History Department Guidelines on Transfer Credit toward the History Major
Revised 10 September 2012
The new History Major at Oberlin consists of nine courses of at least three credits each. At its core are five courses taught by regular members of the Oberlin College Department of History. Courses taught by Oberlin faculty with joint appointments in Jewish Studies, East Asian Studies, and Comparative American Studies, count automatically as History Department courses.
Of the maximum of four courses of three credits each that may be transferred into the major, no more than two may come from study abroad or study away programs. Of these four, no more than three may come from Oberlin courses taught by faculty not in regular appointments in the History Department.
1. Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), A-level, and OCEAN Credit
AP and IB courses may be transferred for social science credit toward graduation, but not toward the History major. This credit may be transferred through the History Department under the following conditions.
For Students Who Declared the History Major after April 19, 2010:
Students with a grade of 4 or 5 on the US History, European History, or World History AP examinations may receive one course credit per course in the social sciences toward graduation.
Students receiving scores of 6 or 7 for IB History of the Americas or IB European may also receive one course of social science credit toward graduation. To apply for graduation credit for other IB courses, students should bring the transcript, the syllabus, and a sample written work to the History Department chair for review. Students may not receive credit for both AP and IB courses in overlapping areas. No student may receive credit toward graduation for any combination of more than 2 courses in either the IB or AP programs in History. AP or IB credit is granted only during the first year that a student enrolls at Oberlin College.
A grade of “A” or higher in British-style “A-level courses will be treated as the equivalent of a grade of “5” on an AP exam. Please consult with the chair for further details.
All AP, IB, or A-level courses transferred in through the History Department count toward the 5-course (20 credit) maximum that may be transferred for all courses taken before matriculation, as per Oberlin College regulations.
Students may also apply for major credit for OCEAN/concurrent enrollment American History courses (must be accompanied by a college transcript) to earn 2-4 credits toward the History Major depending on program.
2. History Courses Taught Outside Oberlin College
Normally, the History Department grants credit up to the equivalent of two courses toward the History Major at Oberlin for course work done at regularly accredited colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. It does so only if the student fulfills the following conditions: (1) receives preliminary written approval for transfer of credit; (2) submits a syllabus for the course; (3) provides information on the professional training of the course instructor; (4) provides work completed for the course for review by the Chair of the History Department on their return and (5) earns a grade equivalent to a C- or above.
Normally, the History Department does not accept toward the major credits earned from two-year institutions after a student has declared a major in History. Students wishing to appeal must (1) submit a syllabus in advance; (2) provide information on the professional training of the course instructor; and (3) provide work completed for the course for review by the Chair of the History Department.
Normally, students may transfer credits from history courses earned at regularly accredited colleges and universities toward general credits required for graduation. They may, however, be asked to submit syllabi and work completed for the course, and may be asked to provide information on the professional training of the instructor.
Normally, distance learning and internet-based courses will not count toward the major in History. Students wishing to have such work considered for major credit must (1) submit a syllabus in advance; (2) provide information on the professional training of the course instructor; and (3) provide work completed for the course for review by the Chair of the History Department.
3) Oberlin Courses Taught Outside the History Department
The History Department maintains a list of Oberlin courses in the East Asian Studies Program, and in departments of African American Studies and Classics that may count toward the History major.
