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The Bachelor of Arts in History

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See Bachelor's Degree Requirements in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. You can view MAPs on the Degree MAPs page in the University Catalog or you can request a plan from your major advisor.

General Education Pathway Requirements: 48 units

See General Education in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Pathway Requirements and course offerings.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See Diversity Requirements in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education .

Literacy Requirement:

See Mathematics and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or higher to receive WP credit. See the Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130I or JOUR 130I (or equivalent) with a C- or higher before you may register for a WP course.

Course Requirements for the Major: 42-64 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree.

Major Core Program: 15 units

5 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Examination of the political, economic, religious, and social structures of the ancient civilizations that are the focus of the sixth-grade history/social science curriculum in California public schools: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush, the Hebrews, Greece, India, China, Rome. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004492)
Examination of the political, economic, religious, and social structures of the medieval and early-modern civilizations that are the focus of the seventh-grade history/social science curriculum in California public schools: the Islamic world, China, Japan, Europe, the Americas, Ghana, and Mali. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004493)
Examination of the developments and events that are the focus of the tenth-grade history-social science curriculum: the French Revolution, industrialization, imperialism, the world wars, totalitarianism, the Cold War, nation-building in the Third World, and global economic and technological integration. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. (004491)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 and at least two 100-level history courses with a grade of C- or higher.
(This course is required of history majors and is ideally taken the semester that the history major is declared.) Introduction to the discipline of history and historical methods. The course emphasizes the need to acquire writing and research skills appropriate to the discipline, as well as an appreciation for the importance of historiography or different historical interpretations. 3 hours lecture. (004507)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 or JOUR 130 (or equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, HIST 290, and senior status.
This is the capstone course for History majors. It requires students to write frequently in different modes of discourse, concluding with the presentation and delivery of an extensive research paper based on both primary and secondary sources. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (004581)

Major Option Course Requirements: 27-49 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.

The General History Option: 27 units

Classical and Near-Eastern History

1 course selected from:

Ancient World

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Application of historical methodology to unusual interpretations and "mysteries" of the past. Examinations of "lost" supercivilizations (Atlantis), catastrophism (Velikovsky), and extraterrestrial intervention (ancient astronauts and von Daniken). 3 hours lecture. (004511)
Origins, development, decline, and transitions in Bronze Age, Dark Age, and Archaic Age Greek civilization. Emphasis on the politics, social conditions, religion, philosophy, and culture of Archaic Greece and the early Persian Wars period (ca. 499-479 B.C.). 3 hours seminar. (004582)
Development, decline, and transitions associated with the evolution of the Classical period of ancient Greek civilization during the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Primary emphasis on the politics, social conditions, religion, philosophy, and culture of the "Golden Age" of the fifth century B.C. 3 hours seminar. (004583)
Examination of the Greek world and the Persian Empire at the time of the rise of Macedon as a significant power under Philip II (r.359-336 B.C.E.) and during the life of Alexander the Great (r.336-323 B.C.E.). 3 hours seminar. (004584)
Political, social, and cultural history of the Eastern Mediterranean world and the Middle East from the death of Alexander the Great through the Roman conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, i.e., Hellenistic civilization (323 to 30 B.C.E.). 3 hours seminar. (015754)
Political, social, and cultural history of Rome from its origins (within the world of pre-Roman Italy) down to Rome's emergence as the dominant power of the Mediterranean world. Emphasis is on the development of the Roman Republic's government, the nature of Roman imperialism, and social and cultural changes of the Second Century B.C.E. Time from of the courses is ca. 800-146 B.C.E. 3 hours seminar. (015803)
Political, social, and cultural history of Rome and the Roman Empire from the crises of the Later Roman Republic down to the emergence of the Augustan Principate and the rule of the Caesars. Emphasis is on the conflicts that culminated in the collapse of the Roman Republic, the restoration of order under Augustus, and the cultural achievements of the Age of Cicero and the Augustan Golden Age. Time frame for the course is 146 B.C.E. to 14 C.E. 3 hours seminar. (004586)
Political, social, and cultural history of the Roman Empire of the Caesars from the Julio-Claudian emperors (14-68 C.E.) to the end of the Severan Dynasty (435 C E.). Emphasis on the Julio-Claudian period, the achievements of Pax Romana, and the cultural transitions into Late Antiquity that emerged in the Second Century C.E. 3 hours seminar. (004587)
Examination of the Byzantine or East Roman Empire (630-1453) with emphasis on the sixth through ninth centuries and the Byzantine influence on Western Europe, Slavic Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. 3 hours seminar. (004591)

