Master of Arts in History
Michael J. Gonzalez, Graduate Program Director, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Jonathan Conant, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
Iris H. W. Engstrand, Professor
Ph.D., University of Southern California
R. Colin Fisher, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
James O. Gump, Professor Ph.D., University of Nebraska
Molly McClain, Associate Professor and Chair Ph.D., Yale University
Steven E. Schoenherr, Professor Ph.D., University of Delaware
Kenneth P. Serbin, Associate Professor Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Kathryn Statler, Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
Yi Sun, Associate Professor Ph.D., Washington State University
Master of Arts in History
The Department of History at the University of San Diego offers graduate-level preparation for careers in teaching, public history and historic preservation. The faculty consists of full-time professors who offer a broad range of specialties, research and experience. Students who complete our program have gone on to work in secondary schools and colleges, law or business offices, archives, museums, historic sites, state and local historical agencies, newspapers, businesses, trade and labor organizations, and in all levels of government. They may work as editors, archivists, administrators, curators, historic preservation specialists, writers, public policy analysts and historians. Some have worked on the production of historical documentaries in television, radio and film.
This 30-unit M.A. program is open and recommended to qualified students who wish to study public history or traditional academic history, especially teaching, and who wish to broaden their educational background.
The graduate program offers opportunities to intern at one of the many museums and historical societies in San Diego, including Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center, Helix Water District, San Diego Museum of Man, Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego Hall of Champions, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, and the San Diego Historical Society with its related Serra Museum, Villa Montezuma and Marston House. Students also may choose to work for preservation organizations or in the offices of local architects.
Program Options
The Master of Arts Program in History offers a 30-unit curriculum. The program is supervised by history faculty, and eight of the 10 courses required for that program involve seminars in that department. The two remaining courses may be selected by the student from historically oriented courses in the fields of political science, international relations, art history, theology and religious studies, literature, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology, education, business administration and law. Full-time students typically need two years to complete the program. Part-time study is also welcomed and accommodated by a schedule that offers most graduate classes one evening per week. The goals of the program are to allow students to pursue advanced understanding of history and to enhance their career options.
Before registering, students are required to schedule an advising appointment with the graduate program director in history. In consultation with the director, students will work out a program of study.
Option 1: Comprehensive Examination
• The student must submit a portfolio containing three research papers developed in history graduate seminars. Each paper must be approximately 20 pages in length.
• The student must choose two fields of history in which to concentrate readings for the oral examination: a major field and a minor field. The student will develop a reading list in consultation with two history department faculty members who, together, will make up the student’s examination committee.
• The student must write two essays surveying historical trends or interpretive debates in their major and minor fields. A 25-page historiographic essay will be required in the major field while a 15-page historiographic essay will be required in the minor field. The essays must be approved by the student’s examination committee.
• The student must take an oral examination directed by the faculty adviser and one other history faculty member. The oral examination will address points raised by the student in the seminar papers and in the historiographic essays.
• The student who chooses the comprehensive examination option will register for HIST 596 “Oral Examination” (3 units). The student must complete at least twenty-one units of coursework to register for HIST 596 and begin the comprehensive examination process. The student will receive a “pass” for History 596 on successfully completing the essay and oral portions of the comprehensive examination. Thirty units of coursework are required for graduation.
Option 2: Thesis
• The student must submit a thesis of at least 100 pages that shows proficiency in research into primary documents and independent thought. The thesis topic is to be approved by a faculty committee of at least two USD history department members. The student must register for HIST 564 “Thesis,” until the 3-unit requirement is met and the thesis is completed. If the student has not completed the thesis by the time all required courses are completed (including the 3 units of HIST 564), he or she must continue to register for one-half (0.5) unit of thesis each semester (excluding summer and Intersession) until the thesis is completed and accepted. A pamphlet entitled Instructions for the Preparation and Submission of the Master’s Thesis is available for sale in the university bookstore.
Requirements for the Degree
Courses to be approved by Department of History faculty adviser 30 units of coursework including:
• HIST 500 Core Seminar (taken during the first semester) (3 units)
• HIST 501 Teaching Seminar (3 units)
• HIST 502 Public History Seminar (3 units)
• HIST 595 Thesis or HIST 596 Oral Examination (3 units)
• 18 units of elective courses, 12 units of which must be from history courses numbered in the 500s. An additional 6 elective units may be chosen from the following: history, political science, peace and justice studies, international relations, art, art history, marine science, theology and religious studies, literature, language, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology, education, business administration, and law. Under certain circumstances and with special graduate level adjustments, 6 elective courses may be taken at the undergraduate, upper-division level.
