This is an archive of the 2016-2017 University Catalog.
To access the most recent version, please visit catalog.csun.edu.

This is an archive of the 2016-2017 University Catalog.
To access the most recent version, please visit catalog.csun.edu.

UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2016-2017

Program: B.A., History

Overview

The History department offers a B.A. in History for undergraduate students. In the History major, students take a mix of larger survey classes, upper-level classes on more specific topics and several required seminars teaching skills in historical research and critical analysis. Students have many choices of courses and are encouraged to develop areas of interest. The History major is designed to develop skills in critical thinking, research and writing.

Program Requirements

1. General Core Curriculum (15 units)

Choose one course from each of the following:

A.

HIST 110 World History to 1500 (3)
HIST 150 Western Civilization to 1500 (3)
HIST 303 Themes in Western Civilization Before 1500 (3)

B.

HIST 111 World History Since 1500 (3)
HIST 151 Western Civilization since 1500 (3)
HIST 302 Western Cultural Heritage, Modern Age (3)
HIST 304 Themes in Western Civilization After 1500 (3)

C.

HIST 270 The United States to 1865 (3)
HIST 370 Problems in American History to 1865 (3)

D.

HIST 271 The United States Since 1865 (3)
HIST 371 Problems in American History: 1865 to Present (3)

E.

HIST 145 African Civilization to Modern Times (3)
HIST 161 Survey of the History of Latin America (3)
HIST 185 Civilization of the Middle East (3)
HIST 191 History of Eastern Civilization I (3)
HIST 192 History of Modern East Asia (3)

2. Research Core Curriculum (9 units)

  1. HIST 301 The Historian’s Craft: Reading, Research and Writing History (3)
    (Must be taken in the first 75 units of the major’s college program.)
    (A grade of “C” or better is required for graduation.)
  2. HIST 497 A-Z Proseminar (3)
    (Prerequisite HIST 301; a grade “C” or better is required for graduation.)
  3. HIST 498 Tutorial in History (3)
    (A grade “C” or better is required for graduation.)

3. Upper Division Curriculum (24 units)

All units in this section must be upper division. HIST 302, 303, 304, 370 or 371 may not be applied to satisfy these requirements. A minimum of 12 of these 24 upper division elective units must be at the 400- or 500-level.

  1. Upper division European History (3 units)
  2. Upper division U.S. or Canadian History (3 units)
  3. Upper division Asian, African, Middle Eastern or Latin American History (3 units)
  4. Other upper division courses (15 units)

4. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog.
Some Title 5 courses also apply to the major.

Total Units in the Major: 48

General Education Units: 48

Additional Units: 14-17

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120

Contact

Chair: Susan Fitzpatrick Behrens
Sierra Tower (ST) 612
(818) 677-3566
www.csun.edu/social-behavioral-sciences/history

Student Learning Outcomes

Completion of the degree in History will provide the student with knowledge of the political, economic, social and intellectual development of the world’s principal civilizations, notably American (U.S.) civilization, Western civilization and the civilization of one other area of the world. Included also are the principal personalities, events, ideas and relationships that are the basis of historical studies, as well as a knowledge of various historical methods and historiography that will lead to a better understanding of: (a) how historians approach the past; (b) the value and limitations of various kinds of historical writings; and (c) how to explore the evolution of history as an academic discipline. Specific student learning objectives for History majors include:

  1. To analyze and explain problems of historical interpretation.
  2. To comprehend, articulate and apply the various approaches to historical analysis.
  3. To learn to read and interpret historical sources critically and analytically.
  4. To express orally and exchange historical ideas.
  5. To select a research problem and search for relevant primary and secondary sources.
  6. To write a research essay using a scholarly format that includes footnotes and bibliography.
  7. To demonstrate a complex understanding of the history of the U.S., Europe and one other region or culture over a period of time.
  8. To understand historical subjects that transcend regional boundaries.