Near and Middle East

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as MEST 261, RELS 202.
Introduces students to the history, faith, practice, and cultures of Islam, starting with the Late Antique Near Eastern milieu from which it emerged and tracing its development and geographic spread around the world to the present day. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004515)
This course is also offered as MEST 362.
Introduction to some major aspects of society and culture in the Middle East, including the family, styles of living, roles of men and women, and Islamic religion. Examination of the nationalistic movements and politics in Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Israel. Analyses of cultural and political issues, such as the Palestinian question, Arab-Israeli conflict, Islamic resurgence, and modernization. This course is designed to be a component of the Upper-Division Theme on Cross-Cultural Exploration. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004550)
Genesis and character of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia (Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Kassites, Assyrians, Chaldeans), Asia Minor (Hittites), Syro-Palestine (Ebla, Phoenicia, Israel), and Iran (Elamites, Medes, Persians). 3 hours seminar. (004585)
Problems associated with studying early Egyptian history; prehistory and the origins of Egyptian civilization; primary focus on Archaic and Old Kingdom Egypt, especially on the Age of the Pyramids. 3 hours lecture. (004654)
This course is also offered as MEST 463.
Islamic civilization 600-1800; religion, philosophy, law, education, literature, and political thought and activity. 3 hours seminar. (004649)
This course is also offered as MEST 464.
Social, intellectual, and political changes in Turkey, Iran, and the Arab countries in the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (004650)
This course is also offered as MEST 466.
The development of Zionism and Arab nationalism since 1900; international politics and the creation of Israel; Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948 to the present; politics and society in Israel; Palestinian refugees and guerrilla groups; P.L.O. and the Palestinian nationalist movement; efforts and prospects for Arab-Israeli peace. 3 hours seminar. (004618)

European History

2 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Using a chronological frame, catastrophes like famine, war, plague, and death will be studied as modes for giving structure and meaning to human events. "Poetics of History" and mimesis will supply the analytical means for understanding the catastrophic foundations of cultural identities in narratives and representations from Homer to Spielberg and in various modes, including the epic, tragic, ironic, prophetic, religious, and historical. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004518)
This course is an introduction to the history of technology and engineering from ancient times to the early Industrial Revolution (300 B.C. to 1750 A.D.). It treats technology broadly in order to reach beyond the strict limits of machinery to include many human activities. Emphasis is placed on the development of technologies, and the relationships among technology, science, and culture. 3 hours lecture. (004521)
This course is an introduction to the history of technology and engineering, examining the period from the early Industrial Revolution (ca. 1700) to the present. Broad themes of the course include the evolution of different forms of technology; the development of the modern engineering profession; the relationship between science and technology; the different ways in which technological change has affected society, and the ways different cultures at different times have regarded technology and shaped its development. 3 hours lecture. (004522)
The Second World War has been called the biggest event in world history. This course uses texts and films to examine its origins and its consequences. Particular attention is given to the European theater although the Pacific war is also covered. 3 hours lecture. (004526)
An exploration of the main currents in European intellectual history from the French Revolution to the present, emphasizing the rise of modernism in art, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences in the twentieth century. The focus will be on the analysis of primary texts by Marx, Freud, Nietzche, and other writers and thinkers. 3 hours seminar. (004528)
This course is also offered as WMST 326.
This course explores major themes and developments in the social and cultural history of European women from the 1700s to the present, including changing gender roles, attitudes toward sexuality, reproduction, and the family. In particular, the course examines women's struggle to define themselves and their roles in society and their impact on the social identities of men. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (004531)
Consequences of the collapse of Carolingian rule, and the gradual shaping of a Christian Europe divided into autonomous regional political units. (Core course for Medieval Studies Minor.) 3 hours seminar. (004588)
New ideas about power and social structure in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Europe: Humanism, socio-political transformations, secular attitudes in art and society. 3 hours seminar. (004592)
The breakdown of religious consensus among Europeans; the people and directions of Reform; technology and the military revolution of the period; rulers, people, and the idea of revolution; the reconsolidating of a European elite. 3 hours seminar. (015755)
The development of distinct Western attitudes toward politics and society, as well as the issues and events which gave rise to them. 3 hours seminar. (004595)
The course covers monarchy and aristocracy in the old regime, the European Enlightenment, and the French Revolution. The emphasis is on similarities and contrasts between British and French outcomes. 3 hours seminar. (004598)
A survey of European history from the defeat of Napoleon to the outbreak of the First World War. The emphasis is on the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, the growth of cities, the emergence of secular ideologies (liberalism, nationalism, and socialism), the reasons for European imperial expansion, the formation of a mass society, and the rise of the artistic and literary avant-garde. 3 hours seminar. (004601)
An examination of the history of European society, politics, and ideas in the twentieth century. The emphasis is on the causes and course of the First World War, the rise of communism in the Soviet Union and of fascism in Italy and Germany, the emergence of modern culture in the interwar period, the causes and course of the Second World War, and the reconstruction of postwar Europe. 3 hours seminar. (004602)
This course traces the history of Russia from Kievan Rus to the 1890s as background to some of the issues and problems facing Russia today. The course also examines how Russian society and culture was shaped by geographical features unique to that region of the world and developed separately from the West. 3 hours seminar. (004529)
The course covers the dramatic events of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and the evolution of Soviet and Russian history up to the present. Emphasis is on the social origins of the Russian Revolution, how a revolution for social democracy gave rise to one- party rule, and the chain of events which placed the Soviet Union on a path leading eventually to its demise in 1991 and the recasting of politics and society. 3 hours seminar. (004530)
The Turkish conquests of the 14th and 15th centuries, the diplomatically bedeviling "Eastern question" of the 19th century, the shots at Sarajevo that started the First World War, the creation and destruction of Yugoslavia, the war in Bosnia: conflicts in the Balkan peninsula have influenced and often dominated world affairs. This course traces political, cultural, and religious developments in the Balkan world. After an overview of the earlier centuries, the focus will be on the profound events and current problems of the 20th century. 3 hours seminar. (004543)
Political, social, and cultural history of the British Isles from the advent of the Tudors through the demise of the Stuarts. This course examines the transition from a medieval society to modern Britain, by focusing upon change and continuity in matters of government, religion, gender and the economy. 3 hours seminar. (004523)
Political, social, and cultural history of the British Isles from the unification of the kingdom through its devolution. This course explores the impact of democracy, empire, industrialization, nationalism, and globalization upon the peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. 3 hours seminar. (004619)
The study of British overseas settlements in North America, Australia, and South Africa; colonial acquisitions in Africa, the West Indies, and Asia; role of imperialism in British industrial growth, and independence movements in the Empire. 3 hours seminar. (004613)
Emphasis on cultural, institutional, and intellectual origins and developments. Carolingian Empire to France in the contemporary European community. 3 hours seminar. (015756)
This course examines the main currents of German history from its first unification in 1870-71 under Bismarck to the reunification in 1989-90. The emphasis is on the nature of Imperial Germany, the German experience during the First World War, the political weaknesses and cultural innovations of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Hitler and of Nazism, the nature of the Third Reich, the causes and consequences of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the experience of divided Germany in the postwar period. 3 hours seminar. (004519)

