History Department Course Descriptions
HIST 1218 Survey of US History to 1877 (3)
Examines the political, social, cultural, and economic development of the United States to 1877, from the colonial period through Reconstruction. The colonial foundations; political, economic, social and cultural developments in the emerging United States; the early agrarian republic; the Civil War and Reconstruction. Prerequisite: Completion of GE A2. Satisfies general education requirements American Institutions-History.
HIST 1228 Survey of US History Since 1865 (3)
Examines the political, social, cultural, and economic development of the United States since 1865, from the end of the Civil War to the present. The end of the Civil War; Reconstruction; problems of an increasingly urban and industrialized society; the United States in world affairs. Prerequisite: Completion of GE A2. Satisfies general education requirements American Institutions-History.
HIST 1418 World History, Pre-History to 1500 (3)
This course explores human creativity in the formation of world civilizations, including religion, politics, economy, society, and culture in Mesopotamia, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe from ancient times to about 1500, or the beginning of Europe’s global expansion. It stresses individual and social innovations and discoveries as humans shaped their societies and encountered other peoples. Prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education RArea C2 and Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations.
HIST 1428 World History, Since 1500 CE (3)
An examination of the evolution and revolutions of the modern world, from ca 1500 CE, the beginnings of European scientific innovation and global expansion, to the post-Cold War era. The course will examine the ways in which the revolutionary processes of modernization--scientific revolution, industrialization, human rights movements, imperialism, expanding global trade, industrialized warfare, national and social revolutions, nuclear proliferation, Cold War polarization, de-colonization, and international debt--have transformed the world’s diverse civilizations. Prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education Area C2 and Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations.
HIST 2000 Historian’s Craft (3)
The Historian’s Craft is an introductory course that teaches students about historical methods, historical inquiry, and historiography. Students will practice interpreting and integrating primary source documents into historical narratives, critically analyzing secondary sources, critiquing documentary films and/or historical films, evaluating digital history web sites, and developing skills framing historical questions and focused research topics. Students will also learn how to locate sources, form historical arguments using sources, and organize and present research in oral and written form.
HIST 2100 Introduction to California History (3)
An overview of California geography; the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian, Spanish, Mexican, and American periods; the rise of California to prominence in the twentieth century. Designed to serve the needs of students in the Liberal Studies program.
HIST 2208 God, Sex, and Revolution: The Joy of History (3)
This course is a mixed-media exploration of human behavior in history that guides students in cultivating and maintaining a lifelong appreciation of the human past, with an emphasis on past societies and social relationships. Using less academic and more popular forms of history e.g., novels, films, biographies, graphic novels, podcasts, blogs, documentaries, and television programs' this course further offers students the tools and skills to identify reliable sources of information and helps them develop a critical awareness of the public sphere, creating more informed and engaged citizens eager to participate in public life. Satisfies general education requirement SELF.
Upper Division
HIST 3008 Historical Writing (3)
This is an advanced expository writing course that focuses on historical subjects. Its purpose is to develop the skills of writing, critical thinking, historical research, and synthesis. It is required of all History majors and satisfies the university's upper-division writing requirement (GWAR). It involves practical exercises in style, form, and argumentation; improvement of critical skills and powers of synthesis and analysis; and historiography and historical research methods. Prerequisite: Junior standing or higher and completion of GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement GWAR. To earn credit for the major a grade of 'C-' or better is required.
