in history should not take the equivalent courses.
• For more information about Transfer Credits, review the policies on the Admissions page and utilize the Transfer Course Equivalency Guide.

History Majors

• Consider taking a couple of history courses.
• If you take more than one history course, take them in different fields of study:
  • Europe
  • US
  • East & South Asia
  • Ancient
  • Western Hemisphere outside the US
  • Africa & the Middle East

Only 30 credits in history courses can be counted from other institutions. The remaining 35 history credits (out of 65 total) must be taken at Western.

History/Social Studies Majors

• Consider working on some social studies requirements or a couple of history courses.
• If you take more than one history course, take them in different fields of study:
  • Europe (600-1450 CE & since 1450 CE)
  • US (pre-1865 & post-1865)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, & Middle East (600-1450 CE)
  • East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Middle East, Canada, & Latin America Since (1450 CE)
  • Ancient (Prior to 600 CE)

Only 45 credits in history & social studies credits can be counted from other institutions. The remaining 50 history & social studies credits (out of 95 total) must be taken at Western. 

Study History Abroad!

There are many affordable options to study abroad, even some that may be less than the cost of in-state attendance at WWU! Go to the Study Abroad website for more details and information.

To get started: 

• Start your study abroad journey, and sign up for in-person and virtual sessions with EdAbroad Advisors. This will help you consider your goals for your study abroad experience and different program options that may be best for you. 
   
• Once you have decided on a program, email your academic advisor to discuss your plan of study and which courses can apply to a major or minor for History.
   
• Need Help? Or maybe you don't see the right program for you? The EdAbroad Office is happy to help!