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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 39 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 .

Upper-Division Writing Requirement:

Writing Across the Curriculum (Executive Memorandum 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog for more details on the four courses.  The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: ENGL 130W 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. This is an approved Writing Course. (021876)

The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (Executive Order 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.

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.

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: 12 units

4 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Examination of the political, economic, religious, and social structures of ancient and medieval world history. 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 early modern and modern world history. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004493)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130W 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. This is an approved Writing Course. (021876)
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, HIST 300W.
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. This is an approved Writing Course. (004581)

Major Option Course Requirements: 30-52 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.  Use the links below to jump to your chosen option.



The General History Option: 30 units

Ancient and Medieval History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Political and cultural developments in the Greek world from the time of the Trojan War through its transformations under Alexander the Great, and later, the Roman Empire. The "Classical" periods of the city-states Athens and Sparta are our particular focus. Key themes include transitions in economics, literature, art and architecture, society, and the various ways in which Hellenism spread throughout the Mediterranean. 3 hours lecture. (021305)
Political and cultural development of Rome from its (legendary) foundation in 753 BCE through the transformation of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. The collapse of Rome's Republic, the rise of military dictators, and the imperial "Golden Age" are the main focus. 3 hours lecture. (021306)
Political, social, and cultural history of the Byzantine Empire from the time of Diocletian and Constantine (ca. 300 C.E.) to the fall of the empire in 1453 C.E. The course focuses on key political institutions, social practices, and cultural attitudes and ideas that shaped the Byzantine world during this time. Major themes and topics include the nature and evolution of the Byzantine state; the empire under Justinian; Byzantium after the Islamic conquests; the Macedonian Renaissance and Imperial Revival; the Komnenian Empire and the Crusades; and society and culture in the late Byzantine period. 3 hours lecture. (021628)
A political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Middle Ages. This course examines the transformation, centralization, fragmentation, and expansion of the West (including Byzantium and the Islamic world, as well as Europe) from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. 3 hours lecture. (021307)
This course is also offered as MEST 362.
Introduction to some major aspects of culture, society and the state in the Islamic Middle East, including Islamic religion, the Arab Empire, the family, law, roles of men and women, styles of living. Examination of the post-Mongol empires of Ottoman and Safavid, and their interaction with European powers in the early modern period. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004550)
This course is also offered as MEST 362W.
Introduction to some major aspects of culture, society and the state in the Islamic Middle East, including Islamic religion, the Arab Empire, the family, law, roles of men and women, styles of living. Examination of the post-Mongol empires of Ottoman and Safavid, and their interaction with European powers in the early modern period. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021461)
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 Global Cultures course. (004560)

European History

2 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
A survey of European history from the Renaissance through the Age of Revolution. This course prepares students for 400-level courses in European history by introducing the social, cultural, and political history of the period, with special emphasis placed upon the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment. It also prepares students for careers in education by incorporating historical analysis skills required in K-12 classrooms. 3 hours lecture. (021308)
A survey of European history from the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 to the present. Among the topics covered is the first and second industrial revolutions, the emergence of political ideologies, the unification of Italy and Germany, the rise of the workers movement, the spread of imperialism, women's lives and the birth of the women's movements, modernism, the First World War and its consequences, the Russian Revolution, the emergence of fascism and Nazism, the Second World War and its aftermath, the birth of the European Community, experience of the Cold War in Europe, decolonization, and the collapse of communism. 3 hours lecture. (021309)
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)
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)
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)