HIST 3110 Colonial North America 1492-1776 (3)
This course examines approximately 300 years of European and American history. During these years, European explorers, exploiters, and settlers invaded the coastline and interior of the Americas. European nation-states established empires throughout the Americas and this settlement marked momentous changes in world history. The history of the thirteen British colonies, in particular, has generally been viewed as the origin of United States history, and the history of colonial America is the story of the clash of three distinct cultures: European, African, and American Indian. The course will examine the interactions of these groups as part of the broader history of colonial North America. (Americas/Empires)
HIST 3120 Revolutionary America 1750-1828 (3)
This course examines the political, social, ideological, and economic history of Revolutionary America and the Early Republic. Issues surrounding the Seven Years’ War, the growing tensions between the British government and the American colonists in the wake of the war, the American Revolution, the United States’ post-war efforts to maintain stability and cohesion, and the political conflicts and social changes that unfolded during the revolutionary era and in the Early Republic will be examined. (Americas/War and Freedom)
HIST 3130 The Civil War Era, 1828-1877 (3)
This course examines the history of the United States between 1828 and 1877. The Civil War was the pivotal event of the nineteenth century and perhaps all of American history. The war led to the deaths of some 620,000 soldiers and at least 50,000 civilians, the emancipation of 4 million slaves and the abolition of slavery in the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, and to enormous social, economic, and political changes in the North as well as in the South, including a new meaning of freedom and citizenship in the post-war era. We will study the roots and origins of this conflict, the war itself, and the Reconstruction era that followed. The course is roughly divided into three portions. In the first portion we will examine the coming of the war. The second portion will deal with the course of the war, and the third portion of the course will deal with Reconstruction. We will pay particular attention to the centrality of slavery during this era and the fierce conflicts in which Americans engaged during Reconstruction. (Americas/War and Freedom)
HIST 3140 The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, 1877-1917 (3)
A political, social, and economic history of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the entrance into World War I. Examines the responses of the American people and their institutions to rapid industrialization and social change in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. (Americas)
HIST 3150 Twentieth-Century America (3)
A political, social, and economic history of the United States since 1900, with a focus on the Progressive Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Great Society, the protest movements of the 1960s, and social changes of recent decades. (Americas)
HIST 3210 The American South (3)
This course examines the distinctive economic, social, political, and cultural history of the American South from the colonial era to the recent past. The course will explore the South’s evolution from a society with slaves to a slave society, the changing relationship between white and black southerners, the development of Jim Crow segregation and disfranchisement, and change and resistance to change during Reconstruction, in the New South era, and during the Civil Rights Movement. The roles of race, class, and gender in influencing the development of southern traditions, law, economics, and politics will receive special attention. (Americas/Identities)
HIST 3228 American Indian History (3)
The history and culture of Native Americans north of Mexico, from the colonial period to the present. The course will address cooperation and conflict in relations between Indians and Euro-Americans, as well as Native American adaptation and resistance, and the development of federal Indian policy. Prerequisites: Complete at least 45 units; prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education JYDR requirement. (Americas/Identities)
HIST 3230 The American West (3)
This course focuses on the myth and reality of the American West. It covers colonization, exploration, development, politics, geography, economics, and social and ethnic groups in the West. Special topics include Native Americans, the role of the federal government, and the emergence of the modern West. (Americas/Identities)
HIST 3240 California History (3)
The history of California, including the Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American periods, emphasizing social, economic, and cultural change, as well as the development of California’s environment, population, institutions, and politics. (Americas)
HIST 3258 The American Environment (3)
The history of Americans and their environment. The course will focus on attitudes, policy, and concepts relating to the environment, from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis on the conservation and environmental movements and the development of environmental law and policy. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area C. Satisfies general education Area C and Theme S: Sustainability and Justice. (Americas/STEM)
HIST 3260 History of the American Borderlands (3)
This course will examine the history of American borderlands as the unfolding stories of encounters among peoples, social groups, empires, and nation states. Inter- and intra-groups conflict, conquest, accommodation, and resistance will be central themes of the course. Though the Southwestern border regions will be privileged, but the Northern border regions, and encounters among indigenous peoples, will also be examined in this course. (Americas/Identities)
HIST 3270 Sports History in the Americas (3)
This course will use sporting activities as a way to understand the past, with a particular focus on the United States and Latin America. It will look at the development of sporting activities throughout the region, particularly since the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. This course will place a great deal of emphasis on the actions and events that occurred at the national and transnational levels, but it also will stress the importance of studying popular culture and everyday life to better understand the past. In addition, the course will investigate how race, class, gender, nationalism, culture diffusion, regionalism, and foreign relations have impacted and been impacted by sports. (Americas/Identities)
