Undergraduate Advising

If you are a newly admitted student at Concordia with a concentration in History, welcome!

You will need to attend an orientation session before you will be able to register for courses. Please attend the FAS Touchstone virtual orientation session through Zoom, or communicate with one of our Undergraduate Advisors by email: history.advisor@concordia.ca.

Undergraduate advising sessions are held by appointment; please contact Dr. Anya Zilberstein at: history.advisor@concordia.ca.

Honours advising sessions are held by appointment; please contact Dr. V.K. Preston at: histhons.advisor@concordia.ca.

Please include the following in your email:

• Name 
• Student ID number
• A detailed explanation
• Program of study 

Please see information above regarding advising with FAS Touchstone and the History department. 

The following will be made available to students attending orientation: 

• Orientation Guides
• SIS Helping You Register for Classes
• Advising PowerPoint

The university also provides general orientation sessions and advice for new students and provides support to students through the Student Success Centre.

Students who were admitted to a History program prior to fall 2015 should contact the department for assistance by emailing: helene.medeiros@concordia.ca.

Students admitted as of fall 2022

• Honours in History: Seminar (as of fall 2022)
• Honours in History: Essay (as of fall 2022)
• Honours in History: Public History with Internship (as of fall 2022)
• Specialization in History (as of fall 2022)
• Joint Specialization in English and History (as of fall 2022)
• Major in History (as of fall 2022)
• Minor in History (as of fall 2022)
• Minor in Law and Society

Students admitted between fall 2015 and winter 2022

• Honours in History: Seminar (fall 2015-winter 2022)
• Honours in History: Essay (fall 2015-winter 2022)
• Honours in History: Public History with Internship (fall 2015-winter 2022)
• Specialization in History (fall 2015-winter 2022)
• Joint Specialization in English and History (fall 2015-winter 2022) 
• Major in History (fall 2015-winter 2022) 
• Minor in History (fall 2015-winter 2022)

In addition to the History requierments listed on the program pages, students must complete a minimum of 24 credits outside History. In order to satisfy the Arts and Science general education requirement, at least six of these credits must come from courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science; the Faculty of Fine Arts; the John Molson School of Business; or from the Social Science and Science sectors of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The Social Science sector includes the following departments:

• Applied Human Sciences
• Economics
• Education
• Geography, Planning and Environment
• Political Science
• Religion
• School of Community and Public Affairs
• Simone de Beauvoir Institute
• Sociology and Anthropology

The Science sector includes the following departments:

• Biology
• Chemistry/Biochemistry
• Health, Kinesiology & Applied Physiology
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Physics
• Psychology
• Science College

Courses from the following departments DO NOT count toward the general education requirement for History students:

• Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics
• Communication Studies
• English
• Études françaises
• History
• Journalism
• Liberal Arts College
• Loyola International College
• Philosophy
• School of Canadian Irish Studies
• Theological Studies

Grade definitions

The Honours program is a 60-credit program, similar to the Specialization, except that students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.30 to remain in the program. All students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 as well as a minimum annual GPA of 3.30 within the Honours program. The minimum acceptable grade in any course is normally “C,” but to remain in the Honours program, you must maintain a B+ average.   After having completed their first 30 credits, students may apply for one of three Honours options: Seminar, Essay, or Public History with Internship.

The Honours degree is particularly appropriate for students thinking of graduate studies.

If you meet these requirements and would like to discuss your options, please contact our Honours Advisor at: histhons.advisor@concordia.ca.

Within the History department

History Department Change of Plan Form: to add a Minor in History; to change programs from within the Department of History (i.e., Major in History to Honours Seminar, etc.); or to transfer from another BA program within the Faculty of Arts and Science. For information on how to apply for a Degree Transfer outside the Facutly of Arts and Science, please see How to apply for a degree transfer.

For all other program changes

If you are already a student in another department of the Faculty of Arts and Science, you must have completed at least 30 credits, with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, before you can change your concentration to a History Major or a History Specialization. You also must have completed at least six credits in History, with an average of B- in those courses. A Change of Plan form can be submitted to LB 1001.03 or by emailing the completed form to history@concordia.ca. The same rule applies for History students who would like to switch their concentration to other departments.

If you are currently in a faculty outside Arts and Science, you will need to go to the Birks Student Service Centre at LB-185, and fill out an application form for a Degree Transfer. If you are from outside the faculty, but would like to add a Minor in History, you can do so by submitting a Change of Plan form at LB 1001.03 or by emailing the completed form to history@concordia.ca.

