The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
I. Ways to Satisfy the American History and Institutions Requirements Before Enrolling at Berkeley:
Both the American History and American Institutions requirements may be satisfied in the following ways:
- By fulfilling the portion of the "a" subject requirement for admission that consists of one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of U.S. government in high school with a grade of C or better. (Note: The "a" subject requirement is not the same as the Subject A requirement.)
- By passing with a grade of C or P or better, one quarter or semester of a transferable course in basic U.S. history or U.S. government at a college or university before entering Berkeley. Inquiries about which transfer courses satisfy the requirements should be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 110 Sproul Hall. Students may also go to Assist.org to find California community college courses that have been approved to satisfy the American History and American Institutions requirements. NOTE: Students who take and pass one approved course before entering Berkeley will satisfy both AH&I requirements.
- By passing the high school Advanced Placement American History exam with a score of 3 or better; or the SAT II or Achievement Test in U.S. history with a score of 550 or better (500 or better if taken before April 1995); or the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBHL) "History of the Americas" exam with a score of 5, 6 or 7. (Only the American Institutions requirement may be satisfied by passing the high school Advanced Placement U.S. Government exam with a score of 3 or better.)
- For students transferring from another UC campus: by passing any course or courses that satisfy the AH&I requirements of that campus.
II. Ways to Satisfy the American History and Institutions Requirements After Enrolling at Berkeley:
- By passing with a grade of C- or P, at Berkeley, after July 1, 2005, History 7A, 7B, 130B, 131A, 131B, or 138 for the History requirement; and Political Science 1, 1AC, or 108A for the Institutions requirement. (Please be aware that these courses are not necessarily offered every semester or year. Check with the department to find out when a given course will be offered next.) From Fall 1988 through Summer 2005, only History 7A or 7B satisfied the History requirement, and only Political Science 1 satisfied the Institutions requirement. Political Science 100 satisfied the Institutions requirement from Spring 1985 to Spring 1995. (Students who took other courses before fall semester 1988 may check with the AH&I Office for possible AH&I credit.)
- By passing with a grade of C or P or better, a course or courses, approved by the Admissions Office, at another collegiate institution. NOTE: After enrolling at Berkeley, students who still need to satisfy the AH&I requirements must take one course to satisfy the American History requirement and one course to satisfy the American Institutions requirement.
- By passing one or both of the AH&I exams in effect prior to July 1, 2005. NOTE: Students who took and passed one or both of the AH&I exams and have not been cleared for the requirement(s) should contact the AH&I Office.
- By mixing these alternatives (for example, an approved course at UC Berkeley for one requirement and an approved course at another California college for the other).
Freshmen: Your first opportunity to check the status of your AH&I requirements will be when you use Info-BEARS or Bear Facts to register for classes or check your grades after your first semester at UC Berkeley.
III. International Students: The AH&I requirements will be waived if you have at least 90.5 semester units (senior status), hold a current, non-immigrant visa (F is the most common), and an I-94 departure record. You should present your visa and I-94 record to the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, before the semester in which you will graduate.
IV. AH&I FAQ
V. Petitioning: After thoroughly reviewing AH&I policy and your personal academic record, if you have taken a course that you feel might meet one or both of the American History and Institutions requirements, you may petition the course. Please understand that a positive outcome to your petition is not guaranteed, so you should have a back-up plan. If you decide to petition, print the petition form, fill it out, and submit it with the necessary documentation according to instructions on the form.
120 Wheeler Hall #5006
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-5006
(510) 642-5006
ahi@berkeley.edu