HIST 3280 Inter-American Relations (3)
The evolution of the concept of an American Hemisphere and the role of the United States in Latin America. (Americas)
HIST 3310 Revolutions in Latin America (3)
This course explores the history of social movements and revolutions in Latin America in the twentieth century. The course begins the study of revolutions by providing essential background in the colonial and neocolonial past to understand historical problems of poverty and inequality. Emphasis will be on the origins and progress of key revolutions, including the Mexican and Cuban revolutions, and on social, political, and economic changes that unfolded in the wake of these revolutions. (Americas/War and Freedom)
HIST 3320 Ancient and Colonial Mexico (3)
This course examines the roots of modern day Mexico in its pre-colonial and colonial past. It begins with an examination of the development of the Native American civilizations of Mesoamerica and will explore the historic contacts between the Spanish and African people of the “Old World” and the indigenous people of the “New World.” The course will also examine forms of Spanish domination which lasted for nearly 300 years and the way people adapted, endured and challenged that domination. The course will conclude with a discussion of the end of the colonial era and the independence wars. (Americas/Empires/pre-1700)
HIST 3330 Modern Mexico (3)
The political, economic, social, and cultural development of the peoples of Mexico in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. (Americas)
HIST 3410 The Rise of Islamic Civilization, 570-1258 (3)
Founded by Muhammad, Islam rose in 622 CE to conquer a vast expanse of territory. By 750 it came to occupy parts of Europe, North Africa, Syria, Palestine, present day Iran, parts of Central Asia, and the Eastern hinterlands. In the process, this empire of faith indelibly altered the culture and geographic landscape it came to occupy. This course traces the story of this conquest and the impact that the latter had on world history and continues to have on contemporary history. (Africa/Middle East/pre-1700)
HIST 3420 Science, Technology, and Engineering in Islamic History, 758-1406 (3)
With the conquest of vast territories, Islam was to change Western Civilization itself. This course explores the great Muslim discoveries in science, technology, medicine and the social sciences between 758 and 1406 CE. Particular attention will be paid throughout the course on select key figures whose contribution to the body of human knowledge made a lasting impression in the world in which we live in today. (Africa/Middle East/STEM/pre-1700)
HIST 3438 Muslim Societies in American History, 1539-2008 (3)
This course focuses on Muslims in America It begins with Muslim societies in antebellum, examines social change and national identity issues in Muslim communities at the turn of the century, and the discusses the emergence of Muslim communities in the inter war period, which resulted in a diversity of races, colors and ethnicities in contemporary Muslim America. The course will engage students in developing problem resolution skills in a diversity-centered context paying particular attention to issues of race and gender in Muslim America. Subject to available resources and the expertise of the instructor, the course will expose students to primary source analysis of a given theme in Muslim American history. Satisfies general education requirement JYDR.
HIST 3440 African Decolonization, 1922-1994 (3)
The course explores the history of African decolonization between 1922 and 1994, a process through which 54 new nations were born, resulting in the demise of imperial and settler colonies in Africa. The course will examine the causes of African decolonization, the various factors that shaped it, its impact throughout the African continent, and the relationship of decolonization to freedom for the African peoples. (Africa/Middle East/War and Freedom)
HIST 3458 Health and Medicine in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa (3)
This course explores African responses to European Colonial Public Health Measures and the creation of African Postcolonial Public Health from the 19th to 21st centuries. Through a series of case studies, students will examine diverse ways of thinking about health through history. Prerequisites: Complete at least 45 units; prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement JYDR.
HIST 3460 Pre-Modern Japan (3)
This course examines the origins of Japanese civilization and surveys the classical, medieval, and early modern periods. From the emergence of a court-centered state through the rise of a warrior-dominated society, Japan’s pre-modern history is explored through a focus on political, social, cultural, and intellectual developments. Early interactions with Asia and the West will be considered as a means of questioning the “opening” of Japan in the mid-nineteenth century. (Asia/Identities/pre-1700)
HIST 3470 Modern Japan (3)
This course examines the social, political, economic, and cultural history of the people of Japan from the nineteenth century to the present. Topics include the establishment of the modern Japanese state and emperor system; “modernization” and debates regarding its direction; the changing status of women; the rise of Japanese imperialism; World War II; the US occupation; high growth economics; protest movements in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and current discussions regarding economic recession and military rearmament. Our emphasis will be on the diversity of historical experiences and struggles shaping Japanese society. (Asia/War and Freedom)
HIST 3480 Pre-Modern China (3)
This course examines characteristic institutions and modes of thought from the legendary origins of Chinese civilization (2000s BCE) to the early years of the last dynasty (1600s CE). Topics include China’s archeological origins, the rise of textual traditions, the development of political and economic institutions, philosophical debates, social structures, popular religions, and foreign relations. (Asia/Identities/pre-1700)
HIST 3490 Modern China (3)