Global History

2 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
The course treats the global history of human interaction with, and effect on the environment and changing ideas about it from the birth of farming to the modern age. It is intended as an introduction to major themes, techniques, and sources of environmental history and awareness of sustainability issues. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (020205)
The course treats the global history of human interaction with the environment and changing ideas about it from the birth of farming to the modern age. It is intended as an introduction to major themes, techniques, and sources of environmental history and awareness of sustainability issues. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021642)
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 lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004515)
A historical exploration of the ways in which societies around the world have responded to major catastrophes, both natural and man-made, such as plagues, famines, wars, and genocides. What does the response tell us about the social structure, politics, science and technology, and culture of the affected society? What are the long term impacts? How are these catastrophes remembered? 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004518)
In this course, through numerous empirical examples drawn from around the world, students explore how geography, migration, and other factors have contributed to the development of regional and ethnic diets. Students also study the causes and consequences of food insecurity and how food has played a central role in social identity formation and, therefore, human conflict. 3 hours lecture. (021955)
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 302, RELS 302.
This course introduces students to the sacred scripture and prophet of Islam. Students study the biography of Muhammad (570-632) and the text of the Qur'an by situating it within the context of Muhammad's life and career. By the end of the course, students are able to appreicate how devout Muslims view Muhammad and the Qur'an, as well as ask critical questions raised by modern scholars of religion. 3 hours lecture. (020263)
This course is also offered as MEST 363.
Survey of the modern Middle East from Napoleon's Conquest of Egypt (1798) to the second Gulf War (2003). Examination of the decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire, rise of Middle Eastern nation-states, nationalistic movements, and politics in Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the Arab world. Analyses of cultural and political issues, such as the Palestinian question, Arab-Israeli conflict, modernization, secularization, and Islamic resurgence. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021368)
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 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 Global Cultures course. (004561)
This course is also offered as ASST 377.
Focus on the role gender plays in shaping and defining East Asian history, from 19th century to the present. Analysis of gender construction, sexuality, the family, and issues of universal human rights in context of China, South Korea, and Japan. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021173)
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 382.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history since 1810 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)
This course is also offered as LAST 382W.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course introduces students to the panorama of Mexican history since 1810 while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021968)

United States History

2 courses 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 AFAM 231.
An examination of the history of persons of African descent in the United States and its colonial antecedents. Emphasis is on understanding the experiences of and culture created by African Americans from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (000138)
This course provides historical and theoretical context for the analysis, critique, and substantive understanding of the intersections between race, gender, and empire in Western history since the 16th century. Framed as an investigation of power, domination, and resistance, the course examines the ways that historical actors have leveraged racism, heterosexism, and nationalism to sustain control, and the counteracting forces of those resisting domination. 3 hours lecture. (021934)
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. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (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)
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)
This course examines themes, events, and figures related to North America, 1491-1815. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction of Indian, European, African, and later 'American' peoples and cultures. While the rise of the Anglo-Europeans to a position of dominance in North American remains central to course themes, considerable attention is also paid to other European and indigenous endeavors. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021310)
In-depth survey of American history between 1787 and 1877, focusing on major events and related historiographic debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021370)
In-depth survey of American history between 1877 and 1945, focusing on major events and related historiographic debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021369)
In-depth survey of American history between 1945 and the present, focusing on major events and related historiographical debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021371)