Non-Western History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Peoples, cultures, and economic systems of Africa before 1800, with emphasis on agricultural history, long-distance trade, state formation, and African religions. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004532)
Africa since 1800. Establishment and demise of European colonial regimes, African resistance to foreign domination, African political systems, dilemmas of socio-economic development, and gender differences in modern African life. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004533)
Cultural, economic, and political evolution of eastern Asia from antiquity to 1800. Emphasis on common traditional heritage of China and Japan. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004560)
Cultural, economic, and political evolution of eastern Asia from 1800 to the present. Emphasis on the transformation of the traditional heritage of China and Japan through revolution and modernization. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education Capstone course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. Formerly HIST 374. (004561)
This course examines women in China from antiquity to the present day. Focus is on women's roles in traditional society, formation and evolution of the patriarchal system, women's resistance and accomplishments in history, and women's emancipation movements under Western impact. Major issues include the role of socialism as savior of women and as appropriate strategies for Chinese women to adopt for achieving their feminist goals. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004565)
An historical survey of pre-Columbian and colonial Latin America, with emphasis on Aztec and Inca societies, Iberia's military, economic, and spiritual conquest, and the ways in which diverse colonial subjects resisted, adapted to, and assimilated colonial rule. Concludes by considering popular and elite culture in the late colonial period and tensions leading toward independence. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004568)
A survey of Latin America since independence from Iberia, highlighting the chaotic years of post-independence state building, the region's integration into the global capitalist economy and the age of mass politics and revolutionary ferment after 1930. The final weeks focus on Latin America's experience with military dictatorship and current transitions to democracy. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004495)
This course is also offered as LAST 350.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004558)
The study of British overseas settlements in North America, Australia, and South Africa; colonial acquisitions in Africa, the West Indies, and Asia; role of imperialism in British industrial growth, and independence movements in the Empire. 3 hours seminar. (004613)
Social, economic, political, and cultural history of the present states of Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique. Emphasis on African resistance movements and the problems of the modern African state. 3 hours seminar. (004621)
History of Africa west of the Cameroons. Emphasis on the role of Islam in empire-building, African social and political formations, European impact on the slave trade and imperialism, and the regaining of independence. 3 hours seminar. (004620)
This course explores tradition and new trends in 18th and 19th century China, the Western impact and the Chinese response, the nationalist and the communist movements, changes in values and the society after 1949, and the ongoing economic reforms. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004661)
History of Japan from the end of exclusion (about 1853) to the present, with emphasis on the modernization of Japan and the road to Pearl Harbor. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004660)
This course explores twentieth-century social revolutions in Mexico, Cuba, Chile and Nicaragua. Additional consideration will be given to more recent phenomena in Venezuela and the Mexican state of Chiapas. Evaluates the role played by class, ethnicity, and gender in these movements and considers whether the driving force of social revolution in Latin America is Marxism or nationalist/anti-imperialism. 3 hours seminar. (004647)