This course explores the historical transformations that have led to the development of modern China. We begin with an examination of the Qing dynasty, the last major dynasty in Chinese history, and then explore the forces, internal and external, driving China toward a major revolution in the twentieth century. After surveying the rivalry between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Nationalist Guomindang (GMD) Party, we focus on the emergence of the People’s Republic of China, from the Mao years through the Deng Xiaoping-Jiang Zemin era. We end with a brief discussion of the PRC in the early twenty-first century. (Asia/War and Freedom)
HIST 3510 The Renaissance (3)
An examination of the major figures and developments, economic, intellectual, cultural, social and political, of the Renaissance. Use of primary sources and audiovisual materials to explore such themes as humanism, changes in the arts, political ideas and developments, the family and society, and European geographical and scientific expansion. Emphasis on the Italian renaissance. (Europe/pre-1700)
HIST 3520 The Transformation of Europe: The Medieval West from 200 to 1300 CE (3)
This course explores transformation in Europe from the height of the Roman Empire through Europe's High Middle Ages. It likewise focuses on developing identities, as Rome is besieged by outsiders and Christianity eclipses classical religious practices, gradually becoming the dominant institution in medieval Europe. Primary documents illuminating topics such as the Viking invasions, the Carolingian Renaissance, the growth of the Papacy, the Crusades, the 12th-century renaissance, women and the family, and achievements in the arts complement visual evidence from this period. (Europe/Identities/pre-1700)
HIST 3530 The European Reformations (3)
An analysis of Europe’s efforts – collective and personal, religious and social – to reform the Christian church and religious life in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The revolutionary religious and social changes associated with the Protestant and Catholic reformations will be examined within the context of the age’s economic, social, political, and cultural developments. Use of primary sources to explore the ideas and actions of the major figures of the age within the broader context of European societies. (Europe/Identities/pre-1700)
HIST 3540 Tudor-Stuart England (3)
History 3540 is a survey of early modern English history from the accession of the Tudor dynasty in 1485 to the end of the Stuart dynasty in 1714--the period of England’s transition from a medieval backwater to a major player in European and global affairs. It will focus on select religious, constitutional, political, economic, and social developments and issues. Topics include the English Reformation and Renaissance, the beginnings of England’s overseas empire, the conflicts between the monarchy and parliament that culminated in the Glorious Revolution, and the cultural achievements of Thomas More, Shakespeare, Milton, Christopher Wren, John Locke, and Isaac Newton. (Europe/War and Freedom/pre-1700)
HIST 3550 Britain and Ireland Since 1750 (3)
This course will examine the complicated relationship between these two neighboring islands, as well as examine their individual histories. The history of Ireland, most certainly until 1922, was determined by the history of England/Britain, and even afterwards was influenced by its nearby presence. The history was also shaped by its relationship with different countries in Europe, the United States and with destination countries for the Irish diaspora. While the course will deal with the island of Britain, its main focus will be on England more that Scotland and Wales. The history of Britain was influenced by internal factors and events and also by its relationship with Europe, the United States and its Empire. (Europe/Identities)
HIST 3560 Europe, 1815-1914 (3)
The course will survey the political, social, economic and cultural development of Continental Europe from the Congress of Vienna to the outbreak of World War I. Students will be challenged to place European developments in a larger context, especially connecting events in European countries to their colonies. (Europe/Identities)
HIST 3570 Europe Since 1914 (3)
The course will focus on the major events, peoples, political, and social movements of the twentieth century in Europe from the outbreak of World War I, through the interwar period, and World War II, ending with the emergence of the European Union and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. The course will also place European events in a larger world context, especially concerning Europe’s many colonies and the process of de-colonization. (Europe/War and Freedom)
HIST 3580 Twentieth-Century Spain (3)
The course covers events and movements in Spain connected with the legacy of the nineteenth century, the Primo de Rivera dictatorship, the emergence of the Second Republic and the Popular Front, the causes of the Spanish Civil War, the war itself, the long Franco dictatorship, the tensions between regionalism and centralism, and the various challenges confronted by post-Franco Spain. The Civil War will be a center point of the course. Its causes, consequences and wider European and Latin American context and connections will be examined. Social, economic, ethnic, gender, religious, artistic and literary reflections and interpretations of events in twentieth-century Spain will be considered in the course. (Europe/War and Freedom)
HIST 3590 Rise and Fall of Soviet Empire, 1917-91 (3)
A survey of the history of the Soviet Union, 1917-1991. This course will explore the nature and significance of the Soviet communist experiment, the controversies to which it has given rise, and the forces, processes, and personalities that shaped the formation, transformation, and ultimate collapse of both the Soviet Union and the Soviet Bloc. From Lenin, Stalin, and communism, to Gorbachev, cosmonauts, and vodka. (Europe)
HIST 3608 Black Europe: The History and Politics of Blackness in Modern Europe (3) This course seeks to challenge misconceptions about European history by seriously engaging with the history of Afro-Europeans, especially looking at how race in Europe related to processes such as democratization, industrialization, imperialism, and decolonization and seminal events like the two World Wars and the Cold War. Though the geographic focus of this course may vary within Europe, it will predominantly focus on the history and politics of Blackness in one or more countries in the 19th and 20th century. (Europe/Identities Prerequisites: Complete at least 45 units; prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement JYDR.)