History Electives

3 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
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)
This course offers a seminar on the later Roman Empire (or "Late Antiquity") from Diocletian (284 C.E.) to Heraclius (641 C.E.). Throughout the course, we focus on the key political institutions, social practices, and cultural attitudes and ideas that shape the late antique world during this time. Major themes and topics include the Christianization of the Roman world; the emperor Constantine; barbarian entry into the Roman world; the emperor Constantine; barbarian entry into the Roman world; the disintegration of the western empire in the fifth century; cultural change in the East under Justinian; economic and urban change (the end of the Roman city); and the intellectual traditions surrounding the "fall" of the Roman Empire. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. Formerly HIST 409. (021627)
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)
This course traces the interplay of gender, sex, and power from the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 to the collapse of the USSR in 1992, to the emergence of post-Soviet States. 3 hours seminar. (021421)
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)
A comparative analysis of three totalitarian regimes, Soviet Russia, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany. This course concentrates on the theories of fascism and totalitarianism, ideologies, relationships between party and state, quality of daily life, views on gender and women, nature of the police state and repression, experience of war, and the public memory of these regimes. 3 hours seminar. (021311)
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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004629)
1914-1945. An examination of American society in an era of world wars, economic instability, and great cultural change. 3 hours seminar. (004632)
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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004646)
This course investigates the varying and changing roles of women in early America between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, including Native women, enslaved women, free black women, and European women. In addition this course explores the ways in which sexuality, masculinity, and femininity were defined during this period. Through discussion, readings, and research students better understand the intricacies and complications of the period and the direct and indirect ways women and competing visions of femininity and masculinity affected the formation of early American societies. 3 hours lecture. (021864)
Social, economic, cultural, and political development from Spanish explorations to the present. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (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)
Modern American radicalism, spanning the left-side of the ideological spectrum, from the immediate post-Civil War era to the present. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021337)
The intertwining of baseball and American culture, from the sport's inception during the mid-19th century to the present. The course offers perspectives regarding baseball history; mythmaking; the impact of ethnicity, race, class, and gender; labor issues; steroids; and globalization. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021332)
Islamic civilization 600-1800; religion, philosophy, law, education, literature, and political thought and activity. 3 hours seminar. (004649)
This course examines the political, social, and cultural development of three Asian megacities (Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo) in a comparative perspectives. Just like elsewhere in the world, these cities served as the locus of change in the midst of turbulent years of the twentieth century. We explore various political incidents as well as social and cultural landscapes of the cites as a lens through which to understand how Asia became what it is today. 3 hours lecture. (021779)
This course is also offered as ASST 474.
This course examines Korean history from the opening of Korea in 1876 to the present. Main topics include the decline of the chosen dynasty, the rise of nationalism, the colonial experience (1910-1945), the liberation and division (1945-1948), the Korean War (1950-1953), and industrialization and democratization in the postwar era. Particular attention is devoted to how these events have shaped the historical trajectory of modern Korea as well as the everyday lives of people. 3 hours seminar. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 9.0 units. (021782)
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 examines World War II from the Asian perspective and focuses on Japan, Korea, and China. Often called the "Total War", World War II engulfed many nations and led to the atomic bombing of a primarily civilian population. Students explore the relationship among historical events, memory, and historical interpretation from multiple perspectives. By examining different historical treatments of the war in literature, documents, film, autobiographies, memorials, and historiographies, students situate World War II in a broader Asian context. 3 hours seminar. (021312)
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)
Prerequisites: HIST 492, HIST 494.
Occupational experience in public history with a private-sector firm, non-profit organization, or governmental agency. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. (015915)
Introduction to archival research and source materials. Practical experience in locating, interpreting, and using the various kinds of primary documents that form the raw material of the historian's craft. 3 hours seminar. (004707)
The application of historical scholarship to non-academic pursuits, including historic preservation, management of records and resources, public policy, and private consultantcy. Emphasis on development, objects, ethics, and methods of the public history profession. 3 hours seminar. (004714)

The Social Science Pre-Credential Option: 52 units

History: 25 units

2 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Social, economic, cultural, and political development from Spanish explorations to the present. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004634)
Prerequisites: Senior standing.
Assessment of subject matter competence in History-Social Science. 1 hour discussion. (015848)

Ancient/Classical History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Political and cultural developments in the Greek world from the time of the Trojan War through its transformations under Alexander the Great, and later, the Roman Empire. The "Classical" periods of the city-states Athens and Sparta are our particular focus. Key themes include transitions in economics, literature, art and architecture, society, and the various ways in which Hellenism spread throughout the Mediterranean. 3 hours lecture. (021305)
Political and cultural development of Rome from its (legendary) foundation in 753 BCE through the transformation of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. The collapse of Rome's Republic, the rise of military dictators, and the imperial "Golden Age" are the main focus. 3 hours lecture. (021306)
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)
This course offers a seminar on the later Roman Empire (or "Late Antiquity") from Diocletian (284 C.E.) to Heraclius (641 C.E.). Throughout the course, we focus on the key political institutions, social practices, and cultural attitudes and ideas that shape the late antique world during this time. Major themes and topics include the Christianization of the Roman world; the emperor Constantine; barbarian entry into the Roman world; the emperor Constantine; barbarian entry into the Roman world; the disintegration of the western empire in the fifth century; cultural change in the East under Justinian; economic and urban change (the end of the Roman city); and the intellectual traditions surrounding the "fall" of the Roman Empire. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. Formerly HIST 409. (021627)