United States History

2 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Political, economic, and social forces in New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. British colonial system, international rivalry, and the war for the empire. 1607-1763. 3 hours seminar. (004626)
The founding events of the American nation; the crisis of colonial society, the War for Independence, the Confederation, the Constitution, partisan strife in the Federal Era, 1763-1788. 3 hours lecture. (004627)
Social, cultural, and political history of the United States from the federalist period to the U.S. - Mexico War, 1789-1850. 3 hours seminar. (004628)
Sectional conflict between rising industrialism and the Old South; abolitionism, secession, economic and social consequences of the war; reconstruction, political change, and continued sectionalism. 1850-1877. 3 hours seminar. (004629)
1914-1945. An examination of American society in an era of world wars, economic instabitility, and great cultural change. 3 hours seminar. (004632)
1945 to 1974. The United States from Hiroshima to the 1970s, its social structure and economic dynamics as the dominant world power in an age of revolution that includes an atomic arms race and a threatened natural environment. 3 hours seminar. (004633)
An historical perspective on major developments in American national life during the final decades of the twentieth century, including the emergence of the New Right, globalization of the economy, the "culture wars," the end of the Cold War, the growth of multicultural diversity in the United States, the rise of the postmodern sensibility, and the information and communication revolution. 3 hours seminar. (004635)
Significant ideas in American history, 1607 to the present; the influence of Puritanism, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and modern science upon American character and society. 3 hours seminar. (000413)
Focus on the evolution of American society and popular culture from colonial times to the present and on popular mores, attitudes, and perceptions of the world that arose from that society. 3 hours seminar. (004638)
Effects of the "moving frontier" experience upon American development, with emphasis on the people and the land from the colonial era to the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (004646)
Social, economic, cultural, and political development from Spanish explorations to the present. 3 hours seminar. (004634)
Prerequisites: HIST 130.
Topics in the social, cultural, and political history of the American South. Topics may include the simultaneous rise of democracy and slavery, the rise and fall of Jim Crow, and political developments in the 20th century. 3 hours lecture. (015800)
Covers the foreign relations of the United States from colonial origins to World War I. Emphasis is on diplomacy of the Founding Fathers, continental expansion, Pacific imperialism, and the emergence of the U.S. as a world power. 3 hours lecture. (015801)
Covers the foreign relations of the United States from World War I to the present. Emphasis is on the world wars, isolationism, Soviet-American relations, conflict in the Middle East, Vietnam, and the complex challenges in a multipolar world. 3 hours lecture. (015802)

History Electives: 9 units

9 units selected from:

Any 200, 300, or 400 level History (HIST) courses, of which at least 6 units must be upper division.

The Social Science Credential Option: 49 units

History: 28 units

3 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: 9 units of history and concurrent enrollment in another history class.
An overview of the history/social science curriculum at the secondary school level, incorporating exploration of learning styles, assessment strategies, lesson plans, and classroom management techniques. Forty-five hours of field experience (a prerequisite for admission to the credential program) are included. 3 hours seminar. (004578)
Social, economic, cultural, and political development from Spanish explorations to the present. 3 hours seminar. (004634)
Prerequisites: Senior standing.
Assessment of subject matter competence in History-Social Science. 1 hour discussion. (015848)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, and 3 units of upper-division history.
A comparative study of the political role of religions in Western and non- Western cultures. Social consequences of religious beliefs, values, and ideals, from comparative ethical, as well as social-scientific perspectives. Relevant major developments of both historical and contemporary times. Comparison of the social consequences of religious political values with the social consequences of some secular political ideologies. Enrollment preference given to students in History/Social Science Subject Matter Preparation Program. 3 hours seminar. (004577)
An introduction to the major world religions and an analysis of legal, intellectual, and educational issues that arise in connection with the study of religions in American public schools. 3 hours lecture. (008168)

