Does the word history when used as a college major have to be capitalized?

No, "history" does not need to be capitalized when used as a college major.

Here's why:

* General rule: We capitalize proper nouns (specific names of people, places, things, etc.). "History" as a subject of study is a general term, not a specific name.

* Consistency: Most colleges and universities use lowercase for subjects of study: "English," "mathematics," "biology," etc.

Example:

* "I am majoring in history."

* "The history department is located in the main building."

However, if you are referring to a specific history department or program, you would capitalize it:

* "I am a student in the Department of History at [University Name]."

* "The History Honors Program at [University Name] is very competitive."