• Only one course with a grade of “C+”, “C”, or “C-” may count towards the degree.
• No courses with a grade of “D” or “F” will count
toward the degree although the grade will be calculated in the GPA.
• Satisfactory performance (minimum grade of “B”) on a comprehensive examination in the final semester or completion and acceptance of a thesis.
Please click on image for a larger view.
Graduate Courses and Seminars
Please Note: Course descriptions list the course number, the course title and the number of semester-units in parentheses.
HIST 500 Core Seminar in History (3)
Required for all M.A. candidates in history.
An examination of prominent historical methodologies and research methods. Readings, papers and intensive discussion.
HIST 501 Teaching Seminar (3)
Discussion of teaching methods, evaluation of course content, preparation of audio-visual materials, and oral presentations simulating actual classroom lectures. Essential for those preparing to become teachers or continuing the pursuit of graduate degrees in history.
HIST 502 Public History Seminar (3)
Examines aspects of public history that include a variety of spheres such as the application and definition of public history; theory and management of historical collections; registration and cataloguing of historical collections; philosophy and techniques of exhibiting historical artifacts; historical editing — books and scholarly journals; media or documentary productions; writing corporate histories; historical research in general and maintaining a Web site. Field trips to various local museums are included.
HIST 510 Topics in Ancient History (3)
This seminar focuses on ancient Greek or Roman history, with an emphasis on power and politics, gender, art and architecture, and/or economic and social change. Special topics may offer the chance to study the Trojan War, ancient Athens, Greek religion and culture, ancient Rome and the Mediterranean, the army, barbarians, Julius Caesar, Romanization, and/or the rise of Christianity. Extensive use will be made of contemporary sources to obtain first-hand insights into the values and concerns of ancient men and women. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 520 Topics in Medieval European History (3)
This seminar focuses on Medieval European history, with an emphasis on power and politics, gender, art and architecture, and/or economic and social change. Special topics may offer the chance to study knights and peasants; the Crusades, heresy, plague, Marco Polo’s travels to China and/or the rise of European empires. Extensive use will be made of contemporary sources to obtain first-hand insights into the values and concerns of medieval men and women. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 530 Topics in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe (3)
This seminar focuses on Europe, 1450-1700, with an emphasis on power and politics, gender, art and architecture, and/or economic and social change. Special topics may offer the chance to study the politics of the Italian city states; the writings of leading humanists, poets, philosophers, and political theorists; Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture; and/or political events such as the English civil war. The class also may focus on groundbreaking research in the histories of women, sexuality, popular culture, peasant life and magic. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 548 Vietnam War (3)
This seminar will examine the wars fought in and around Vietnam since the 1940s, with particular attention focused on the period of direct American involvement. These events will be considered in relation to Vietnam’s history, American politics and society, and to the nature of war itself. Finally, we will consider the legacy of the war and its meaning in American and Vietnamese memory today.
HIST 559 Topics in Modern Middle East (3)
This seminar focuses on various topics in the history of the Modern Middle East. Topics may include the growth and decline of the Ottoman Empire; Arab and Jewish nationalisms; the paths to independence; or the Iranian revolution. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 560 Topics in Latin American History (3)
This seminar focuses on various topics in the history of Latin America, such as the role of religion and the Catholic Church; 20th-century revolutions and social upheaval; and the history of particular groups, including Amerindians, women, and rural and urban workers. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 564 Topics in Asian History (3)
An in-depth look at special themes and issues in the history of Asia, including such topics as Women in East Asia, Imperialism in Asia, and Asia’s relations with the United States. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 568 Issues in Modern Africa (3)
A critical study of issues confronting Africans in the 20th century. Alternating courses may include Problems in Africa since Independence and the South African Dilemma. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 570 American Environmental History (3)
This class will introduce students to the field of U.S. environmental history. On the one hand, we will examine how nature (soil, natural disasters, disease, water, climate, etc.) influenced the course of American history. On the other, we will address the ways Americans have used technology to transform the non-human world, the implications these transformations have had on power relations within American societies, and the cultural meanings that Americans have given to nature.
HIST 575 Topics in Modern American History (3)
Topics may include the Progressive Era, World War I, Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, United States-Latin American Relations, or other topics in the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the United States from 1865 to the present. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 576 Politics and Memory in U. S. History (3)
In this seminar we will explore the politics of American public commemoration. On the one hand, we will look at how dominant institutions (the National Park Service, history museums, and tourist venues) have remembered (and forgotten) the American past. On the other hand, we will explore vernacular historical expressions and the ways in which minority groups have fought to shape American public memory. The class will use San Diego as a laboratory.
