The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
Before enrolling at Berkeley, students may satisfy both the American History and American Institutions in the following ways:
High School Course Work: By satisfying the portion of the area "a" (History/Social Science) subject requirement for freshman admission that consists of (1) one year of US history or (2) one-half year (semester) of US history AND one-half year (semester) of US government in high school with letter grades of C or better.
Advanced Placement or SAT Exam: By passing the Advanced Placement American History exam with a score of 3 or better; or the SAT Subject Test in US history with a score of 550 or better (500 or better if taken before April 1995). (NOTE: Only the American Institutions requirement may be satisfied by passing the high school Advanced Placement US Government exam with a score of 3 or better.)
International Baccalaureate Exam: By passing the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB-HL) History of the Americas exam with a score of 5, 6, or 7.
Other College or University Course Work: By passing with a grade of C or better or P (if Pass is equivalent to a C [2.00]), one quarter or semester of a UC-transferable course in basic US history or US government at a college or university before entering Berkeley. Students may also go to ASSIST, the California transfer information system, to find California community college courses that have been approved to satisfy the American History and American Institutions requirements.
Other UC Campus: For students transferring from another UC campus: by passing any course or courses that satisfy the AH&I requirements of that campus. For inquiries, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
After enrolling at Berkeley, students must satisfy the American History and Institutions Requirements by passing any course or courses that satisfy the AH&I requirements.
American History Requirement
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 7A | Introduction to the History of the United States: The United States from Settlement to Civil War | 4 |
| HISTORY 7B | Introduction to the History of the United States: The United States from Civil War to Present | 4 |
| HISTORY 125A | African American History and Race Relations: 1450-1860 | 4 |
| HISTORY 125B | African American History and Race Relations: 1860-2016 | 4 |
| HISTORY 128AC | California, the West, and the World | 4 |
| HISTORY 130 | American Foreign Policy | 4 |
| HISTORY 131B | Social History of the United States: Creating Modern American Society: From the End of the Civil War to the Global Age | 4 |
| HISTORY 133A | The History of American Capitalism | 4 |
| HISTORY 133B | Wall Street / Main Street | 4 |
| HISTORY 137AC | The Repeopling of America | 4 |
| HISTORY 138 | History of Science in the U.S. | 4 |
| HISTORY 138T | History of Science in the US CalTeach | 4 |
American Institutions Requirement
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POL SCI 1 | Introduction to American Politics | 4 |
| POL SCI N1AC | Introduction to American Politics | 4 |
| HISTORY 137AC | The Repeopling of America | 4 |
Both American History and American Institutions Requirement
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY 137AC | The Repeopling of America | 4 |
Students may also use a combination of one UC Berkeley courses and one approved course from another college or university.
International Students
International students with 90.5 units and a current, non-immigrant visa (F is the most common) are exempted from this requirement, so long as their status does not change prior to graduation. For inquiries, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements?
The AH&I requirements constitute two of the University's graduation requirements. They were established in accordance with Academic Senate Regulation 638, which reads as follows:
"A knowledge of American history and of the principles of American Institutions under the federal and state constitutions is required of all candidates for the degree of A.B., B.Arch., and B.S. This requirement may be met by passing an examination or examinations under the direction of the appropriate committee, or by passing any course or courses of instruction that may be accepted as satisfactory by that committee. The papers submitted in the examination shall be rated 'passed' or 'not passed'."
However, UC Berkeley does not currently offer an exam or exams to satisfy the requirements.
In CalCentral it indicates that I still need to satisfy my AH&I requirements, but I took the necessary course work (or exam) in high school or at another college. How do I fix this?
If the course you completed was approved to satisfy the requirements, but about mid-way through your first semester at UC Berkeley your records still indicate that you have not satisfied your AH&I requirements, please contact the Central Evaluation Unit by opening a case with Cal Student Central.
As a California community college transfer student, I satisfied the IGETC requirements. Does this mean I have automatically satisfied the UC's AH&I requirements?
No. Unless you passed one of the approved American history or political science courses at your colleges, you have not satisfied the AH&I requirements. Use the California transfer information system, ASSIST, to find out what courses are approved at the California community college you attended before transferring to UC Berkeley. Remember, many transfer students satisfied the requirements in high school.
May I take an online class from UC Cross-Campus Enrollment or a community college in spring together with my regular curriculum at Cal?
You must request and receive approval from your College to be concurrently enrolled at Cal and another college during a regular academic term (i.e. Fall or Spring). Contact an advisor in your College.
May I satisfy the satisfy the American History or the American Institutions requirement by taking a class at a community college in the summer after I graduate?
You may take use a community college course taken during the summer after you’ve met all other requirements to graduate, BUT then, you must delay your graduation date from Spring to Summer as you will not have satisfied the requirement by the end of the Spring Semester.