Programs
Undergraduate Program - Other Information
Pass-Fail
Two non-letter graded courses, including relevant Freshman Seminars taught by Department faculty, may count towards concentration credit (with the exception of tutorials).
Core Exemptions
Students from the class of 2010 in the former History and Science concentration are exempt from Historical Study A, Historical Study B, Quantitative Reasoning, and either Science A or Science B (depending on the student’s science area). Please consult the Handbook for Students for more information, or speak with the Manager of Student Programs or the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Students from the class of 2010 and beyond in the new History and Science concentration structure are subject to the following Core exemptions:
History of Science Track: Historical Study A, Historical Study B, Quantitative Reasoning
Science and Society Track: Historical Study A, Historical Study B, Quantitative Reasoning, and either Science A or Science B (depending on the student’s science area).
Courses in Concentration Form
Students must submit a plan of their proposed program of study on the form entitled 'Courses in Concentration', and the form must be checked and signed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies or Manager of Student Programs. Students should revise their plans annually to take account of changes in course availability and their own preferences, and submit a new 'Courses in Concentration' forms every year. This is important since the courses they declare as their concentration courses are the ones from which their concentration grade point averages will be calculated.
Student-Faculty Committee
The concentration has a Student-Faculty Committee, which includes the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Manager of Student Programs, the Department Chair (ex officio), and representatives from each undergraduate class. The undergraduates volunteer for this position. This committee deals with specific problems and issues that arise in the undergraduate program. For example, this committee helps evaluate tutorials and arranges social gatherings of faculty and students. Students in the concentration should talk to members of the committee if they wish to raise an issue of general concern or if they prefer not to talk to the Director of Undergraduate Studies directly.
Undergraduate Conference in the History of Science
The student members of the committee are also primarily responsible for organizing FaUST, the annual undergraduate student conference. This event, which is usually held at the end of the spring semester, provides an opportunity for concentrators, especially juniors and seniors, to present their work in a professional setting to both their peers and professors.
Synthesis: Undergraduate Journal in the History of Science
In the spring of 2009, undergraduates in the History and Science concentration launched a new journal called Synthesis dedicated to publishing undergraduate scholarship -- worldwide -- in history of science and its allied disciplines. Please contact Allie Belser if you are interested in getting involved.
Prizes and Awards
Senior theses will be considered for a Rothschild Prize, the Departmental award for the best written thesis or theses. The Robert and Maurine Rothschild Prize was established in 1992 by Robert Rothschild '39 and his wife Maurine Rothschild, Radcliffe '40.
