Lead Faculty: Dr. Douglas Slawson
The Bachelor of Arts in History is a broad-based program that has specific goals including: (1) engaging the mind and imagination of those who study history; (2) introducing students to worlds, times, places, and cultures – including their own – in ways they have never before considered; and (3) promoting the acquisition of historical knowledge and critical thinking, reading, writing, and research skills. Upon successful completion of the undergraduate history major, students should be able to demonstrate competency in the vital skills of historical explanation, discernment, and synthesis.
The study of the past broadens our perspective and allows us to discover the essential elements of human existence. The term historian covers a broad range of career options and job settings. In general, historians study, assess, and interpret the past to determine what happened and why. They examine court documents, diaries, letters, and newspaper accounts; they conduct research, write, teach, evaluate, and make recommendations. They interview individuals and study artifacts and archeological evidence.
In addition to providing experience in logical argumentation, history courses offer research, writing, and analytical skills necessary for many fulfilling careers. Graduates with a degree in history often become educators themselves and teach in elementary schools, secondary schools, or in postsecondary institutions. Beyond teaching, historians also work as researchers in museums and local historical organizations that deal with cultural resources management and historic preservation and make valuable contributions to government and private think tanks. A history degree is excellent preparation for journalists, ad writers, editors and anyone interested in producing multimedia materials and documentaries. Historians have rewarding careers as information managers such as archivists, records managers, and librarians. Finally, training in history creates a strong intellectual foundation for people interested in advocacy such as lawyers and paralegals, litigation support, legislative staff work, and nonprofit foundations. Positions that attract history majors will likely require some of the following qualifications beyond the Bachelor of Arts in History: experience, extensive knowledge of a particular time period or region, and specialized writing and research skills.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the Bachelor of Arts in History, graduates will be able to:
To receive a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in History, students must complete at 180 quarter units as listed below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University, and 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. The following courses are degree requirements. In absence of transfer credit, additional general electives may be necessary to satisfy the total units required for the degree. Students should refer to the section on undergraduate admission procedures for specific information regarding admission and evaluation.
If the foreign language requirement is not completed in General Education, the equivalent must be completed as preparation for the History major either by testing or by satisfactorily passing two courses in one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Other languages are acceptable upon approval of the director of the program.
Preparation for the Major (5 courses; 22.5 quarter units):
ENG 240 - Advanced Composition * (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 220A - History of the United States I * (+) (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 220B - History of the United States II * (+) (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 233 - World Civilizations I * (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 234 - World Civilizations II * (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
* May be used to satisfy general education requirements.
Required for the Major (10 courses; 45 quarter units):
HIS 431 - The Ancient World (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 233)
HIS 432 - The Classical World (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 233)
HIS 433 - The Post-Classical World (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 233)
HIS 434 - The Modern World, 1500 to the Present
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 234)
HIS 400 - History and Historians: Theories and Methods
(Prerequisite: ENG 240)
HIS 360 - The American Colonial Experience, 1584-1783
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 220A)
HIS 361 - The Making and Sundering of the United States, 1783-1865
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 220A)
HIS 362 - The United States between Wars, 1865-1917
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 220B)
HIS 363 - The United States since World War I
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and HIS 220B)
HIS 499 - Capstone Research Project
(Prerequisites: ENG 240 or equivalent, HIS 400, and completion of 31.5 quarter units of core courses in the major)
Electives (6 courses; 27 quarter units):
Students must complete a minimum of 27 quarter units of electives to fulfill the upper-division unit requirements to earn the Bachelor of Arts in History. Students can select from the following strongly recommended and recommended electives OR choose from any upper-division course in the College of Letters and Sciences. Three elective courses must be in the History program (HIS). To ensure adequate preparation for the California State Examination for Teachers (CSET), students who wish to become middle-school and high-school history teachers in California should take all of their electives from the strongly recommended list.
Strongly Recommended
HIS 320 - Culture, Capitalism, and Technology in Modern World History
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 350 - Cultural Diversity (+) (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 410 - The California Experience (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
PHL 320 - Comparative Religion (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
POL 540 - The American Political System
SCI 300 - Geography: Mapping the World
Recommended
GLS 410 - Gender Identity in a Global Context (Prerequisite: ENG 240)
GLS 420 - Ecological Revolutions (Prerequisite: ENG 240)
GLS 430 - The Global Economy (Prerequisite: ENG 240)
HIS 300 - Foundations of Western Civilization (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 325 - Peoples and Places: Migration in Modern World History
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 339 - History of the Middle East 600-1600 (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 341 - History through Theater (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 342 - Modern History of the Middle East (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 345 - History and Cultures of Latin America (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 346 - Chinese History and Culture I (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 348 - History and Cultures of Asia (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 349 - History and Cultures of Africa (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 355 - Chinese History and Culture II (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 370 - History and Cultures of the American Southwest
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HIS 490 - Guided Study
SOC 325 - Contemporary Popular Culture (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 328 - Intercultural Thinking and Creativity (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 336 - American Film and Society (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
This program is available online.
National University is an affiliate of the National University System.