History, B.A.

In addition to adhering to General Education 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.

Lower Division Major Requirements [24 Units]

HIST 010: Introduction to World History to 1500 [4 units]
HIST 011: Introduction to World History Since 1500 [4 units]
Two other lower division HIST courses [8 units]
One year of college-level courses in a Language other than English [8 units] *

*Students must take one year of the same language. This requirement may be satisfied through alternative means, such as proficiency testing and/or prior college-level course work. Does not meet the lower division Humanities, Arts or Foreign Language General Education requirement. See the SSHA Advising website for more information on Foreign Language Placement: ssha-advising.ucmerced.edu/policies-and-procedures/foreign-language-placement-guidelines.

Upper Division Major Requirements [32 Units]

HIST 100: The Historian’s Craft [4 units] (must be taken by the end of junior year) ^
HIST 191: History Capstone Seminar [4 units]
^ Majors are encouraged to take this course as soon as they have completed two lower division history classes.

At least six additional Upper Division courses in History [24 Units]

Consult a SSHA Advisor or the SSHA Advising website (ssha-advising.ucmerced.edu) or MyAudit for approved courses. Of the 24 units, 20 units are specified from the following five areas:

Before 1850 [4 units]

At least one course with substantial emphasis on the period before 1850. Such as:

HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan [4 units]
HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires [4 units]
HIST 124A: African American History to 1877 [4 units]
HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World [4 units]
HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World [4 units]
HIST 170: Law and Society in Early Modern England [4 units]
HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History [4 units]
HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World [4 units]

Eastern Hemisphere [4 units]

At least one course focused on the eastern hemisphere (Afro-Eurasia). Such as:

HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan [4 units]
HIST 112: History of Islamic Art and Architecture [4 units]
HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires [4 units]
HIST 115: Topics in African History [4 units]
HIST 158: Topics in Middle Eastern History [4 units]
HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World [4 units]
HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World [4 units]
HIST 165C: Late Imperial China [4 units]
HIST 165D: China in the Modern World [4 units]
HIST 170: Law and Society in Early Modern England [4 units]
HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History [4 units]
HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World [4 units]
HIST 179: Topics in European History [4 units]
HIST 180: The Silk Road [4 units]

Western Hemisphere [4 units]

At least one course focused on the western hemisphere (Americas). Such as:

HIST 117: Topics in Regional or State History [4 units]
HIST 122: That’s the Joint: Race, Gender, and Migration in Hip-Hop History [4 units]
HIST 123: Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States [4 units]
HIST 124A: African American History to 1877 [4 units]
HIST 124B: African American History 1877 to Present [4 units]
HIST 125: African American Music [4 units]
HIST 126: Race and Nationalism in American Art [4 units]
HIST 128: The United States and the Vietnam War [4 units]
HIST 129: Introduction to Chicano History [4 units]
HIST 130: The Cold War, 1941-1991 [4 units]
HIST 131: Topics in National History: “Manifest Destiny:” The United States and the World, 1840s-Present [4 units]
HIST 132: Intelligence and National Security, 1945-2000 [4 units]
HIST 133: Topics in Nineteenth Century U.S. History [4 units]
HIST 134: History and Literature of the Great Depression [4 units]
HIST 135: Literature and History of the 1960s [4 units]
HIST 139: Topics in United States History [4 units]

Global [4 units]

At least one course focused globally, with either a thematic approach or which address multiple world regions. Such as:

HIST 110: Environmental History of the World [4 units]
HIST 116: History of Decolonization in the Twentieth Century [4 units]
HIST 119: Topics in the History of Migration and Immigration [4 units]
HIST 127: Local Harvest, Global Industry: History of the Production and Consumption of Food [4 units]
HIST 180: The Silk Road [4 units]

Research Intensive [4 units]

At least one upper division “R” course, which must be taken before taking HIST 191 . Such as:

HIST 120R: Essence of Decision: Case Studies in History [4 units]
HIST 158R: Topics in Middle Eastern History: Research [4 units]

Breadth Requirements [8 Units]

Consult a SSHA Advisor or the SSHA Advising website (ssha-advising.ucmerced.edu) or MyAudit for approved courses.

Two non-History courses (lower or upper division) from other disciplines relevant to history.

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.

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.

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