History

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

Department of History
PSY 405
415-338-1604
E-mail: history@sfsu.edu
Chair: Jerald Combs

Graduate Coordinator: R. Hoffman

Faculty

 Professors--Batman, Bonds, Boxer, Cherny, Combs, D'Agostino, Felstiner, Hoffman, Hymans, Illick, Issel, Kidner, Rischin, Scully, Seely, Tygiel

Associate Professors--Longmore, Loomis, Oñate

Assistant Professors--Hsu, Peard

Programs

B.A. in History

B.A. in History: Honors Concentration

Minor in History

M.A. in History

Program Scope

The study of history is the study of change in human societies over time. Students majoring in history may select advanced courses focusing upon the entire range of life within a nation or region during a given time period, or courses dealing with some specialized aspect of life (social history, economic history, etc.), or courses which explore the concepts and methodology of historical research and analysis.

The Master of Arts in History is offered with specialties in the United States, Europe and the Mediterranean before A.D. 1500, Europe after A.D. 1500, Latin America, East Asia, and gender in history. The M.A. program is designed to accommodate students' interests and needs as they pursue a course of study under the direction of a committee of faculty members. Together with their committee, students plan a program to give both depth and breadth to their understanding of the past. The faculty are familiar with and sensitive to the needs of students who must work, part-time or full-time, while pursuing their graduate program. San Francisco and the Bay Area contain many libraries, archival repositories, and historical agencies where students can do research or obtain on-site experience through an internship.

Career Outlook

The history program provides training for those interested in a teaching credential, for those preparing to do graduate work in several fields, and for those who might go on to law school or seek employment in areas such as government service, archival work, and the business sector.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN HISTORY

Students may choose advisers according to personal preference. Students may be assigned or referred to an adviser at the department office, PSY 405.

All history majors must include at least one proseminar (HIST 640, 642, or 644). This seminar should be taken after HIST 300 and may be in either field of emphasis or may be outside the fields of emphasis. Twenty-seven of the 39 units required for the major must be upper division. History majors cannot choose CR/NC grading in more than two history courses for their major, nor elect CR/NC grading in HIST 300 or their proseminar.

Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult the Index for page reference).

									Units
HIST 110/111	History of Western Civilization I-II (3 each) or
HIST 114/115	World History I-II (3 each)				6
(HIST 114-115 may be substituted for HIST 110/111 on advisement)
HIST 120	History of the United States to 1865			3
HIST 121	History of the United States since 1865			3
HIST 300	Seminar in Historical Analysis				3

Fields of Emphasis: Students should complete twelve units in one field of emphasis and 
six units in each of the other two fields of emphasis.			24

American history
Choose one field from among Europe before 1500, Europe since 1500, or Eastern Europe

Choose one field from among Africa, Asia, or Latin America

Total									39

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN HISTORY: HONORS CONCENTRATION

Prerequisites

 In order for a student to be eligible for admission to the Honors Program, the following requirements must be met.

									Units
HIST 110/111	History of Western Civilization I-II (3 each) or
HIST 114/115	World History I-II (3 each)				6
(HIST 114/115 may be substituted for HIST 110/111 on advisement)
HIST 120	History of the United States to 1865			3
HIST 121	History of the United States since 1865			3
Total for prerequisites							12

Required Courses

 
HIST 300	Seminar in Historical Analysis				3

Fields of Emphasis: Students should complete 
twelve units in one field of emphasis and 
six units in each of the other two fields 
of emphasis.								24

American history

Choose one field from among Europe before 
1500, Europe since 1500, or Eastern 
Europe

Choose one field from among Africa, Asia, 
or Latin America

HIST 640, 642, or 644 Proseminar					3

HIST 697	Honors Thesis						3

The proseminar will be taken after HIST 300, normally in the major field. The honors 
thesis will be taken after the proseminar and will normally represent an extension 
of the work in that proseminar, to be supervised by the proseminar instructor. 
For exceptions, consult the honors adviser.

Total for required courses						33

Total for honors concentration						45
Thirty-three of the 45 required units must be upper division. History majors cannot choose CR/NC grading in more than two history courses for their major, and cannot elect CR/NC grading in HIST 300 or their proseminar. With the consent of the honors adviser, students may offer up to six units from other departments to count toward honors concentration requirements.

Language or Statistics/Data Processing Proficiency

To graduate in the history honors program, a student must demonstrate either proficiency in statistics/data processing or proficiency in a foreign language at a level comparable to that of students who have successfully completed one year of college courses. This level of proficiency is to be demonstrated as follows:

Grade Performance Requirement

 Students are expected to maintain a minimum grade of B in each course to meet the honors major requirements, and a grade point average of 3.25 in all courses taken to complete the honors program. Students failing to do so will be dropped from the program. Additionally, students will be required to have an overall grade point average of 3.25 in all university-level courses taken to fulfill the university requirements for the honors degree.

