Program: History, B.A. - University of California Merced

Apr 02, 2025

2024-2025 Catalog

In addition to adhering to General Education and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Requirements , the History major requires 48 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.

History, B.A. Four-Year Course Plan

Lower Division Major Requirements [16 Units]

Non-United States History Requirement [4 units]

Complete one of the following courses:

CRES 070: Music of the Caribbean World Units: 4 or GASP 070C
HIST 005: History of Cartography Units: 4
HIST 008: Topics in World History Units: 4
HIST 010: Introduction to World History to 1500 Units: 4
HIST 011: Introduction to World History Since 1500 Units: 4
HIST 030B: Early Modern Europe Units: 4
HIST 040: History of Technology in Society I Units: 4
HIST 041: History of Technology in Society II Units: 4
HIST 042: The Body in Health and Disease - An Introduction to the History of Medicine Units: 4
HIST 051: The History of Things: A History of the Contemporary World Units: 4 or CRES 051
HIST 060: The Silk Road Units: 4
HIST 070: History of the Middle East to 1500 Units: 4
HIST 071: History of the Middle East since 1500 Units: 4

Additional History Courses Requirement [12 units]

Complete three additional lower division HIST courses.

Upper Division Major Requirements [32 Units]

Upper Division Major Core Courses [12 units]

The Historian’s Craft Requirement [4 units]

Compete the following course before the end of your junior year:

HIST 100: The Historian’s Craft Units: 4

Research Intensive Requirement [4 units]

Complete one course with an R designation, which must be taken before taking HIST 191 . Example Research Intensive courses include:

Senior Capstone Requirement [4 units]

Complete the following course:

HIST 191: History Capstone Seminar Units: 4

Additional Upper Division Courses in History [20 Units]

Before 1800 Requirement [4 units]

Complete at least one course with substantial emphasis on the period before 1800 chosen from the following:

HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan Units: 4
HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires Units: 4
HIST 124A: African American History to 1877 Units: 4
HIST 137: Gender, Race, and Slavery in American History Units: 4
HIST 141: The African Diaspora in Latin America Units: 4 or CRES 141
HIST 144: Ancient Africa: Crossroads of the World Units: 4 or CRES 144
HIST 145: Black Consciousness and African Freedom Units: 4 or CRES 145
HIST 146: Christian Africa Units: 4 or CRES 146
HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World Units: 4
HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World Units: 4
HIST 165C: Late Imperial China Units: 4
HIST 166A: History of Korea Units: 4
HIST 167A: History of Japan Units: 4
HIST 169: History and Heritage of Tibet Units: 4 or HS 169
HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History Units: 4
HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World Units: 4
HIST 173: History of Ancient Roman Art and Architecture Units: 4 or GASP 156D
HIST 174: History of Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture Units: 4 or GASP 156E
HIST 180: The Silk Road Units: 4

Upper Division Non-United States History Requirement [8 units]

At least two courses dealing primarily with subject matter outside the United States from the following list:

HIST 108: Topics in World History Units: 4
HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan Units: 4
HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires Units: 4
HIST 115: Topics in African History Units: 4
HIST 116: History of Decolonization in the Twentieth Century Units: 4
HIST 140: Modern Africa Units: 4
HIST 141: The African Diaspora in Latin America Units: 4 or CRES 141
HIST 142: Topics in Latin American History Units: 4
HIST 143: West Africa and the Making of the Atlantic World Units: 4
HIST 144: Ancient Africa: Crossroads of the World Units: 4 or CRES 144
HIST 145: Black Consciousness and African Freedom Units: 4 or CRES 145
HIST 146: Christian Africa Units: 4 or CRES 146
HIST 147: Decolonizing Africa Units: 4 or CRES 147
HIST 152: Twentieth Century Latin American Revolutions Units: 4 or CRES 152
HIST 156B: South Asia After Europe: Visual Cultures of Colonialism & Post-colonialism Units: 4 or GASP 156B
HIST 158: Topics in Middle Eastern History Units: 4
HIST 159: History of Iran Units: 4 or CRES 159
HIST 160: History of Women and Gender in the Middle East Units: 4 or CRES 160
HIST 164: Urban East Asia Units: 4
HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World Units: 4
HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World Units: 4
HIST 165C: Late Imperial China Units: 4
HIST 165D: China in the Modern World Units: 4
HIST 166A: History of Korea Units: 4
HIST 166B: Topics in Korean History and Cultures Units: 4 or CRES 166B
HIST 167A: History of Japan Units: 4
HIST 167B: Topics in Japanese History and Cultures Units: 4 or CRES 167B
HIST 169: History and Heritage of Tibet Units: 4
HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History Units: 4
HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World Units: 4
HIST 180: The Silk Road Units: 4

Additional History Courses Requirement [8 units]

Complete two additional upper division HIST courses. With approval of Chair, students may substitute up to 8 units of advanced world language study for their Additional History Courses Requirement.

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.

Transfer Selection Criteria

To be admitted to the History major transfer students must meet the following requirements and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.4:

Applicants will, at the time of admission have completed at minimum each of the following courses (or their equivalent) with a “C-” or better:

At least two UC-Transferrable Courses in History (students are strongly encouraged to complete two courses that have been approved as equivalents to specific UC Merced courses, including at least one world history course, as this will prepare students for upper division courses at UC Merced)

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.

Language Recommendation

History majors are encouraged (but not required) to exceed the General Education language requirement. Advanced language skills are necessary for those interested in pursuing graduate training in History. Such students should contact the Chair or other faculty members to discuss this further. History Majors may exchange up to 8 units of advanced language classes (at UC Merced or approved courses offered elsewhere including in summer language institutes) for their Additional History Courses Requirement with consent of Chair.

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