Ancient/Classical History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Origins, development, decline, and transitions in Bronze Age, Dark Age, and Archaic Age Greek civilization. Emphasis on the politics, social conditions, religion, philosophy, and culture of Archaic Greece and the early Persian Wars period (ca. 499-479 B.C.). 3 hours seminar. (004582)
Development, decline, and transitions associated with the evolution of the Classical period of ancient Greek civilization during the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Primary emphasis on the politics, social conditions, religion, philosophy, and culture of the "Golden Age" of the fifth century B.C. 3 hours seminar. (004583)
Examination of the Greek world and the Persian Empire at the time of the rise of Macedon as a significant power under Philip II (r.359-336 B.C.E.) and during the life of Alexander the Great (r.336-323 B.C.E.). 3 hours seminar. (004584)
Political, social, and cultural history of the Eastern Mediterranean world and the Middle East from the death of Alexander the Great through the Roman conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, i.e., Hellenistic civilization (323 to 30 B.C.E.). 3 hours seminar. (015754)
Political, social, and cultural history of Rome from its origins (within the world of pre-Roman Italy) down to Rome's emergence as the dominant power of the Mediterranean world. Emphasis is on the development of the Roman Republic's government, the nature of Roman imperialism, and social and cultural changes of the Second Century B.C.E. Time from of the courses is ca. 800-146 B.C.E. 3 hours seminar. (015803)
Political, social, and cultural history of Rome and the Roman Empire from the crises of the Later Roman Republic down to the emergence of the Augustan Principate and the rule of the Caesars. Emphasis is on the conflicts that culminated in the collapse of the Roman Republic, the restoration of order under Augustus, and the cultural achievements of the Age of Cicero and the Augustan Golden Age. Time frame for the course is 146 B.C.E. to 14 C.E. 3 hours seminar. (004586)
Political, social, and cultural history of the Roman Empire of the Caesars from the Julio-Claudian emperors (14-68 C.E.) to the end of the Severan Dynasty (435 C E.). Emphasis on the Julio-Claudian period, the achievements of Pax Romana, and the cultural transitions into Late Antiquity that emerged in the Second Century C.E. 3 hours seminar. (004587)
Examination of the Byzantine or East Roman Empire (630-1453) with emphasis on the sixth through ninth centuries and the Byzantine influence on Western Europe, Slavic Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. 3 hours seminar. (004591)
Problems associated with studying early Egyptian history; prehistory and the origins of Egyptian civilization; primary focus on Archaic and Old Kingdom Egypt, especially on the Age of the Pyramids. 3 hours lecture. (004654)
Political, social, religious, and cultural history of Egypt from the First Intermediate Period through the Late Period with principal emphasis on the Middle and New Kingdom Periods. The time frame of the course is ca. 2200 to 525 B.C.E. 3 hours lecture. (015847)

European History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Using a chronological frame, catastrophes like famine, war, plague, and death will be studied as modes for giving structure and meaning to human events. "Poetics of History" and mimesis will supply the analytical means for understanding the catastrophic foundations of cultural identities in narratives and representations from Homer to Spielberg and in various modes, including the epic, tragic, ironic, prophetic, religious, and historical. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004518)
This course is an introduction to the history of technology and engineering from ancient times to the early Industrial Revolution (300 B.C. to 1750 A.D.). It treats technology broadly in order to reach beyond the strict limits of machinery to include many human activities. Emphasis is placed on the development of technologies, and the relationships among technology, science, and culture. 3 hours lecture. (004521)
Consequences of the collapse of Carolingian rule, and the gradual shaping of a Christian Europe divided into autonomous regional political units. (Core course for Medieval Studies Minor.) 3 hours seminar. (004588)
New ideas about power and social structure in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Europe: Humanism, socio-political transformations, secular attitudes in art and society. 3 hours seminar. (004592)
The breakdown of religious consensus among Europeans; the people and directions of Reform; technology and the military revolution of the period; rulers, people, and the idea of revolution; the reconsolidating of a European elite. 3 hours seminar. (015755)
The development of distinct Western attitudes toward politics and society, as well as the issues and events which gave rise to them. 3 hours seminar. (004595)
Political, social, and cultural history of the British Isles from the advent of the Tudors through the demise of the Stuarts. This course examines the transition from a medieval society to modern Britain, by focusing upon change and continuity in matters of government, religion, gender and the economy. 3 hours seminar. (004523)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is an introduction to the history of technology and engineering, examining the period from the early Industrial Revolution (ca. 1700) to the present. Broad themes of the course include the evolution of different forms of technology; the development of the modern engineering profession; the relationship between science and technology; the different ways in which technological change has affected society, and the ways different cultures at different times have regarded technology and shaped its development. 3 hours lecture. (004522)
The Second World War has been called the biggest event in world history. This course uses texts and films to examine its origins and its consequences. Particular attention is given to the European theater although the Pacific war is also covered. 3 hours lecture. (004526)
An exploration of the main currents in European intellectual history from the French Revolution to the present, emphasizing the rise of modernism in art, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences in the twentieth century. The focus will be on the analysis of primary texts by Marx, Freud, Nietzche, and other writers and thinkers. 3 hours seminar. (004528)
This course is also offered as WMST 326.
This course explores major themes and developments in the social and cultural history of European women from the 1700s to the present, including changing gender roles, attitudes toward sexuality, reproduction, and the family. In particular, the course examines women's struggle to define themselves and their roles in society and their impact on the social identities of men. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (004531)
The course covers monarchy and aristocracy in the old regime, the European Enlightenment, and the French Revolution. The emphasis is on similarities and contrasts between British and French outcomes. 3 hours seminar. (004598)
A survey of European history from the defeat of Napoleon to the outbreak of the First World War. The emphasis is on the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, the growth of cities, the emergence of secular ideologies (liberalism, nationalism, and socialism), the reasons for European imperial expansion, the formation of a mass society, and the rise of the artistic and literary avant-garde. 3 hours seminar. (004601)
An examination of the history of European society, politics, and ideas in the twentieth century. The emphasis is on the causes and course of the First World War, the rise of communism in the Soviet Union and of fascism in Italy and Germany, the emergence of modern culture in the interwar period, the causes and course of the Second World War, and the reconstruction of postwar Europe. 3 hours seminar. (004602)
This course traces the history of Russia from Kievan Rus to the 1890s as background to some of the issues and problems facing Russia today. The course also examines how Russian society and culture was shaped by geographical features unique to that region of the world and developed separately from the West. 3 hours seminar. (004529)
The course covers the dramatic events of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and the evolution of Soviet and Russian history up to the present. Emphasis is on the social origins of the Russian Revolution, how a revolution for social democracy gave rise to one- party rule, and the chain of events which placed the Soviet Union on a path leading eventually to its demise in 1991 and the recasting of politics and society. 3 hours seminar. (004530)
The Turkish conquests of the 14th and 15th centuries, the diplomatically bedeviling "Eastern question" of the 19th century, the shots at Sarajevo that started the First World War, the creation and destruction of Yugoslavia, the war in Bosnia: conflicts in the Balkan peninsula have influenced and often dominated world affairs. This course traces political, cultural, and religious developments in the Balkan world. After an overview of the earlier centuries, the focus will be on the profound events and current problems of the 20th century. 3 hours seminar. (004543)
Political, social, and cultural history of the British Isles from the unification of the kingdom through its devolution. This course explores the impact of democracy, empire, industrialization, nationalism, and globalization upon the peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. 3 hours seminar. (004619)
Emphasis on cultural, institutional, and intellectual origins and developments. Carolingian Empire to France in the contemporary European community. 3 hours seminar. (015756)
This course examines the main currents of German history from its first unification in 1870-71 under Bismarck to the reunification in 1989-90. The emphasis is on the nature of Imperial Germany, the German experience during the First World War, the political weaknesses and cultural innovations of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Hitler and of Nazism, the nature of the Third Reich, the causes and consequences of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the experience of divided Germany in the postwar period. 3 hours seminar. (004519)