If you are interested in adding or changing programs outside History, you will need to consult the department that interests you. We can only add History concentrations.

Representing all undergraduate students registered in one or more History classes at Concordia, Students of History Association of Concordia (SHAC) organizes social and academic events, publishes the undergraduate journal Historiae, and runs a peer tutoring program. For information on volunteering, getting help with classes, or to learn of upcoming events, consult the SHAC website or consult the SHAC Facebook page. They can also be reached at SHAC@asfa.ca.

• Familiarize yourself with regulations concerning such things as:

1.    Deadlines for withdrawing and discontinuing courses
2.    Procedures and dates for late completion
3.    Program requirements
4.    Graduation deadlines and application procedures

• Part-time vs. full-time status: A full-time student must take 30 credits per year, 15 credits per term. (A full year, 6 credit, course is counted for these purposes as 3 credits per term). If you register for fewer than 24 credits in the fall/winter terms, you are part-time for that year. In order to have basic eligibility for Quebec government loans and bursaries, you must have full-time status (12 credits per term) in each term. If you discontinue a course (DISC) it will not affect your full-time status as far as the University is concerned, but if it results in your taking fewer than 12 credits in the term it will affect your Quebec loan and bursary.

•  Pay your bill. In order to register and remain registered in future terms, your accounts must be in good standing. All monies owing to the University (such as tuition and other fees, multi-term tuition fees, Residence rent, delinquent emergency loans) must be paid when due. Students with overdue or delinquent accounts are not permitted to register or re-register until payment or satisfactory payment arrangements have been made with the Student Accounts Office. Refer to the Undergraduate Calendar and the Class Schedule and Registration Guide for payment deadline dates.

•  Never take courses you have been exempted from. In your acceptance letter, there is a list of courses you may not take for credit at the university. If you have been exempted from courses in another department, you do not have to replace them, but you may take higher-level courses in that department for which your exempted courses are prerequisite.

•  Make sure you take the section of the course for which you are registered (i.e., DO NOT register for one section and attend another; you will receive a failing grade). 

• Make sure to verify the printed deadline for withdrawing from courses with a refund. Generally the deadline is 14 days after the start of the fall or winter term. There are no refunds for courses dropped after that printed deadline. Please refer the Academic Calendar for all University deadlines.

• If you intend to go to graduate school, you should try to keep a B+ or better GPA (e.g., 3.3) as this is the minimum grade most graduate schools will accept.

• If you plan to change departments or faculties, try to keep a B- or better GPA (e.g., 2.7) as many programs are restricted.

Are you about to graduate? Please read the following to make sure that you have met all the requirements.

Remember that you need to apply to graduate at the Birks Student Service Centre, LB-185, by January 15 (for spring graduation) and July 15 (for fall graduation).

1. Department requirements
   You will need to complete all the courses necessary for your program from the year you entered the program. To double check if you have met all the requirements for your Major, Specialization, Joint Specialization or Honours, you should consult the requirements.
2. Faculty of Arts and Science requirements

• General education requirements
  Please consult section 31.004 of the Undergraduate Calendar for more information or consult the list of departments outside the Humanities.
• 24 credits rule
  At least 24 credits of your elective credits must by outside of your department. (This includes the general education requirements.)

Any history student will at one point or another be faced with the question, whether from a concerned parent or a skeptical friend: “What are you going to do with your degree?”  And it is quite likely you have posed the same question to yourself. What follows is a brief guide that will provide you with an answer, and give you some sense of the many opportunities that are open to history students upon graduation.

Part of the reason some people view history degrees with a skeptical eye is that they do not lead to a single, clearly-defined career path — as is the case with professional degrees such as engineering, accounting, education, journalism or law.

On the other hand, as a history student, you develop a range of skills that are prized by employers in a wide range of occupations. In particular, a history student can be expected to display:

• Communication skills: In writing papers and participating in class discussions, you develop an ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and succinct manner. This facility with words is useful in business, law, politics and a wide range of other fields.

• Research skills: A term paper requires you to gather information from disparate sources, compare your findings to those of other researchers, analyze your sources, and present your conclusions to others. These skills translate well into fields such as business, journalism, public policy and law.

• Attention to detail and context: History students are expected to get their facts straight, but they also need to place historical figures and events in a broader context. This combination of meticulous precision and wide-ranging vision is a quality that makes history students very attractive as employees.

