Academic Advising
The departmental counselors can provide students with referrals for other types of counseling or assistance on campus. If you have any questions, please email the History counselors at undergrad@history.ucla.edu. For drop-in hours, please visit our Advising Unit Information webpage.
History Department Counselors
Tessa Villaseñor
Director of Student Affairs
Undergrad@history.ucla.edu
(310) 206-2627
Janette J. Gonzalez
Undergraduate Counselor
Undergrad@history.ucla.edu
(310) 825-3269
Brittany Friedman
Undergraduate Counselor/Scheduler
Undergrad@history.ucla.edu
(310) 794-7053
Our counselors provide information and assistance with the following:
Degree Checks
Students are advised to keep close tabs on their degree progress. Students who entered UCLA after the Fall Quarter of 2012 may see their degree progress on the University’s Degree Audit Report System (DARS); they may access this through their MyUCLA. All undergraduates who entered UCLA after the fall of 1988 Quarter can obtain a degree progress report (DPR) from the College of Letters and Science Counseling Office in A316 Murphy Hall. Students who entered before 1988 can have a degree check done. The Undergraduate Advisor will complete the major portion of the degree check, and the Letters and Science Counseling Office will evaluate the other requirements.
For students that entered the History major Fall 2018 and prior:
Fall 2018 and Prior History Major Requirement and Worksheet
For students that declare the History major Winter 2019 and thereafter:
Effective Winter 2019 History Major Requirement and Worksheet
Grades
All courses for the prep for the major and the major must be taken for a grade, or it cannot be used for the major. The History Department Main Office does not give out grades. If you would like to know your grade, you may do so by visiting MyUCLA. If you have any questions about the grade you received in a class, please contact your professor. The professor of the course is responsible for the final grade and cannot be overruled by the Department.
The College advises students to avoid taking Incompletes if at all possible. Students must make up an incomplete by the end of the following quarter. The student must file a Petition for Removal of an Incomplete by the sixth week of the following quarter or the grade will automatically lapse to an “F”. Incompletes are not granted automatically; you must request one from your professor. If you must take an incomplete, make arrangements for completing the necessary work as soon as possible.
P/NP Policy During Pandemic-Related Campus Closures
During the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, the Department of History permitted History majors and minors (both History and History of Science, Medicine, and Technology) the option to take a max of two History courses Pass/Not Pass during the pandemic-related campus closures (which included Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Winter 2022).
Withdrawal
If you must discontinue your studies for any reason before the end of the quarter in which you are enrolled, be sure to submit a withdrawal form. Otherwise, you will receive Fs in your courses; this can make it difficult to reenter UCLA or any other university. Generally, students who leave the university in good standing and reapply for an “open” major are readmitted. Also be aware that withdrawal can affect your financial aid status. See the College of Letters and Science for withdrawal forms.
Career Planning and Graduate School
We urge students to utilize the services of the History Department Career Counselor or the UCLA Career Center early in their college careers. The department Career Counselor and Career Center provide students with many services including vocational planning and graduate school planning. Students who want to apply to professional schools or academic graduate schools should contact the department Career Counselor or Career Center and the various departmental advisors on campus. The History Graduate Counselor is Judy Hernandez, Bunche 6284. Students should realize that majoring in History does not preclude a career outside of academia. Most professional schools do not require a B.A. in a specific subject for admission, though they may require applicants to have taken specific courses. Thus, students with B.A.s in History may apply to professional schools in business, law, and even medicine.
One of the most important aspects of applying to graduate school is having good, supportive letters of recommendation. Therefore, it is essential for you to get to know at least three professors. Do not expect to get a good letter from a professor who barely knows you. Begin early in your undergraduate career to make yourself known to your professors. Professors keep office hours, but one excellent way to meet and associate with professors is through undergraduate seminars and independent studies (History 97, 187, 191, and 199).
