History, BA

Courses offered under this program by the Department of History are planned for those who wish a general liberal education, for those who want a broad foundation for any one of the social sciences, for those who desire advanced degrees in the field of history, and for those who wish to secure the teaching credential.

Program Learning Outcomes

Summary of Degree Units

University Graduation Requirements	38
Major Requirements	48-50
University Electives	32-34
Total	120

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

University Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment, and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Core Lower Division General Education (33 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 6 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3, B4, or F must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with a major advisor for details.

Note: Students who have completed the ADT Transfer degree (under SB 1440) for this major will have completed all lower division GE requirements and should follow the 60 unit guarantee roadmap. Meet with an advisor prior to registering for your first semester for the 60 unit roadmap or specific questions.

Upper Division General Education (3 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 6 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions

Complete one 6 unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B /HUM 2A /HUM 2B ; 24 units) sequences satisfy the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see course descriptions for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

U.S. History and Government

HIST 15 - Essentials of U.S. History 3 unit(s) (D+US1)
POLS 15 - Essentials of U.S. & California Government 3 unit(s) (D+US23)

Physical Education (2 units)

All SJSU undergraduate students, regardless of major, have an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in physical activities. To accommodate students’ needs and interests, the university offers a diverse selection of activity courses .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass both the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and a Writing in the Disciplines (100W) course. The Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) is satisfied by a course in the major. A grade of C or better (C- not accepted) is required to meet graduation requirements.

Major Requirements (48-50 units)

Lower Division Major Requirements (15 units)

HIST 99 - History Fundamentals 3 unit(s)

Complete One Sequence From:

World History

HIST 1A - World History to 1500 3 unit(s)
HIST 1B - World History from 1500 3 unit(s)

Western Civilization

HIST 10A - Western Civilization 3 unit(s) (D)
HIST 10B - Western Civilization 3 unit(s) (D)

Complete One Sequence From:

US History

6 units of the GE requirement can be fulfilled by choosing the HIST 15 and POLS 15 courses among the major requirement.

HIST 15 - Essentials of U.S. History 3 unit(s) (D+US1)
POLS 15 - Essentials of U.S. & California Government 3 unit(s) (D+US23)

American People

HIST 20A - History of the American People 3 unit(s) (US1)
HIST 20B - History of the American People 3 unit(s) (US1)

Upper Division Major Requirements (33-35 units)

Students who fulfill SJSU Studies Area S with HIST 188 or HIST 185 and/or SJSU Studies Area V with HIST 153 or HIST 155 will complete the major with 33 or 34 upper-division units and thus will need additional upper-division courses to meet the minimum University graduation requirement of 40 upper-division units. Such students should take an additional upper-division History course.

HIST 100W - History Writers’ Workshop 3 unit(s) (WID)
HIST 102 - Historiography 4 unit(s)
Field of Study Courses 26-28 unit(s)
Upper-division History courses are divided into 4 fields of study: Ancient & Medieval, Modern Europe, United States, and World. 25-28 units of upper-division courses must include 2 from one field, 2 courses from a second field, 1 course from a third field, and 2 from any field for a total of 7 courses. Among those 7 courses, students must select at least 2 Advanced Topics and at least 2 pre-1750 courses. Consult History advisor for details.

University Electives and/or Minor (32-34 units)

Minor recommended, but not required; consult history advisor.

Total Units Required (120 units)

A checklist of requirements is available in department office.