HIST 3610 Mexican European Connections, 1821-1982 (3)
This course focuses on connections between Modern Mexico (since 1821) and Modern Western Europe. This theme has not received much attention and has been overshadowed by the Mexican-United States and the Mexican-Latin America relationships. Nevertheless, there are a multitude of connections, and this trans-Atlantic relationship deserves more attention. Among the topics covered are the San Patricios, the French Invasion, British interests in mining and oil, German strategic and military interests, Graham Greene’s novel The Power and the Glory, the Spanish Civil War, Nazi interests in Mexico, Europeans and Mexicans fleeing across the ocean for various reasons, and artists, actors and writers getting inspiration on both sides of the Atlantic. (Transatlantic/Identities)
HIST 3620 Revolutions in the Atlantic World (3)
A comparative study of revolutions in the Atlantic world of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries – the “Age of Democratic Revolution.” The course will focus on revolutions such as the American, French, and Haitian revolutions and the political, economic, social, and cultural transformations that they unleashed. Topics include the importance of universal ideals and national sympathies, the place of race and slavery, the role of social and economic conflicts, and the influence of culture, including religion, on the course and outcome of revolution. (Transatlantic/War and Freedom)
HIST 3630 Women and Gender in the Modern Transatlantic World (3)
This course comparatively examines women and gender in North America and Western Europe since the 1700s. The course investigates changes in the legal status, social roles, and behavior of women of different classes, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. It examines the rise and impact of women’s and feminist organizations within their own communities, across borders and across the Atlantic. Recent scholarship on the history of masculinity in regards to the home, the nation and the European empires will be integrated into the course. Major upheavals such as war, political revolutions, dictatorships and genocide, and how they affected women and men, will also be investigated. (Transatlantic/Identities)
HIST 3640 The World of the Ancient Greeks (3)
This course explores the world of the ancient Greeks from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic Age. Primary source documents are emphasized to understand the ancient Greeks and their history. The Golden Age of Greece, the developments of democracy, Greek philosophy, religion, literature, drama, and women and the family are explored, as are visual and archaeological evidence. By examining the ancient Greeks through the lens of "war and freedom" this course also grapples with the causes, consequences, and meaning of both the persistence of war among the Greeks, and their interest in individual and corporate freedom. (Mediterranean/War and Freedom/pre-1700)
HIST 3650 Science, Medicine, and Empire in the Atlantic World (3)
This course will introduce students to the major themes of, and approaches to, the entangled histories of empire and science and medicine in the early modern Atlantic world (1500-1800). Students will examine the role of science and medicine in creating, upholding, and governing empires. It asks how scientific and medical concepts were used as tools by various Atlantic empires, including the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, British, and French empires. Students will also investigate how imperial expansion and participants around the Atlantic, including Amerindians, free and enslaved Africans, and women, transformed and shaped emerging scientific and medical ideas. This course provokes students to consider the social and cultural milieus and historical actors that constructed and produced scientific knowledge in myriad colonial encounters. This course will also challenge older narratives associating western imperial ventures with the spread of modern medicine and scientific progress. (Transatlantic/STEM/pre-1700)
HIST 3860 History Practicum (3)
This course provides an opportunity for students to apply their historical skills and their knowledge of the discipline in an internship or service learning experience in libraries, archives, museums, corporations, or other public agencies. Prerequisite: consent of supervising faculty instructor. May be repeated up to a maximum of 9 units. Offered as Credit/No Credit. (Applied History)
HIST 4020 Public History (3)
This course explores the application of historical research beyond the traditional academic setting. Topics include museums and historic sites, archives, historical organizations, government agencies, and business. The course will have a special focus on historic preservation and community history projects. (Public History Emphasis/Applied History)
HIST 4030 Archives and Special Collection (3)
This course will introduce students to the history, theory, principles, and management of archives and special collections. Topics will include an overview of the profession, selection and appraisal, arranging and describing materials, preservation/conservation, disaster planning, content management, digitization, and archival management. (Public History Emphasis/Applied History)
HIST 4040 Oral History (3)
This course introduces students to the process and best practices of oral history. The skills emphasized in this course will include identifying interviewees, interview techniques, ethical and legal considerations, methods of preservation, digitization of materials, transcription, and public presentation of the finished product. Students will gain practical experience in project management and understanding of the issues related to documenting community history faced by public historians. (Public History Emphasis/Applied History)
HIST 4050 Historic Preservation (3)
The course will explore the history, theory, and application of preservation practice in the United States, as well as the evolution of historic preservation law and policy. Students will apply historic preservation knowledge through group and individual projects. Lecture discussion. Offered in alternating years. (Public History Emphasis/Applied History)
