The History major below is only available to students entering UC Merced in Fall 2014 and later. Students who entered UC Merced prior to Fall 2014 should utilize either the United States History Concentration website or the World History Concentration website for information related to their degree program.
History is a set of evolving rules and tools that allows us to interpret processes and phenomena in the past with clarity and rigor. It requires evidence, sophisticated use of information, and a deliberative stance to explain change and continuity over time. As a profoundly public pursuit, it is essential to active and empathetic public engagement and world citizenship and requires effective communication to make the past accessible for multiple audiences. It is a craft with a set of professional ethics and standards that demand peer review, citation, and toleration for the provisional nature of knowledge.
The History major at UC Merced emphasizes the many ways in which connections between regions and nations have existed over time. All students gain a familiarity with world history, learn interpretive skills, and take at least one course focused on research, and also undertake a capstone research project; they have the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to research problems outside the classroom, where they can contribute to expanding public knowledge and awareness of cultural issues. Students may explore thematic topics such as environmental history, the history of science and technology, the history of migration and cultural intersections, as well as issues of world, national, state and local history.
Though rooted in the study of the past, the tools employed by historians are useful in a broad array of modern careers and professions. History, with its focus on research, writing, and argumentation, is well known as an excellent preparation for graduate school, law school, and other professions. History majors may also find employment related to their degrees in schools, museums, editing and publishing, archives, historic preservation, federal, state and local agencies, and as consultants and contractors.
For additional information on the History major at UC Merced, please visit the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts website, or the History website.
History Four Year Major Plans
Below, please find four year plans for a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Students should choose the plan that corresponds to the catalog year in which they matriculated to UC Merced. For more information on catalog rights, please click here.
History Major Planning Guide
Below you will find the 2014-2015 planning guide for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. Students should choose the planning guide that corresponds to the catalog year in which they matriculated to UC Merced. For more information on catalog rights, please click here.
History
History Major Elective List
Student must complete six additional Upper Division courses in History (24 units total). Of the 24 units, 20 units are specified from the following five areas:
Before 1850
Choose at least one course with substantial emphasis on the period before 1850:
- HIST 106: Women/Gender in Early Modern World (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 108: Indigenous Religions of Latin America (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 108: History of the Aztecs (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan
- HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires
- HIST 124A: African American History to 1877
- HIST 142: Survey of Latin American History (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World
- HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World
- HIST 170: Law and Society in Early Modern England
- HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History
- HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World
Eastern Hemisphere
Choose at least one course focused on the eastern hemisphere (Afro-Eurasia):
- HIST 111: The Legacy of Genghis Khan
- HIST 112: History of Islamic Art and Architecture
- HIST 113: History of the Gunpowder Empires
- HIST 115: Topics in African History
- HIST 158: Topics in Middle Eastern History
- HIST 165A: China in the Ancient World
- HIST 165B: From Tang to Song: China in the Medieval World
- HIST 165C: Late Imperial China
- HIST 165D: China in the Modern World
- HIST 170: Law and Society in Early Modern England
- HIST 171: Modern European Intellectual History
- HIST 172: Europe and the Early Modern Atlantic World
- HIST 179: Topics in European History
- HIST 180: The Silk Road
Western Hemisphere
Choose at least one course focused on the western hemisphere (Americas):
- HIST 108: Indigenous Religions of Latin America (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 108: History of the Aztecs (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 117: Topics in Regional or State History
- HIST 122: That's the Joint: Race, Gender, and Migration in Hip-Hop History
- HIST 123: Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States
- HIST 124A: African American History to 1877
- HIST 124B: African American History 1877 to Present
- HIST 125: African American Music
- HIST 126: Race and Nationalism in American Art
- HIST 128: The United States and the Vietnam War
- HIST 129: Introduction to Chicano History
- HIST 130: The Cold War, 1941-1991
- HIST 131: Topics in National History: Manifest Destiny: The United States and the World, 1840s-Present
- HIST 132: Intelligence and National Security, 1945-2000
- HIST 133: Topics in Nineteenth Century U.S. History
- HIST 134: History and Literature of the Great Depression
- HIST 135: Literature and History of the 1960s
- HIST 139: Topics in United States History
- HIST 142: Survey of Latin American History (Fall 2016 only)
Global
Choose at least one course focused globally, with either a thematic approach or which address multiple world regions:
- HIST 106: Women/Gender in Early Modern World (Fall 2016 only)
- HIST 110: Environmental History of the World
- HIST 116: History of Decolonization in the Twentieth Century
- HIST 119: Topics in the History of Migration and Immigration
- HIST 127: Local Harvest, Global Industry: History of the Production and Consumption of Food
- HIST 180: The Silk Road
Research Intensive
Choose at least one upper division “R” course, which must be taken before taking HIST 191:
- HIST 120R: Essence of Decision: Case Studies in History
- HIST 158R: Topics in Middle Eastern History: Research
History Major Breadth Requirement
The following courses meet the requirement for "Upper or Lower Division Non-History Courses" for the History major at UC Merced.
