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Transfer Credits & Course Substitutions

Pompeii Couple FrescoClassical studies majors must take a minimum of six regularly scheduled classical studies courses plus the comprehensive/DC requirement from members of the UCSC classical studies faculty. Subject to the limits indicated below, courses from the following categories may be applied to the classical studies major.

Classical studies minors must take a minimum of five regularly scheduled classical studies courses from members of the UCSC classical studies faculty. Subject to the limits indicated below, minors may apply a maximum of two courses from the following categories.

Transfer Coursework

Students may petition up to three courses taken from another college or university for use towards their classical studies major or minor requirements. Courses must appear on your UCSC Transfer Credit Summary Report before they will be approved for use towards your classical studies major or minor requirements.

Applying Transfer Courses

1. Complete the Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form (enterable PDF). Attach the description for each course as it appears in the host university's General Catalog. Consult the "Transfer Credit: Report" in your MyUCSC Student Center to ensure that the transfer courses have been posted to your UCSC academic record.

2. Make an appointment to meet with a classical studies faculty adviser. Your adviser may ask for samples of your written work or the course syllabus if supplemental information is need.

3. After the meeting, return your approved Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form to the History Department office for inclusion in your academic file.

Education Abroad Program (EAP)

All students planning on participating in EAP must take the following information into consideration:

The classical studies program does not pre-approve EAP courses. To obtain credit towards the classical studies major or minor requirements, students must submit all courses taken abroad to the department for review. Courses offered at EAP campuses can vary significantly from year to year, and whether or not a particular course is appropriate often depends on a student's chosen area of study and the other courses he or she has already taken. In addition, the campus admissions office must first determine whether an EAP course will count toward graduation, whether it is upper- or lower-division, and for how many units it will be counted. Only with all of this information in hand can the department determine which major/minor requirements a course might satisfy.

A maximum of three courses completed through EAP may be approved for use towards the classical studies major or minor requirements.

When choosing your classes while on EAP, keep in mind that courses most likely to be counted towards degree requirements are those that are standard course offerings in classical studies. Courses in other fields of study will be assessed in terms of whether the preponderance of the readings, lectures, and course requirements are clearly applicable to your area of study.

Applying EAP Courses to the Classical Studies Major or Minor

To apply EAP courses towards the classical studies major or minor, all students must do the following upon their return:

1. Determine that the desired EAP classes have been posted to your UCSC academic record; this is best done by checking your MyUCSC portal periodically. Most EAP classes are given a designation of XHIS, XGREE, XCLST etc. This process may take up to one quarter.

2. Make an appointment with a classical studies faculty adviser. Bring to that appointment the following materials:

  • a printout of your personal transcript for the relevant quarters showing that your EAP classes have been posted to your UCSC academic record;
  • syllabi, reading lists and the written assignments you completed for all courses for which you are seeking credit;
  • a completed Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form (enterable PDF).

Be prepared to justify why these courses should qualify as part of your major or minor. Only courses passed with the equivalent of a letter grade of C or better may be applied to classical studies major or minor requirements.

3. After the meeting, return your completed Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form to the History Department office for inclusion in your academic file.

Important Information About Studying Abroad

  • You must declare a major before studying abroad.
  • You should complete a significant amount of your General Education Requirements (GEs) before you leave, even if you go as a junior.
  • EAP in your senior year is generally a bad idea. If you choose to participate in EAP during part or all of your senior year, you should have your major/minor requirements all but completed. You should also be prepared to return to UCSC after your time abroad (students may have to satisfy the residency requirements or outstanding degree or general education requirements; situations which, despite the best of plans, crop up regularly). Students should recognize that they may have to re-enroll at UCSC upon their return. Furthermore, EAP transcripts take at least one quarter to post to your UCSC transcript. This means that your planned quarter of graduation may be delayed by at least one quarter.
  • You can never count absolutely on a course you take abroad counting toward the classical studies major or minor. You must keep all documentation (syllabi, reading lists, the papers you write, etc.) to support the case you will need to make, upon your return, to apply EAP courses toward the major or minor.

Course Substitutions

The purpose of a course substitution is to allow students to use “related” regularly scheduled UCSC courses from another discipline towards their degree requirements. Classical studies majors and minors may substitute up to two upper-division “related” courses towards their upper-division elective course requirements.

Applying Course Substitutions

1. Complete the Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form (enterable PDF). Attach the description for each course as it appears in the UCSC General Catalog.

2. Make an appointment to meet with a classical studies faculty adviser. Your adviser may ask for samples of your written work or the course syllabus if supplemental information is need.

3. After the meeting, return your approved Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form to the History Department office for inclusion in your academic file.

Independent and Field Studies

Classical studies majors or minors may substitute one upper-division individual study courses for their Upper-Division Electives requirements.

Applying Independent and Field Studies

1. Download a UCSC Petition for Undergraduate Individual Studies Course (pdf). It is best to initiate this process during the quarter before the one in which you plan to do the study. Outline your proposed course of study and obtain the approval of an instructor who is willing to supervise your study; student are expected to initiate discussion with and independently acquire faculty sponsors.

2. Complete the Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form (enterable PDF) with your faculty sponsor.

3. Submit the UCSC Petition for Undergraduate Individual Studies Course and Classical Studies Outside Course Substitution Approval Form to the History Department Undergraduate Program Coordinator during drop-in advising hours.

4. The Undergraduate Program Coordinator will review your petition and will issue you a class number. Use this class number when you enroll via the Student Portal. Make sure to enroll with the grade option approved on the petition.