Non-Western History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as MEST 261, RELS 202.
Introduces students to the history, faith, practice, and cultures of Islam, starting with the Late Antique Near Eastern milieu from which it emerged and tracing its development and geographic spread around the world to the present day. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004515)
This course is also offered as MEST 362.
Introduction to some major aspects of society and culture in the Middle East, including the family, styles of living, roles of men and women, and Islamic religion. Examination of the nationalistic movements and politics in Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Israel. Analyses of cultural and political issues, such as the Palestinian question, Arab-Israeli conflict, Islamic resurgence, and modernization. This course is designed to be a component of the Upper-Division Theme on Cross-Cultural Exploration. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004550)
Peoples, cultures, and economic systems of Africa before 1800, with emphasis on agricultural history, long-distance trade, state formation, and African religions. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004532)
Africa since 1800. Establishment and demise of European colonial regimes, African resistance to foreign domination, African political systems, dilemmas of socio-economic development, and gender differences in modern African life. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004533)
Cultural, economic, and political evolution of eastern Asia from antiquity to 1800. Emphasis on common traditional heritage of China and Japan. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004560)
Cultural, economic, and political evolution of eastern Asia from 1800 to the present. Emphasis on the transformation of the traditional heritage of China and Japan through revolution and modernization. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education Capstone course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. Formerly HIST 374. (004561)
This course examines women in China from antiquity to the present day. Focus is on women's roles in traditional society, formation and evolution of the patriarchal system, women's resistance and accomplishments in history, and women's emancipation movements under Western impact. Major issues include the role of socialism as savior of women and as appropriate strategies for Chinese women to adopt for achieving their feminist goals. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004565)
An historical survey of pre-Columbian and colonial Latin America, with emphasis on Aztec and Inca societies, Iberia's military, economic, and spiritual conquest, and the ways in which diverse colonial subjects resisted, adapted to, and assimilated colonial rule. Concludes by considering popular and elite culture in the late colonial period and tensions leading toward independence. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004568)
A survey of Latin America since independence from Iberia, highlighting the chaotic years of post-independence state building, the region's integration into the global capitalist economy and the age of mass politics and revolutionary ferment after 1930. The final weeks focus on Latin America's experience with military dictatorship and current transitions to democracy. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004495)
This course is also offered as LAST 350.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004558)
The study of British overseas settlements in North America, Australia, and South Africa; colonial acquisitions in Africa, the West Indies, and Asia; role of imperialism in British industrial growth, and independence movements in the Empire. 3 hours seminar. (004613)
This course is also offered as MEST 463.
Islamic civilization 600-1800; religion, philosophy, law, education, literature, and political thought and activity. 3 hours seminar. (004649)
This course is also offered as MEST 464.
Social, intellectual, and political changes in Turkey, Iran, and the Arab countries in the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (004650)
This course is also offered as MEST 466.
The development of Zionism and Arab nationalism since 1900; international politics and the creation of Israel; Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948 to the present; politics and society in Israel; Palestinian refugees and guerrilla groups; P.L.O. and the Palestinian nationalist movement; efforts and prospects for Arab-Israeli peace. 3 hours seminar. (004618)
Social, economic, political, and cultural history of the present states of Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique. Emphasis on African resistance movements and the problems of the modern African state. 3 hours seminar. (004621)
History of Africa west of the Cameroons. Emphasis on the role of Islam in empire-building, African social and political formations, European impact on the slave trade and imperialism, and the regaining of independence. 3 hours seminar. (004620)
This course explores tradition and new trends in 18th and 19th century China, the Western impact and the Chinese response, the nationalist and the communist movements, changes in values and the society after 1949, and the ongoing economic reforms. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004661)
History of Japan from the end of exclusion (about 1853) to the present, with emphasis on the modernization of Japan and the road to Pearl Harbor. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004660)
This course explores twentieth-century social revolutions in Mexico, Cuba, Chile and Nicaragua. Additional consideration will be given to more recent phenomena in Venezuela and the Mexican state of Chiapas. Evaluates the role played by class, ethnicity, and gender in these movements and considers whether the driving force of social revolution in Latin America is Marxism or nationalist/anti-imperialism. 3 hours seminar. (004647)