- ANTH 110: Migration, Diaspora and Transnational Belonging
- ANTH 116: Indigenous Activism in the Americas
- ANTH 124: Ethnopsychology
- ANTH 140: Cultural Heritage Policy and Practice
- ANTH 142: Archaeology of Colonialism
- ANTH 146: Archaeology of Native California
- ARTS 100: History of World Art
- ARTS 101: History of Clothing, Costume and Fashion: Euro-centric Pre-History to 1800
- ARTS 102: History of Clothing, Costume and Fashion: Euro-centric 1800 to 1980
- ARTS 103: History of Ethnic Costume
- ARTS 125: African American Music of the 20th Century
- ARTS 130: History of World Architecture
- ARTS 141/GASP 141/HIST 141: History and Practice of Photography
- CHN 003: Intermediate Chinese I
- ECON 111: American Economic History
- ECON 115: Economic of Industrial Organization
- ECON 121: The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions
- ECON 140: Labor Economics
- ECON 142: Economics of Gender and Poverty
- ECON 145 Health Economics
- ECON 160/MGMT 162: International Microeconomics
- ECON 161: International Finance
- ENG 032/CCST 060/SPAN 060: Introduction to Chicano/a Culture and Experiences
- ENG 101: Medival and Renaissance Literature and Culture, 800-1660
- ENG 114/SPAN 114: Latinos/as in Children's Literature and Film
- ENG 116: Literature and History of the 1960s
- ENG 129: Topics in Literature and Culture
- ENGR 180: Spatial Analysis and Modeling
- ENVE 110: Hydrology and Climate
- ENVE 114: Mountain Hydrology of the Western United States
- ENVE 118: Global Change
- ESS 025: Introduction to Ecosystem Science
- ESS 110: Hydrology and Climate
- ESS 124: Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology
- ESS 215: Mountain Hydrology of the Western United States
- GASP 34: The American Musical
- GASP 135: African American Music
- GASP 171: Museums as Contested Sites
- GASP 175: Race & Nationalism in American Art
- GEOG 142: Geography of Resource Management
- MGMT 121: The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions
- POLI 001: Introduction to Political Science
- POLI 002: Controversies in American Politics
- POLI 005: Introduction to International Relations
- POLI 100: Political Process and Institutions
- POLI 101: The Presidency
- POLI 102: Judicial Politics
- POLI 105: Interest Groups and Political Parties
- POLI 106: Urban Politics
- POLI 107: State Politics
- POLI 108: Direct Democracy
- POLI 110: Government Power and the Constitution
- POLI 125: Public Opinion
- POLI 127: Race, Gender, and Politics
- POLI 160: U.S. Foreign Policy
- PUBP 001: Introduction to Public Policy
- PUBP 100: Poverty and Social Policy
- PUBP 140: Immigration and Public Policy
- PUBP 150: Immigration and Public Policy
- SOC 110: Protest, Collective Action and Social Movements
- SOC 131: Urban Inequality
- SOC 180: Topics in Sociology (Summer 2008 Only)
- SPAN 050: Introduction to Hispanic Literatures I
- SPAN 051: Introduction to Hispanic Literatures II
SPAN 103: Spanish Composition and Conversation - SPAN 105: Hispanic Cultures I
- SPAN 111: Empire, The Postcolonial, and Representation: Reading East and West
- SPAN 121: Spanish Golden Age
- SPAN 123: Spanish (Peninsular) 20-21 Centuries
- SPAN 130: The Transatlantic Baroque
- SPAN 131: Transatlantic Modernismo
- SPAN 140: Latin American Colonial Literature
- SPAN 143: Latin American Literature since Independence
- SPAN 144: Carribean Literatures and Cultures
- SPAN 151: Diasporas and Exiles in Latin America
- SPAN 153: Bilingualism and Borders in Hispanic Literatures
- SPAN 154: Hispanic Drama and Performing
- SPAN 170: Spanish Linguistics
- SPAN 180: Spanish in the U.S. (Spring 2014 only)
- WH 110: Reconstructing Ancient Worlds