European History

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Political, social, and cultural history of the Byzantine Empire from the time of Diocletian and Constantine (ca. 300 C.E.) to the fall of the empire in 1453 C.E. The course focuses on key political institutions, social practices, and cultural attitudes and ideas that shaped the Byzantine world during this time. Major themes and topics include the nature and evolution of the Byzantine state; the empire under Justinian; Byzantium after the Islamic conquests; the Macedonian Renaissance and Imperial Revival; the Komnenian Empire and the Crusades; and society and culture in the late Byzantine period. 3 hours lecture. (021628)
A political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Middle Ages. This course examines the transformation, centralization, fragmentation, and expansion of the West (including Byzantium and the Islamic world, as well as Europe) from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. 3 hours lecture. (021307)
A survey of European history from the Renaissance through the Age of Revolution. This course prepares students for 400-level courses in European history by introducing the social, cultural, and political history of the period, with special emphasis placed upon the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment. It also prepares students for careers in education by incorporating historical analysis skills required in K-12 classrooms. 3 hours lecture. (021308)
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)
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
A survey of European history from the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 to the present. Among the topics covered is the first and second industrial revolutions, the emergence of political ideologies, the unification of Italy and Germany, the rise of the workers movement, the spread of imperialism, women's lives and the birth of the women's movements, modernism, the First World War and its consequences, the Russian Revolution, the emergence of fascism and Nazism, the Second World War and its aftermath, the birth of the European Community, experience of the Cold War in Europe, decolonization, and the collapse of communism. 3 hours lecture. (021309)
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)
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)
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)
This course traces the interplay of gender, sex, and power from the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 to the collapse of the USSR in 1992, to the emergence of post-Soviet States. 3 hours seminar. (021421)
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)
A comparative analysis of three totalitarian regimes, Soviet Russia, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany. This course concentrates on the theories of fascism and totalitarianism, ideologies, relationships between party and state, quality of daily life, views on gender and women, nature of the police state and repression, experience of war, and the public memory of these regimes. 3 hours seminar. (021311)