HIST 580 Topics in the History of the American West (3)
This class surveys the history of the American West. Topics include: pre-Columbian Indians, the competition between European empires over the American West; American expansion and conquest; the fur, mining, ranching, and farming “frontiers”; the railroad and populism; WWII and the growth of the urban west; the historical experience of workers, women, and Mexican-, Asian-, Native-, and African Americans; environmental issues such as conservation, preservation, the dust bowl, and water politics; and representations of the West in popular culture. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the topic changes.
HIST 583 Chicano/a History (3)
This class explores the history of the Mexican and Mexican origin people in the United States. The class begins with the European settlement of the Americas and ends with the immigration of Mexicans to the United States in the 20th and 21st century.
HIST 589 History of California (3)
Covers California’s past from its earliest settlements to modern times. The course begins with California’s geographical setting, aboriginal culture, and contact with the European world. A survey of Spanish backgrounds includes missions and missionaries, ranchos, pueblos, and foreign visitors. Changes under the government of Mexico led to California’s conquest by the United States. During the second half, lectures cover generally the effects of the Gold Rush; problems of statehood; constitutional developments; land, labor, and Indian policies; transportation and immigration; agriculture and industry; California during wartime; water projects; political issues; cultural accomplishments; racial diversity; and recent trends. Meets the requirements of California history standards for various teaching credentials.
HIST 595 Thesis (0.5-3)
May be repeated. Thesis must be complete and submitted before credit is given.
HIST 596 Oral Examination (3)
Pass/Fail. Examination must be passed before credit is given.
HIST 598 Internship (3)
See Department Advisers responsible for assignments
of internships.
HIST 599 Independent Study (1-3)
Consult program director for guidelines.
Undergraduate Courses
Under certain circumstances and with special graduate level adjustments, maximum of 6 elective courses may be taken at the undergraduate, upper division level. See the current Undergraduate Bulletin for course descriptions. Course units are in Parenthesis
HIST 310 – Ancient Near East (3)
HIST 311 – Greek Civilization (3)
HIST 312 – Roman Civilization (3)
HIST 321 – The Fall of the Roman Empire, 250-1050 (3)
HIST 322 – Castles and Crusades: Medieval Europe,
1050-1450 (3)
HIST 323 – Medieval Women (3)
HIST 331 – Renaissance and Reformation (3)
HIST 333 – Europe 1600-1800 (3)
HIST 334 – European Art and Architecture in Context (3)
HIST 340 – World War I (3)
HIST 341 – World War II (3)
HIST 345 – Topics in Military History (3)
HIST 346 – Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (3)
HIST 347 – Topics in Modern Europe (3)
HIST 348 – Modern France (3)
HIST 350 – History of the British Isles (3)
HIST 351 – Modern Britain (3)
HIST 352 – The British Empire (3)
HIST 353 – Spain to 1820
HIST 354 – Modern Spain (3)
HIST 355 – Imperial Russia (3)
HIST 356 – Russia since 1917 (3)
HIST 357 – Topics in Russian and East European History (3)
HIST 358 – Topics in Modern World History (3)
HIST 359 – Modern Middle East (3)
HIST 360 – Colonial Latin America (3)
HIST 361 – Modern Latin America (3)
HIST 362 – Topics in Latin American History (3)
HIST 363 – History of Brazil (3)
HIST 364 – Topics in Asian History (3)
HIST 365 – History of China (3)
HIST 366 – History of Japan (3)
HIST 367 – Women in East Asia (3)
HIST 368 – History of Africa (3)
HIST 369 – Issues in Modern Africa (3)
HIST 370 – American Environmental History (3)
HIST 371 – Topics in Early American History (3)
HIST 373 – U.S.-East Asia Relations (3)
HIST 373 – Armed Conflict in American Society (3)
HIST 374 – Civil War and Reconstruction (3)
HIST 375 – Topics in Modern American History (3)
HIST 376 – United States Foreign Relations to 1914 (3)
HIST 377 – United States Foreign Relations since 1914 (3)
HIST 378 – Topics in United States Intellectual and
Social History (3)
HIST 379 – Topics in United States Mass Media History (3)
HIST 380 – History of the American West (3)
HIST 381 – American Indian History (3)
HIST 382 – The Spanish Borderlands (3)
HIST 383 – Chicano History (3)
HIST 384 – History of Mexico (3)
HIST 386 – The Pacific Ocean in History (3)
HIST 387 – History of Baja California (3)
HIST 389 – History of California (3)
HIST 390 – Art and Architecture in California
