Discover the History Curriculum
History at USD boasts a faculty of innovative researchers and inspiring teachers dedicated to helping students master important skills that will serve them for the rest of their life. Students learn how to write and speak with precision, use evidence effectively, make convincing arguments and place current events in historical context.
Engaging classes cover the globe and address all historical periods from the ancient world to the current moment. During senior year, students work closely with faculty mentors to research and write an original senior thesis that contributes to our understanding of the past.
Major
Our major offers engaging classes that cover the globe and address all historical periods from the ancient world to the current moment. During senior year, students work closely with faculty mentors and research and write an original senior thesis that contributes to our understanding of the past.
Minor
The history minor is an open-ended program that teaches students foundational courses in history as well as various elective courses on special topics.
Explore History Courses
Read descriptions of our current History classes on our Courses page! Not all courses offered below will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
37 units
Major
18 units
Minor
Major unit estimates include preparation for the major course units as well as major requirements.
Please note: Other 300 level courses can be substituted for HIST 300 Junior Seminar with instructor and chair approval.
- Major
- Minor
- Learning Outcomes
The History Major
Lower-Division Preparation for the Major (9 units) | ||
Select 6 units of lower-division history classes: | 6 | |
HIST 102 | The Ancient World | |
HIST 103 | The Medieval World | |
HIST 108 | The Atlantic World 1500-1800 | |
HIST 109 | The Pacific World, 1500-1800 | |
HIST 110 | World History Topics | |
HIST 115 | Topics in War and Peace in Historical Perspective | |
HIST 116 | War and Peace in the Modern World | |
HIST 117 | U.S. History to 1877 | |
HIST 118 | U.S. History, 1877 to the Present | |
HIST 120 | U.S. History Topics | |
HIST 121 | Africa to 1800 | |
HIST 122 | Africa Since 1800 | |
HIST 125 | Race and Ethnicity in the American Experience | |
HIST 126 | American Women in History | |
HIST 128 | African American History | |
HIST 130 | East Asia in Transformation | |
HIST 135 | Topics in the History of Culture and Identity | |
HIST 140 | Modern Europe | |
HIST 145 | Topics in Urban History | |
HIST 150 | Topics in Comparative History | |
HIST 155 | Topics in History, Literature, and Film | |
HIST 160 | Topics in History of Science and Technology | |
HIST 170 | Big History: From Cosmos to Cannibals | |
HIST 171 | Modern World History | |
HIST 172 | Fundamentals of Africana Studies I | |
HIST 180 | Great Moments in Time | |
HIST 194 | Special Topics in History | |
The Historian's Craft Requirement | ||
Take this class your sophomore year | ||
HIST 200 | The Historian's Craft | 3 |
Upper-Division Major Requirements (28 units) | ||
Select 21 units of upper-division history courses | 21 | |
Junior Seminar Requirement | ||
The following course should be taken during the junior year: | ||
HIST 300 | Junior Seminar | 3 |
Senior Thesis Requirement | ||
The following courses must be taken consecutively during the senior year (if you plan on graduating in December, please speak to your advisor): | ||
HIST 490 | Introduction To Senior Seminar | 1 |
HIST 495 | Senior Research Seminar | 3 |
U.S. History Requirement | ||
Students must take at least one lower-division or upper-division class in US history. | ||
HIST 117 | U.S. History to 1877 | |
HIST 118 | U.S. History, 1877 to the Present | |
HIST 120 | U.S. History Topics | |
HIST 125 | Race and Ethnicity in the American Experience | |
HIST 126 | American Women in History | |
HIST 128 | African American History | |
HIST 192 | Topics in U.S. History | |
HIST 339 | Americans in Paris through War and Peace | |
HIST 349 | The Vietnam Wars | |
HIST 370 | U.S. Environmental History | |
HIST 372 | United States-East Asia Relations | |
HIST 373 | Armed Conflict and American Society | |
HIST 374 | Civil War and Reconstruction | |
HIST 375 | Topics in U.S. History | |
HIST 376 | U.S. Foreign Relations in the Long 19th Century | |
HIST 377 | Twentieth Century U.S. Foreign Relations | |
HIST 380 | History of the American West | |
HIST 381 | American Indian History | |
HIST 383 | Chicano/a/x History | |