HIST 4210 Citizenship and Civil Rights in the United States (3)
This course will examine the history of American citizenship and Civil Rights. The course will explore the context and ideological origins of the Republic’s foundational documents, and the meanings of concepts such as equality and citizenship as they have evolved in American history. The course will also examine significant episodes, movements, and court cases in United States history that have tested, redefined, broadened, or narrowed the meanings of citizenship rights and protections, and equality and freedom. Finally, the course will explore how concepts of equality in the United States have evolved from the recognition of equality before nature, to guarantees of equality before the law, and to beliefs in the promise of equality of opportunity. (Americas/War and Freedom)
HIST 4220 Mexican-American History (3)
This course explores the history of Mexican Americans from Indian, European, and African origins to the recent past. It will examine the historical heritage held in common by Mexican Americans as well as the diversity that exists within this group. It will also study the challenges that Mexican Americans have faced and the ways in which they have organized to combat these challenges. Finally, it will explore the intra-group tensions and conflicts that have arisen over the historical period of the course. (Americas/ Identities)
HIST 4230 African-American History (3)
This course examines the history of African Americans from the colonial era to the recent past. It will examine the historical experiences of African Americans and their changing status in American history. These experiences include slavery, emancipation, gaining citizenship rights, segregation, and civil rights movements. (Americas/ Identities)
HIST 4248 Film and Identity in History (3)
This course will explore a selection of films in their historical contexts. Students will analyze the use of film to represent and interpret the past and will also explore how film as a medium influences perceptions of history, community, and identity. In addition, where appropriate, the course will explore the tension between films "about" an era and films "of" an era. The region and focus of this course are dependent upon the specialization of the instructor. Students may repeat the course once, if it is with different instructor and focus. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area C. Satisfies general education upper division Area C and Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units (Identities)
HIST 4250 Slavery in North America (3)
This course is a comparative investigation into the practice of slavery in North America from 1500-1900, focusing on Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States. Emerging in tandem with ideas about race and difference, Atlantic Slavery transformed the economic, social, and political systems of North America. Alongside this newer form of slavery, older forms of captivity persisted and shifted in response to the growth of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Throughout the growth of slavery, enslaved people themselves actively resisted and contested these processes in multiple ways. The course will place an emphasis on sources created by enslaved people themselves whenever possible. In comparing slaveries across time and location, this course offers a lens into understanding both the experience of enslaved people themselves and the largest histories of capitalism and modernity wrought by slavery in North America. (America/Identities)
HIST 4410 Gender in East Asia (3)
This course examines the concept and representation of gender in China, Japan, and Korea. We will analyze several major themes in East Asian gender history, which include (but are not limited to) the discrepancy between “traditional” norms and “reality” for men and women; women’s agency in social change; the diverse experiences among women and men of different ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and regions; conceptions of masculinity and femininity; the body and society; and the relationship between feminism and nationalism. (Asia/Identities)
HIST 4420 Japan’s Empire, 1895-1945 (3)
This course examines the political, social, and economic development of Japan’s empire in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when much of the world’s territory was carved into a handful of colonial empires. While Japan began as a victim of imperialism, it later became an aggressor. We will explore the peculiarities of a non-Western, late-developing imperial power by looking at different aspects of the Japanese empire and imperial Japan, including imperial ideology, the political economy of empire, metropolitan and peripheral agents promoting expansionism, and the technologies of colonial rule. By considering the Japanese case in comparative terms, we will gain a more nuanced understanding of Japanese imperialism and the history of modern Japan. (Asia/ Empires)
HIST 4430 Nationalism in Modern Pacific Asia (3)
This course examines the rise and divergent outcomes of nationalist movements in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Pacific Asia. It begins with an overview of the traditional economic systems, political administration, culture, society, and thought of this region in order to gain a better understanding of the later interaction between selected Pacific Asian countries and western colonial powers. We then explore the impact of imperialism, modernization, and twentieth century conflicts on the development of nationalism, ultimate independence, and emerging democratic and communist governments. (Asia/War and Freedom)
HIST 4440 The Cold War in Asia (3)