Global History

2 courses 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 lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004515)
A historical exploration of the ways in which societies around the world have responded to major catastrophes, both natural and man-made, such as plagues, famines, wars, and genocides. What does the response tell us about the social structure, politics, science and technology, and culture of the affected society? What are the long term impacts? How are these catastrophes remembered? 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004518)
In this course, through numerous empirical examples drawn from around the world, students explore how geography, migration, and other factors have contributed to the development of regional and ethnic diets. Students also study the causes and consequences of food insecurity and how food has played a central role in social identity formation and, therefore, human conflict. 3 hours lecture. (021955)
This course is also offered as MEST 302, RELS 302.
This course introduces students to the sacred scripture and prophet of Islam. Students study the biography of Muhammad (570-632) and the text of the Qur'an by situating it within the context of Muhammad's life and career. By the end of the course, students are able to appreicate how devout Muslims view Muhammad and the Qur'an, as well as ask critical questions raised by modern scholars of religion. 3 hours lecture. (020263)
This course is also offered as MEST 362.
Introduction to some major aspects of culture, society and the state in the Islamic Middle East, including Islamic religion, the Arab Empire, the family, law, roles of men and women, styles of living. Examination of the post-Mongol empires of Ottoman and Safavid, and their interaction with European powers in the early modern period. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004550)
This course is also offered as MEST 362W.
Introduction to some major aspects of culture, society and the state in the Islamic Middle East, including Islamic religion, the Arab Empire, the family, law, roles of men and women, styles of living. Examination of the post-Mongol empires of Ottoman and Safavid, and their interaction with European powers in the early modern period. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021461)
This course is also offered as MEST 363.
Survey of the modern Middle East from Napoleon's Conquest of Egypt (1798) to the second Gulf War (2003). Examination of the decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire, rise of Middle Eastern nation-states, nationalistic movements, and politics in Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the Arab world. Analyses of cultural and political issues, such as the Palestinian question, Arab-Israeli conflict, modernization, secularization, and Islamic resurgence. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021368)
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 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 Global Cultures course. (004561)
This course is also offered as ASST 377.
Focus on the role gender plays in shaping and defining East Asian history, from 19th century to the present. Analysis of gender construction, sexuality, the family, and issues of universal human rights in context of China, South Korea, and Japan. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021173)
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 382.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history since 1810 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)
This course is also offered as LAST 382W.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course introduces students to the panorama of Mexican history since 1810 while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021968)
Islamic civilization 600-1800; religion, philosophy, law, education, literature, and political thought and activity. 3 hours seminar. (004649)
This course examines the political, social, and cultural development of three Asian megacities (Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo) in a comparative perspectives. Just like elsewhere in the world, these cities served as the locus of change in the midst of turbulent years of the twentieth century. We explore various political incidents as well as social and cultural landscapes of the cites as a lens through which to understand how Asia became what it is today. 3 hours lecture. (021779)
This course is also offered as ASST 474.
This course examines Korean history from the opening of Korea in 1876 to the present. Main topics include the decline of the chosen dynasty, the rise of nationalism, the colonial experience (1910-1945), the liberation and division (1945-1948), the Korean War (1950-1953), and industrialization and democratization in the postwar era. Particular attention is devoted to how these events have shaped the historical trajectory of modern Korea as well as the everyday lives of people. 3 hours seminar. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 9.0 units. (021782)
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 examines World War II from the Asian perspective and focuses on Japan, Korea, and China. Often called the "Total War", World War II engulfed many nations and led to the atomic bombing of a primarily civilian population. Students explore the relationship among historical events, memory, and historical interpretation from multiple perspectives. By examining different historical treatments of the war in literature, documents, film, autobiographies, memorials, and historiographies, students situate World War II in a broader Asian context. 3 hours seminar. (021312)
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 examines themes, events, and figures related to North America, 1491-1815. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction of Indian, European, African, and later 'American' peoples and cultures. While the rise of the Anglo-Europeans to a position of dominance in North American remains central to course themes, considerable attention is also paid to other European and indigenous endeavors. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021310)
In-depth survey of American history between 1787 and 1877, focusing on major events and related historiographic debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021370)
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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004646)
This course investigates the varying and changing roles of women in early America between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, including Native women, enslaved women, free black women, and European women. In addition this course explores the ways in which sexuality, masculinity, and femininity were defined during this period. Through discussion, readings, and research students better understand the intricacies and complications of the period and the direct and indirect ways women and competing visions of femininity and masculinity affected the formation of early American societies. 3 hours lecture. (021864)
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. This is an approved US Diversity course. (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 history of persons of African descent in the United States and its colonial antecedents. Emphasis is on understanding the experiences of and culture created by African Americans from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (000138)
This course provides historical and theoretical context for the analysis, critique, and substantive understanding of the intersections between race, gender, and empire in Western history since the 16th century. Framed as an investigation of power, domination, and resistance, the course examines the ways that historical actors have leveraged racism, heterosexism, and nationalism to sustain control, and the counteracting forces of those resisting domination. 3 hours lecture. (021934)
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. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (004541)
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)
In-depth survey of American history between 1877 and 1945, focusing on major events and related historiographic debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021369)
In-depth survey of American history between 1945 and the present, focusing on major events and related historiographical debates. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021371)
1914-1945. An examination of American society in an era of world wars, economic instability, and great cultural change. 3 hours seminar. (004632)
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)
Modern American radicalism, spanning the left-side of the ideological spectrum, from the immediate post-Civil War era to the present. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021337)
The intertwining of baseball and American culture, from the sport's inception during the mid-19th century to the present. The course offers perspectives regarding baseball history; mythmaking; the impact of ethnicity, race, class, and gender; labor issues; steroids; and globalization. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021332)

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)

Education: 3 units

1 course required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prospective teachers acquire planned, structured observations and experiences in K-12 classrooms. Placements are made in selected schools and classrooms that demonstrate exemplary practice as described in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and represent California's diverse student population. Dialog/discussion sessions assist prospective teachers in making connections between subject matter courses, personal, social and emotional growth, and life in the K-12 schools. Prospective teachers are encouraged to begin introductory school experiences as early as possible in the subject matter program. 3 hours lecture. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (015812)

Geography: 6 units

1 course required:

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)

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 General Education course. 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)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
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)

Religious Studies: 3 units

1 course required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
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)

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 geographical 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.

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:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  • Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  • 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.
  • 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 Art History Double Major

Students may elect a History and Art History double major. Up to 9 units of appropriate upper-division Art History (ARTH) courses may be applied to the History major. Prior approval by a department advisor and the chair is required.

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 9 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:19