History is about the past, but it is also about understanding the world we live in today. Our faculty seek to understand and help you understand how the challenges that confront us today like economic inequality, environmental degradation, and racism developed and changed over time. We also explore the patterns of social movements and political transformation that help us understand how people change the world.

Students often think of studying history as a matter of memorizing names and dates. While having a command of basic facts is important, college-level study of history shifts the focus to learning how to ask illuminating questions about the past. History majors at the University of California, Santa Cruz, cultivate a broad understanding of human history across time and space and develop deep knowledge of a particular region of the world. At the same time, they learn how to ask transformative questions, develop their ability to answer them through effective research, and convey their ideas clearly and persuasively through strong communication skills.

Students and their parents alike often express the sentiment that history is fascinating, but sometimes raise questions about its practicality as a college major. However, substantial research demonstrates that history majors thrive in their careers, and employers often express a need for the skills that studying history instills. A history major isn’t just fascinating; it’s a path to success. History majors develop skills in critical reading, effective research, analytical thinking, and clear, persuasive communication. Such skills are the essential foundation for jobs directly connected with the field, like teaching, research, and working in public history venues such as museums, archives, and libraries. These skills are also invaluable to careers in law, business, government, foreign service, management, publishing, journalism, social media, and many other areas. The ability to identify and access salient information, evaluate it critically, and use it to engage in constructive debate is essential for navigating a complex, dynamic, and global world. Visit our website for selected reports on the value of the history major.

Kết quả học tập của chương trình

Students who complete the history major graduate with the following:

History

✔ Understanding of a basic narrative of historical events in a specific region of the world.

Critical Reading

✔ The ability to distinguish primary and secondary sources.

✔ The ability to evaluate historical ideas, arguments, and points of view.

✔ The ability to evaluate competing interpretations and multiple narratives of the past.

Research and Evidence

✔ The ability to gather and assess primary historical evidence.

✔ The ability to compile a bibliography.

Truyền thông

✔ The ability to present clear and compelling arguments, based on critical analysis of diverse historical sources, and effectively communicate your interpretations in written essays and/or other media.

✔ The ability to develop a research question and complete a well-supported piece of historical writing about it.

Scope and Thematics

✔ Through completion of a combination of courses, become familiar with the history of:

    - The pre-modern world

    - The modern world

    - Transnational or transcultural circulations of ideas, people, and material goods

    - One or more national histories

    - Regional comparisons