United States History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as AIST 230.
A history of the Indian in North America, development of Indian culture, Indian-white relations, the disruption of the Indian way of life, wars, assimilation, and Indian culture in a Caucasian world. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (000382)
This course is also offered as CHST 234.
This course examines the history and heritage of the Mexican people of the present-day Southwestern United States from the fourteenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (001976)
This course is also offered as MCGS 332.
An examination of the various ethnic groups that came to America; the reasons for their emigration, their reception in the United States, special problems they encountered, and the contributions they made to American society. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004540)
The founding events of the American nation; the crisis of colonial society, the War for Independence, the Confederation, the Constitution, partisan strife in the Federal Era, 1763-1788. 3 hours lecture. (004627)
Social, cultural, and political history of the United States from the federalist period to the U.S. - Mexico War, 1789-1850. 3 hours seminar. (004628)
Sectional conflict between rising industrialism and the Old South; abolitionism, secession, economic and social consequences of the war; reconstruction, political change, and continued sectionalism. 1850-1877. 3 hours seminar. (004629)
Effects of the "moving frontier" experience upon American development, with emphasis on the people and the land from the colonial era to the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (004646)
Prerequisites: HIST 130.
Topics in the social, cultural, and political history of the American South. Topics may include the simultaneous rise of democracy and slavery, the rise and fall of Jim Crow, and political developments in the 20th century. 3 hours lecture. (015800)
Covers the foreign relations of the United States from colonial origins to World War I. Emphasis is on diplomacy of the Founding Fathers, continental expansion, Pacific imperialism, and the emergence of the U.S. as a world power. 3 hours lecture. (015801)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as AFAM 231.
An examination of the origins of black people, their history, philosophies, ideas, religions, social values, and the way in which these aspects of culture are interrelated. Emphasis is on the critical analysis of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, twentieth-century events, personalities, and philosophies which resulted in the major economic, political, and social problems facing African Americans and other ethnic minorities today. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (000138)
This course is also offered as WMST 335.
Focus on the role gender plays in shaping and defining American history, from colonial times to the present. Analysis of relations between sexes, the family, and the struggle by women to achieve civil rights and social reform. The roles of race and class, and the rise of feminism. 3 hours lecture. (004541)
History of the attitudes, concepts, and public policy toward the American environment, including the natural, rural, and urban environments. Emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004539)
This course explores the origins and significance of technological and scientific ideas, developments, and artifacts in American history from the colonial era to the present, viewing technology and science as social and cultural phenomena. An emphasis is placed on the social, cultural, political, and economic impact of technology and science in American history. 3 hours lecture. (000407)
Focuses on America's Vietnam experience. Emphasis on the domestic and foreign policy repercussions of U.S. involvement, the mythological and symbolic components of the war, and its legacies. 3 hours lecture. (004546)
A review of the major developments in American society in the 1960s: foreign relations and war, politics and economics, culture and thought. 3 hours lecture. (004549)
1914-1945. An examination of American society in an era of world wars, economic instabitility, and great cultural change. 3 hours seminar. (004632)
1945 to 1974. The United States from Hiroshima to the 1970s, its social structure and economic dynamics as the dominant world power in an age of revolution that includes an atomic arms race and a threatened natural environment. 3 hours seminar. (004633)
An historical perspective on major developments in American national life during the final decades of the twentieth century, including the emergence of the New Right, globalization of the economy, the "culture wars," the end of the Cold War, the growth of multicultural diversity in the United States, the rise of the postmodern sensibility, and the information and communication revolution. 3 hours seminar. (004635)
Significant ideas in American history, 1607 to the present; the influence of Puritanism, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and modern science upon American character and society. 3 hours seminar. (000413)
Focus on the evolution of American society and popular culture from colonial times to the present and on popular mores, attitudes, and perceptions of the world that arose from that society. 3 hours seminar. (004638)
Covers the foreign relations of the United States from World War I to the present. Emphasis is on the world wars, isolationism, Soviet-American relations, conflict in the Middle East, Vietnam, and the complex challenges in a multipolar world. 3 hours lecture. (015802)

