History, United States History Concentration, B.A.

Requirements for the B.A. in History (HIST)

In addition to adhering to the UC Merced and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts requirements, the History major requires 64 units. Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis unless the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis. Students must complete all major course prerequisites with a C-or better.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who wish to major in History should complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at their community college. Transfer students may not be admitted to the History major without specific major preparation. Please contact the Office of Admissions for current information.

Concentrations

Currently, two concentrations are available within the History major. Students choosing to concentrate in U.S. History take courses exploring the development of America and its peoples from the centuries before European colonization through the present day. Courses within the U.S. History concentration range from African American history to the history of the Cold War and American foreign policy. Students in this concentration also take two courses in other disciplines that will broaden their understanding of U.S. history. Thus students might take a course in contemporary U.S. literature or Asian American music as a way of broadening their understanding of the diverse cultures that have historically shaped the development of the United States.

Students choosing to concentrate in World History take a one year introductory sequence exploring themes of human cultural and social development and the connections among peoples from the emergence of the human species until the present day. Following this course, students will have the opportunity to take upper division courses of global scope on topics such as trade, mapping, or the environment; and also courses focusing on some aspect of the history of a particular part of the world. Students in this concentration also take two courses in other disciplines that broaden their understanding of World History. Thus students might take an Anthropology course in Transnationalism, or an advanced course in a language other than English.

History Honors Program

UCM History majors may petition to join the Honors Program, which will have additional requirements beyond the standard History major. Undergraduate majors who are accepted and successfully complete the Honors Program will receive a notation to that effect upon their diploma at graduation.

To be eligible for the Honors Program, a History major must achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.3, a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major and a minimum grade of A- in the major induction course, HIST 100: The Historian’s Craft . Applications from qualified students will be considered by the History Honors Committee (composed of Academic Senate faculty in History). Please contact SSHA Advising for more information.

History Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, students majoring in History will be able to:

1. Recognize the processes by which societies, cultures, and institutions change over time;
2. Describe particular historical developments and explain their wider context;
3. Critically read, analyze, and synthesize primary and secondary sources;
4. Use methods of narrative and analysis appropriately for communicating historical phenomena;
5. Identify the various contexts that shape the construction and use of historical sources and knowledge.