Students May Take 2 Years Of History 99

The History Department yesterday moved to encourage independent study by voting to allow some students to take two full years of History 99.

Ernest R. May, chairman of the Board of Tutors, announced the change, and said that the two years of tutorial for credit would be restricted to students in Groups I and II.

May explained that the Department would encourage students qualifying, to take tutorial for credit in the junior year in order to promote independent work in the field. The senior year History 99 is chiefly concerned with the thesis.

In other moves, the Department:

1) Shortened the thesis length from 100 to 80 pages.

2) Ruled that students will have to take at least five history courses and one related course. At the present, they must take four history courses; an introductory course from Economics, Government, or Social Relations; and either another history course or a related corse from any field. It is the "required related" course from Economics, Government, or Soc Rel, which is being dropped. 3) Formalized an existing practice by requiring that students take one full course (or two half-courses) from each of three of its four areas of History (the Americas, Europe before 1600, Europe after 1600, and Asia).

None of the changes apply to this year's seniors. May said the Department would try to apply all the changes as soon as possible, but there were indications that this year's juniors might be able to win exemptions from items 2) and 3) above