Economics: 6 units

2 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
An introductory survey of macroeconomic analysis. Use of fundamental economic concepts to analyze the over-all economy. Determination of gross national product, rates of unemployment, problems of inflation, recession, and the use of governmental policies. Discussion of current problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (002636)
An introductory survey of microeconomic analysis. Analysis of individual economic units: household, firms, and markets. Analysis of individual decision making. Supply and demand analysis. Type of market organization: competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. Discussion of current problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (002638)

Geography: 6 units

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
A regional study of our nation in terms of the physical earth and its human use. The course includes emphasis on issues and problems related to resources, environmental concerns, and settlement patterns. Cultural and regional differences in human-environmental relationships are compared and contrasted. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (003902)
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
A regional and topical description of North America at selected time periods, including cultural groups, land tenure systems, settlement patterns, agriculture, exploration and mapping, resource use, urbanization, population and migrations, and present-day results. 3 hours discussion. (000412)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
A systematic survey of human economic activities. Analysis of resource exploitation and use, including agriculture, extractive activities, industry, commerce, and service functions. Recommended for business and liberal arts majors. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (003871)
Geography in the news. Analysis of current world conflicts and problem areas, with an emphasis upon examination of social, economic, political, and environmental realities. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (003872)

Political Science: 6 units

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Analysis of the history and development of the American federal system and the role of state and local governments, with special emphasis directed to the government and politics of California. Among the major topics considered: the state and local political systems; the political environment; party, interest group, citizen, and media inputs; and current problems and changing functions affecting state and local governments. 3 hours lecture. (007524)
Prerequisites: POLS 402 and POLS 473 are recommended.
Course will focus on the lobbying process at the state and national level and will consider the role interest groups play within the American-state governmental milieu. 3 hours lecture. (007526)
Evolution of American political parties; issues dividing the electorate; organization of parties; nominations, campaigns, elections, voting behavior; the role of money in the party process; party responsibility; evaluation and reform of parties; some reference to foreign parties. Considers parties as some of the major value maximizers among people. 3 hours lecture. (007488)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Considers tensions between the democratic and republican claims in formative periods: Puritan, Revolutionary, Constitution, Jacksonian, and Civil War. Addresses modern implications. Uses primary sources and novels. 3 hours lecture. (007551)
Considers competing democratic and republican claims in the context of social Darwinism, Populism, Progressivism, New Deal, and Post-World War II. Uses primary sources and novels. 3 hours lecture. (007554)
Analysis of judicial cases and related materials illustrating historical and current interpretations of constitutional problems such as the powers of the courts, congress, and President; and the balance of federal-state power in such areas as commerce and taxation. 3 hours lecture. (007577)
This course is also offered as MCGS 451B.
Analysis of judicial cases and related materials illustrating historical and current interpretations of constitutional problems such as racial discrimination, criminal procedures, and freedom of speech and religion. 3 hours lecture. (005645)

Behavioral and Social Sciences: 3 units

1 course required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course covers the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environmental interaction, movement, and region) for use in the K-12 classroom. The impact of these themes on physical geography, human culture, and economic development is also emphasized. Skills include mapping of data, using appropriate georaphical software, creating charts and diagrams, and interpreting information contained in an atlas. This course is required for Liberal Studies majors and History-Social Science single subject credential students. 3 hours lecture. (009059)

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major:

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:

  1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
  2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
  3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
  6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.

History and Economics Double Major

Students may elect a History and Economics double major. Up to 6 units of appropriate upper-division Economics (ECON) courses may be applied to the History major. Prior approval by a department advisor and the chair is required.

History and Geography Double Major

Students may elect a History and Geography double major. Up to 6 units of appropriate upper-division Geography (GEOG) courses may be applied to the History major. Prior approval by a department advisor and the chair is required.

Catalog Cycle:12