The Cold War is commonly presented as a Soviet-American confrontation of ideas, spanning the second half of the twentieth century, which only occasionally descended into violent conflict. From Asia, however, the Cold War looks very different. By examining the Cold War period from the perspectives of East, South, and Southeast Asia, this course challenges the traditional paradigm of a Soviet-American bipolar confrontation, to instead explore how Asia shaped the Cold War, and how the Cold War shaped Asia. Alongside our exploration of the Cold War in Asia’s hot wars, diplomatic exchanges, and seminal events, we will consider a set of ideas central to the Cold War as an everyday, lived experience for ordinary people in Asia - among them, anti-colonialism, decolonization, race, postcolonial development, modernization, and nationalism. In addition to reading scholarly analyses of the period, we will examine a number of primary sources demonstrating the Cold War’s extensive reach into everyday Asian life, including dramatic plays, comic books, and letters. (Asia/War and Freedom)
HIST 4510 The History of European Empires, 1500-2000 (3)
This course will begin with an introduction to theories and definitions of imperialism and colonization, and a discussion of the motivations of, and explanations for, the European quest for colonies. The course will then focus on one empire in particular, depending upon the instructor. The implications of imperialism for the rulers and their citizens, as well as the impact of conquest and colonization on those who were invaded, ruled and dominated will be examined. Documents will be consulted which will reveal the voices of all those concerned with, and affected by, the imperial process. Formal and informal imperialism, the tools of imperialism, gender and imperialism, resistance to imperialism, decolonization and post-colonial societies will be among the topics covered in this course. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units. (Europe/Empires)
HIST 4528 Plagues and Public Health: Epidemiology and Society since 1800 (3)
Epidemiology is "the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health." This History course will survey the societal factors and events that influenced epidemiology's development and will explore the cultural, political, religious, demographic, economic and ethical impact that public health agencies have had on an increasingly globalizing society from the 19th century to the present with occasional references to earlier periods. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area C. Satisfies general education upper division Area C and Theme Q: Quality of Life.
HIST 4530 Fascism and Populism in Europe and the Americas (3)
This course examines the interconnected, transatlantic histories of the political ideology of populism and the violent philosophy of fascism from the 19th to 21st centuries. The course will introduce students to the history of fascist and populist movements in Europe and the Americas, defining these terms in their unique and multifaceted contexts and analyzing the forms both of these ideologies took—both in and outside of state power, the relationship between the two ideologies, and the strategies by which the embrace of violence espoused by fascism managed to persist far beyond the end of World War II. (Transatlantic)
HIST 4638 Building an Empire: A History of Rome (3)
This course explores the many ways that Rome built a state and then an empire, both geographically and materially. It examines how the Romans, from the creation of their famed republic to their expansion throughout the Mediterranean Sea, the Romans deeply influenced the West during roughly 1,000 years of existence. Beyond important political innovations, the Romans also built the infrastructure of a vast state. With an emphasis on Rome's innovations and revolutionary ideas, this course will cover the breadth of its history, including the gradual spread of Christianity throughout the state. Contemporary documents, images, and film help highlight this fascinating history. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area C. Satisfies general education upper division Area C and Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations. (Empires/Mediterranean/pre-1700)
HIST 4640 Pagans and Christians in the Roman World (3)
This course examines the integral role of religion in ancient Rome, from its earliest history through the rise and success of Christianity in Rome’s Mediterranean empire. The course emphasizes an understanding of the religious life of the ancient Romans, the principles and expressions of “paganism,” the early character and struggles of Christianity, its challenge to the Roman social and political order, and particularly its experience and development within the context of Roman society. The effect of Christianity on Rome, as well as classical influences on Christianity, will be explored. Primary documents and visual sources are used extensively to explore these topics. (Identities/Mediterranean)
HIST 4670 – The Ottoman Empire, 1453-1923 (3)
This course covers the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to the birth of the secular Republic of Turkey in1923. The course will pay particular attention to imperial relations with the neighbors, its economy and society, and gender issues in the context of orientalism. It will also consider the Ottoman Empire’s global legacy in architecture, culture, the culinary and calligraphic arts, and Sufism. (Africa/Middle East/Empires)
HIST 4690 Muslim Societies in African History, 570-1918 (3)
This is a broad history survey course of Muslims in African History. It starts with Muhammad, the birth of Islam and the basic institutions formed to sustain it. The course then focuses on four major themes, the spread of Islam in Africa, African influences on Islam, Muslim African identity and the slave trade, and Western view of Africa and Islam, and oral traditions in African Islam. The second part of the course engages in case studies, using where possible primary source documentation, Particular attention will be paid to Islam and Muslims in Morocco, North Africa, Muslim majority rule and Muslim minorities in West Africa, transmission of Islamic knowledge in Africa, and the slave trade. (Africa/Middle East/Identities/pre-1700)
HIST 4770 Special Topics (3)
Focused study of a particular period or theme in history. The specific topic will be determined by the instructor. Group investigation of a specific era or topic, with individual research work, papers, and/or examinations as the instructor may require. May be repeated for credit with different topics for a maximum of 12 units.