HIST 385 | African American Women's History | |
HIST 388 | Art and Architecture in California | |
HIST 389 | History of California | |
HIST 392 | History in the Community | |
HIST 393 | Museum Studies and Historic Preservation | |
Geographic Requirements | ||
Students must take at least one lower-division or upper-division class in at least three of the seven geographical areas: Latin America/Caribbean; Europe; Africa; Middle East/South Asia; East Asia; Oceania; Global/Transnational. | ||
Latin America/Caribbean | ||
HIST 361 | Modern Latin America | |
HIST 362 | Topics in Latin America History | |
HIST 363 | History of Brazil | |
HIST 382 | The Spanish Southwest | |
HIST 383 | Chicano/a/x History | |
HIST 384 | History of Mexico | |
HIST 389 | History of California | |
Europe | ||
HIST 103 | The Medieval World | |
HIST 140 | Modern Europe | |
HIST 191 | Topics in European History | |
HIST 311 | Greek Civilization | |
HIST 312 | Roman Civilization | |
HIST 321 | The Fall of the Roman Empire | |
HIST 322 | Castles and Crusades: Medieval Europe, 1050-1450 | |
HIST 324 | Christians, Muslims and Jews in Medieval Spain | |
HIST 331 | The Global Renaissance | |
HIST 332 | Role-Playing the Renaissance | |
HIST 333 | Europe 1600-1800 | |
HIST 335 | The Victorians in Literature & Film | |
HIST 339 | Americans in Paris through War and Peace | |
HIST 340 | World War I | |
HIST 341 | World War II | |
HIST 342 | From Subjects to Citizens: Nation Building in France and India | |
HIST 343 | History of Germany Since 1945 | |
HIST 346 | Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Europe | |
HIST 347 | Topics in Modern Europe | |
HIST 348 | France in Revolution and War | |
HIST 350 | England 1348-1688: Plague to Revolution | |
HIST 351 | Modern Britain | |
HIST 352 | Victorian Britain and the World | |
HIST 353 | Topics in Russian and East European History | |
HIST 354 | History of Spain | |
Africa | ||
HIST 121 | Africa to 1800 | |
HIST 122 | Africa Since 1800 | |
HIST 172 | Fundamentals of Africana Studies I | |
HIST 302 | History of South Africa | |
HIST 303 | African Feminisms: History, Negotiation, Belonging | |
HIST 304 | Africa in the Western Imagination | |
HIST 305 | Queering Colonialism: Bodies, Negotiation, Belonging | |
Middle East/South Asia | ||
HIST 342 | From Subjects to Citizens: Nation Building in France and India | |
HIST 355 | Ancient Near East | |
HIST 359 | Modern Middle East | |
East Asia | ||
HIST 130 | East Asia in Transformation | |
HIST 349 | The Vietnam Wars | |
HIST 364 | Topics in Asian History | |
HIST 365 | China: Rise to Global Power | |
HIST 366 | Japan: Samurai to Subaru | |
HIST 367 | Women's Lives in East Asia | |
HIST 372 | United States-East Asia Relations | |
Oceania | ||
HIST 109 | The Pacific World, 1500-1800 | |
Global/Transnational | ||
HIST 102 | The Ancient World | |
HIST 108 | The Atlantic World 1500-1800 | |
HIST 109 | The Pacific World, 1500-1800 | |
HIST 110 | World History Topics | |
HIST 115 | Topics in War and Peace in Historical Perspective | |
HIST 116 | War and Peace in the Modern World | |
HIST 170 | Big History: From Cosmos to Cannibals | |
HIST 171 | Modern World History | |
HIST 190 | Topics in World History | |
HIST 303 | African Feminisms: History, Negotiation, Belonging | |
HIST 305 | Queering Colonialism: Bodies, Negotiation, Belonging | |
HIST 340 | World War I | |
HIST 341 | World War II | |
HIST 373 | Armed Conflict and American Society | |
HIST 376 | U.S. Foreign Relations in the Long 19th Century | |
HIST 377 | Twentieth Century U.S. Foreign Relations | |
HIST 378 | The History of World War I and World War II through Literature and Film | |
HIST 352 | Victorian Britain and the World | |
Total Units | 37 | |
Students should plan their upper-division courses in consultation with their major advisor.
Students can choose to do an internship (HIST 398, HIST 498) at one of the many museums and historical societies located in San Diego, or they can work as a research assistant (HIST 496) on a faculty project. Students can also opt to take an Independent Study (HIST 499), a tutorial with a faculty member on a specialized topic. These three classes can be taken for one, two, or three units. Students interested in teaching as a career should take (HIST 492), one unit of history tutoring in City Heights.
At least 15 of the 28 upper-division units must be taken at USD. No more than 6 non-USD units taken abroad will be accepted for credit toward the history major.