• Cultural knowledge and sensitivity:  As L.P. Hartley once wrote, “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” In studying the societies of the past, you develop an ability to empathize and understand cultures that are very different from our own. This ability to comprehend and broker cultural differences is useful in fields ranging from international relations to social work.

The challenge for any history graduate is to turn these skills to work into a job — and ultimately a career. With this in mind, the best way to approach this problem is to decide which career interests you the most, and then take steps to prepare yourself for employment in the field. Some possible areas might include:

• Writing, publishing, media, journalism: If you are interested in writing or documentaries, you might look to publishing companies, radio/television stations, newspapers, or non-profit organizations. You might be able to get a foot in the door by working or interning at a local media outlet, learning skills in editing software and web design, or by completing a graduate diploma in journalism.

• Law: If you are interested in legal work, a history degree is a common stepping stone toward a law degree. You might also consider working or interning at a law firm, or volunteering with a public advocacy/non-profit organization.

• Politics: Many people who work in politics and policy get their start as history students. If you are interested in these fields, you might want to participate in student or local government, intern or volunteer with government agencies or political campaigns, and take courses in related fields.

• Public interest/advocacy: If you have an interest in a particular cause or want to educate the public about a particular topic, you may want to intern or work with public interest or advocacy groups and take courses on specific issues related to your interest.

• Information science, museology, and archives management: If you are interested in working as an archivist, curator, or librarian, a history degree is a very good starting point. Potential employers might include libraries (public, private and university), archives, museums, government agencies, corporations, art galleries, and museums. A master’s degree in information sciences or related fields is often required, but not always necessary.

• Education: Many history students become teachers, whether at the high school, CEGEP or university level. Typically, teaching positions require a certificate (at the high school level) or a graduate degree. But it is also possible to teach outside the university and public school system, whether in private schools, museums, or federal or provincial parks. Internships might be useful in terms of getting a foot in the door in these fields, as would coursework in related fields.

In all these fields, one effective way of getting a sense of job requirements and employment opportunities is the “informational interview.” This entails finding someone who works in your field of interest and arranging for a short meeting to gain a better understanding of the industry. You should make it clear that the point of the interview is not to ask for a job. Instead, you should use the meeting as a means of gathering information about the typical career path in the field, as well as an opportunity to make new contacts in your area of interest. The interview should help you decide whether the field is for you or not, and should also give you a more realistic idea of what a typical career path might be.

For more examples of careers that are possible for history graduates of Canadian universities, as well as helpful advice on how to pursue them, see the Canadian Historical Association’s website.

If you are interested in some of the careers that other history graduates from Concordia have taken in recent years, you might want to visit our History alumni profiles.

Students should also take advantage of Career Counselling and Educational Transitions at Concordia, which provides a wealth of information related to career and job-related questions. A full list of history-related occupations is available on their website.

Students with a variety of disability conditions can use the ACSD. Some examples are: vision, mobility, hearing, hand or coordination impairments, chronic medical conditions, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, mental health conditions, Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the wonderful services offered by this office to ensure the best opportunity for a successful university career.  

For contact information and to learn more about the services provided by the ACSD, please consult the ACSD website.

For advice and help on managing your career at university and beyond, as well as tips and workshops on developing better skills to succeed academically and personally, please visit the Counselling and Psychological Services web page.

For information on financial assistance for Concordia students, please see the Financial Aid and Awards Office.

Concordia University does not tolerate any behaviour that falls under the categories of sexual assault (contact without voluntary consent) or sexual harassment (unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature and/or based on gender, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation).

For more information, please visit the Sexual Assault Resource Centre which provides resources and referrals for students, staff and faculty.

If you are thinking about studying a term or a year abroad, you will need to visit the Concordia International website. There you will find all the information you need regarding procedures, forms and a list of universities with which Concordia has a bilateral exchange agreement. In order to study abroad, you must have a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 2.70 and 24 credits completed toward your degree. The site also provides information about funded research opportunities, internships and bursaries for international study.

Under the Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement, you are allowed to take courses at other Quebec universities that will count toward a degree at Concordia. This is, however, subject to faculty policies, and Exchange or Visiting students are not eligible to take courses at other Quebec universities through this procedure.

To apply for an Inter-University Transfer, you must use the online CREPUQ form. Be sure to check the course availability and perquisite requirements of the host university before submitting your application. You must also submit a Student Request Form to the History Advisor, which must be approved before you register for the course.