A major declared after arrival
Columbia says students apply to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The pages read describe no separate admission to History.
Undergraduate · Columbia College
Columbia History: a Plan of Study built around one specialisation
Columbia College does not admit students to History. Applicants apply to the College or to Columbia Engineering and declare a major later. What distinguishes History is how its nine courses are assembled. A student chooses a specialisation, adds breadth removed in time and in space, and writes the whole thing into a Plan of Study approved by an adviser. The Bulletin also says British A levels do not count towards the major, which matters to UK applicants.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Columbia says about Columbia History
Taken from the Columbia Bulletin entry for History in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Columbia's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Nine courses, one Plan of Study
The Bulletin says the major needs nine History courses built through a Plan of Study approved by an adviser.
Specialisation plus breadth
Four specialisation courses are required, with one course removed in time and two removed in space.
A levels do not count
The Bulletin says British A levels do not count as History courses or towards the major.
The SAT or ACT is required from August 2027
Columbia says it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results; it accepts A levels and the IB.
Official sources
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Academicsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia Bulletin: Historybulletin.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testingundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Columbia Bulletin entry for History in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Columbia's department website, the full course lists and descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
How the Bulletin builds a History major
The department offers a major, concentration and minor. The Bulletin calls the senior thesis seminar the heart of the undergraduate major, though a thesis is optional and departmental honours require one. The major needs nine courses, mostly four-point, assembled through a Plan of Study: four specialisation courses, one removed in time, two removed in space, two additional History courses, and at least two seminars of which one is in the specialisation. Barnard History courses can count. Advanced Placement courses and British A levels do not count towards the major.
Is it the right major?
History beside Political Science and Art History
Columbia describes these separately, so the major is chosen after arrival. Avandy's comparison is general.
History fits if
you want to choose a field and build depth with deliberate breadth, ending in original research.
Political Science fits if
you want to study power and institutions through political theory and comparison. Avandy's Columbia Political Science guide covers it.
Art History fits if
you want visual and material evidence at the centre of the major, which Avandy's Columbia Art History guide covers.
Admission and testing
Columbia College, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Columbia says students apply to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. It accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum. It says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Columbia's.
Which field would anchor your Plan of Study?
The Bulletin says there is no set course plan, so a student chooses a specialisation.
Does a year-long thesis appeal?
The Bulletin says to start thinking about a thesis by the start of junior year, with applications in the spring.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB?
Columbia says it will require ACT or SAT results from August 2027.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Columbia's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Columbia's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Columbia has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Columbia for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the History entry in the Columbia Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Columbia College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Columbia College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Columbia History?
The pages read describe applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Majors are declared after arrival.
Do my A levels count towards the History major?
No. The Bulletin says Advanced Placement courses and British A levels do not count as History courses or towards the major, concentration or minor.
Is a senior thesis required?
No. The Bulletin says majors are not required to write one, but a thesis must be completed to receive departmental honours.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results.
Does Columbia accept A levels and the IB?
Columbia says it accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Columbia's wording with no entry-year label. Check Columbia's pages again when Columbia publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Columbia History
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which period and region they would specialise in, whether a senior thesis appeals and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.