Single Subject Teaching Credential:
History/Social Science

Students who are considering teaching in the secondary schools should see a departmental credential program adviser before planning their program. Specific courses and an assessment of competencies are required for admission to the Secondary Education credential program. Students should also contact the Student Services Office in BH 130, (415) 338-7038, regarding teaching credential information.

MINOR IN HISTORY

History minors cannot choose CR/NC grading in more than one course in their minor, nor elect CR/NC grading in HIST 300.

										Units
HIST 110/111	History of Western Civilization I-II (3 each) or
HIST 114/115	World History I-II (3 each)					6
(HIST 114/115 may be substituted for HIST 110/111 on advisement)
HIST 120	History of the United States to 1865				3
HIST 121	History of the United States since 1865				3
HIST 300	Seminar in Historical Analysis					3

Upper division electives in history on advisement				9

Total										24

MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY

 Graduate Advisers--Bonds, Hoffman, Issel, Kidner, Loomis

Admission to Program

A prospective student must fulfill the general university requirements as stated in the section on Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Admissions of the Bulletin. To be considered for unconditional admission to the M.A. program in History, a student must have completed an undergraduate major in history with a minimum grade point average of 3.5. Applicants whose GPA in history falls between 3.25 and 3.5 can be considered for admission on a conditional basis. Students whose undergraduate major was not history should consult the graduate coordinator about making up course deficiencies in history. The usual pattern is for the student to complete the equivalent of a B.A. in History before being accepted as a classified student in the graduate program of the department.

If the student's undergraduate record meets the basic requirements and gives promise of a successful pursuit of graduate work, the department will recommend that the student be admitted either to classified graduate standing (which means that the student may immediately proceed to take graduate courses and seminars) or conditional standing, specifying the conditions and time limit within which they must be met.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: satisfactorily meeting the writing requirements in HIST 700. Level Two: satisfactorily completing any graduate level seminar.

Advancement to Candidacy

Besides meeting all general requirements for advancement to candidacy, applicants must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average in all history courses taken for the Master of Arts, and may not list on the Graduate Approved Program any course in which the grade received is below B-.

Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).

Program

									Units
HIST 700	History of Knowledge					3

Major Field								15

One of the following areas of emphasis must be selected and courses completed upon 
advisement with a total of fifteen units. The six units of graduate course work 
specified are required. A minimum of six of the nine units of electives must be 
chosen from the appropriate upper division and graduate courses in the History 
Department; three units from outside the department may be presented on 
advisement.
The United States
 
HIST 780	Seminar in American History to 1877
HIST 790	Seminar in American History since 1877
Courses on advisement (nine units)
Europe and the Mediterranean before 1500
 
HIST 710	Seminar in Ancient and Medieval
History (must be repeated with a 
different topic for a total of six units)
Courses on advisement (nine units)
Europe since 1500
 
HIST 730	Seminar in Early Modern European History
HIST 740	Seminar in European History since 1815
Courses on advisement (nine units)
East Asia
 
HIST 840	Seminar in Asian History (must be
repeated with a different topic for a total of six units)
Courses on advisement (nine units)
Latin America
 
HIST 830	Seminar in Latin American History
(must be repeated with a different topic for a total of six units)

Courses on advisement (nine units)
Gender in History
 
HIST 805	Seminar in Women's History (must
be repeated with a different topic for a total of six units)

Courses on advisement (nine units)

Minor Field									9

A minor field of nine units of upper division and graduate courses must be completed 
on advisement, three units of which must be a graduate seminar in History. While 
three of the remaining six units must be in History, on advisement three units may 
be selected from a related discipline. The minor field may be in one of the major 
fields above, or upon advisement, in a special historical field; e.g., urban history, 
public history, labor history, women's history, etc.

Select upon advisement one of the following culminating requirements		3

HIST 896	Directed Reading in History and 
Master's Written Comprehensive Examination in student's major field or
HIST 898	Master's Thesis and Oral Defense of Thesis

Minimum total									30
Auxiliary Skills: Candidates for the master's degree are expected to present an auxiliary skill to aid them in their historical study. In most cases, this would be a reading knowledge of one foreign language. With approval, candidates offering the United States as their major field may substitute a knowledge of statistics. Information about specific requirements may be obtained from the graduate coordinator.

Research: The student must complete three (3) graduate level units of directed research in the major or minor fields. If the student takes a research seminar, or completes the master's thesis (HIST 898), the research requirements will have been met. If the student takes three reading seminars, a directed research course must be taken, preferably in the form of HIST 899, in conjunction with (and directed by the instructor of) one of the student's graduate seminars. This research must involve the use of primary sources and should ordinarily involve the utilization of the student's auxiliary skill (see requirement above).

Thesis Option: While the usual culminating requirement consists of History 896 and the written comprehensive examination, under certain conditions a student may be given permission to do a thesis (HIST 898, Master's Thesis) and an oral defense of the thesis in his/her major field. Students considering the thesis option should contact the department chair or graduate coordinator for further details.