HIST 4800 Independent Research (3)
This course provides an opportunity for students to apply historical methods and skills in a supervised independent research project. Students will be expected to present their research at a student research competition, undergraduate conference or other public forum, history department student symposium, or submission to a journal. Prerequisites: HIST 3008, 15 units of upper-division History course work, and consent of supervising instructor. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 4908 Senior Seminar (3)
The required capstone course for students pursuing the BA in History, Senior Seminar explores the nature of the discipline, its many subfields, historiography, and methodology. Whereas Senior Seminar's theme may vary with the instructor, the course regularly considers such topics as historical objectivity, types of historical writing, and the state of the discipline. Senior Seminar students undertake a lengthy research project that demonstrates their developed skills in gathering and analyzing evidence, incorporating the views of other historians, and communicating their findings in a clear and well-organized paper. Prerequisite: At least 90 units and completion of JYDR. Satisfies general education requirement Capstone. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 4990 Individual Study (1-3)
Admission with consent of department chair. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 12 units.
Graduate Courses
Note: Enrollment in graduate seminars is at the discretion of the instructor.
HIST 5030 Methods and Historiography (3)
Students will consider historiography as an examination of the discipline of history as well as the different opinions of historians on a particular historical topic or debate. They will also engage in an intensive review of various historical methodologies and techniques of research design. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
HIST 5110 Reading Seminar in US History to 1865 (3)
Reading in selected topics to be announced each semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5120 Reading Seminar in US History since 1860 (3)
Reading in selected topics to be announced each semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5130 Reading Seminar in the American West (3)
Reading in selected topics to be announced each semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5310 Latin American History (3)
This course introduces important issues, themes, and debates in the literature of Latin American history, with a focus on Mexican history. The course will also engage the history of Mexican Americans when examining transnational topics such as war, migration, and borderlands. Readings in selected topics in Latin American history, to be announced each semester. Reading in selected topics to be announced each quarter. Special emphasis on materials suitable for prospective teachers. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5410 Reading Seminar in the Asian World (3)
This course is designed to assist graduate students in developing bibliographic and historiographic command of some aspect of the history of the Asian World as a teaching and research field. The instructor will choose the time frame, country/countries, and/or theme(s) that will comprise the focus of the seminar. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5420 Reading Seminar in African/Middle Eastern History (3)
Reading in selected topics in the history of the Middle East/Africa to be announced each semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5510 Seminar in European History (3)
The course will focus on specific historical controversies in Europe, challenging students to place their understanding of European history in a broader context geographically and historiographically. Themes, readings, and time periods will depend upon the instructor teaching the course. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5610 Reading Seminar in the Ancient Mediterranean World (3)
Graduate-level reading in selected topics in the history of the Ancient Mediterranean, namely Greek and Roman civilizations. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 5620 Reading Seminar in the Atlantic World (3)
The field of Atlantic history examines links between Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe. The seminar will include readings in selected topics in the history of the Atlantic World. Themes, readings, and time periods will depend upon the instructor teaching the course. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 6000 History Practicum (3)
Supervised practical application of history skills and knowledge. Admission with consent of department chair. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 6970 Master’s Thesis (3)
Graded Credit/No Credit. Prerequisites: Classified status and approval of the student’s thesis committee. Admission with consent of the department chair. The student may take it as a directed (or guided) research course—independent study—each semester of the second year of study to complete the thesis, for a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 6980 Comprehensive Exam (3)
A comprehensive written examination on reading lists covering major historical works. Graded Credit/No Credit. Prerequisite: Admission with consent of department. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 6 units.
HIST 6990 Individual Study (3)
Admission with consent of department chair. May be repeated for credit with different topics up to a maximum of 12 units.
