Departmental Distinction in the History Major

Departmental Distinction recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the History Major and is an option for majors who are not pursuing Honors in the Major. Students apply for Departmental Distinction at the end of the term in which they graduate and use the culmination of their experience as a History Major in the application process. As this is a departmental award, it will not be noted on students’ official UW-Madison transcripts. Students who receive Departmental Distinction are encouraged to list this award on their resume and will have the option to be recognized on the History Department website.

Qualifications & Eligibility

• 3.7 GPA in the History Major (GPA in the Major can be found in the History Major section of DARS)
• Fulfill all of the requirements of the History Major
• Students completing the requirements for Honors in the History Major are not eligible

How to Apply

Students will self-nominate for Departmental Distinction by completing the online application form.  Graduating majors will receive an invitation to apply four weeks before the end of each term.

The application consists of the following:

• A paragraph describing what your experience as a History Major has meant to you.
• Your “best piece of work” from your History Major. This is not tied to the grade you received for the project, but rather your pride in what you created and what it has taught you about the historical discipline and the skills of the major. Possible projects include: a term paper for an advanced level course (such as History 600), internship project, website, podcast, etc.
• A polished written or oral reflection on why you consider this project to be your best work. This reflection can address questions such as: Why was the writing or creation of this work special to you? How does it represent your growth as a student of history? Voice or video recordings are accepted and should be 1-2 minutes. Written reflections should be a paragraph.

Applications for Departmental Distinction will be reviewed once final grades have been posted and GPA in the major can be calculated.

For questions about Departmental Distinction in the Major, please contact the Undergraduate Advisors.

Past Recipients of Departmental Distinction in the History Major