History, B.A.

In addition to adhering to General Education and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Requirements , the History major requires 56 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]

Non-United States History Requirement [4 units]

Complete one of the following courses:

HIST 005: History of Cartography [4 units]
HIST 008: Topics in World History [4 units]
HIST 010: Introduction to World History to 1500 [4 units]
HIST 011: Introduction to World History Since 1500 [4 units]
HIST 025: Introduction to Environmental History [4 units]
HIST 030A: Medieval Europe [4 units]
HIST 030B: Early Modern Europe [4 units]
HIST 031: Modern European History [4 units]
HIST 040: History of Technology in Society I [4 units]
HIST 041: History of Technology in Society II [4 units]
HIST 042: The Body in Health and Disease - An Introduction to the History of Medicine [4 units]
HIST 060: The Silk Road [4 units]
HIST 070: History of the Middle East to 1500 [4 units]
HIST 071: History of the Middle East since 1500 [4 units]
HIST 080: History of China Through the Mongol Conquest [4 units]
HIST 081: History of China Since the Mongol Conquest [4 units]
Please consult a SSHA Advisor or visit MyDegreePath for a list of the most recently approved course list.

Additional History Courses Requirement [12 units]

Complete three additional lower division HIST courses.

Language Requirement [8 units]

Complete one year of college-level courses in a language other than English.

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. This coursework 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]

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 [4 units]

Research Intensive Requirement [4 units]

Complete one of the following courses, which must be taken before taking HIST 191 :

HIST 118R: Topics in Environmental History: Research [4 units]
HIST 120R: Essence of Decision: Case Studies in History [4 units]
HIST 124BR: African American History 1877 to Present: Research [4 units]
HIST 158R: Topics in Middle Eastern History: Research [4 units]
HIST 170R: Law and Society in Early Modern England: Research [4 units]
HIST 187R: White Supremacy and White Violence in the US: Research [4 units]

Senior Capstone Requirement [4 units]

Complete the following course:

HIST 191: History Capstone Seminar [4 units]

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 [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]

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 [4 units]
HIST 110: Environmental History of the World [4 units]
HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan [4 units]
HIST 115: Topics in African History [4 units]
HIST 142: Topics in Latin American History [4 units]
HIST 143: West Africa and the Making of the Atlantic World [4 units]
HIST 158: Topics in Middle Eastern History [4 units]
HIST 159: History of Iran [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 169: History and Heritage of Tibet [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 180: The Silk Road [4 units]
Please consult a SSHA Advisor or visit MyDegreePath for a list of the most recently approved course list.

Additional History Courses Requirement [8 units]

Complete two additional upper division HIST courses.

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.

Search form

Additional Links

Academics

Administration

University of California, Merced