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The Department of History
Bachelor of Arts Degree Program

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The Bachelor of Arts degree in History is designed to provide an understanding of societal development in all aspects of experience and environment, and of the relevance of the past to the present. The program permits pursuit of a wide range of interests within the purview of historical methodology. Students should confer in advance with a history adviser to select the courses and program appropriate to their goals.

Instructions on how to schedule and prepare for an advisement session can be downloaded here.

For an overview of our department's areas of thematic interest and geographic focus, please check out our Areas of Departmental Specialization webpage.


Program Grid

A copy of the full program grid, outlining the requirements for the major, can be downloaded here.


Sample Road Maps to Graduation


Requirements for the Major: 78-80 units

The major is comprised of a required core of 18-20 lower division and 44 upper division units, plus 16 units of electives.

Lower Division Required Courses
(20 units, or 18-20 units of equivalent transfer credit)

  • HIST 110ABC: World Civilization I, II and III (12 units)
  • HIST 202AB: US Civilization I and II (8 units)

Upper Division Required Courses (44 units)

  • HIST 388: Historiography (4 units)
  • HIST 390: Historical Research and Writing (4 units)
  • Group A Requirement: two courses in Western Civilization or European History at the 300 or 400 level (8 units)
  • Group B Requirement: two courses in U.S. History at the 300 or 400 level (8 units)
  • Group C Requirement: two courses in African, Asian, Latin American, and/or Middle Eastern History at the the 300 or 400 level (8 units)
  • Three Capstone Seminars: one HIST 450A (Special Studies in Public History); one HIST 450B (Special Studies in History); and one seminar from among the following: a second HIST 450A or HIST 450B (on a different topic), HIST 497 (Editing and Publishing Perspectives), or HIST 498 (Issues in Teaching History-Social Science). (12 units)

Upper Division Electives (16 units)

  • Select any 300 or 400 level courses in history. No more than 8 units may be taken at the 300 level for the major. With prior departmental approval, a maximum of 8 units may be taken in fields outside history.