Bachelor of Arts in History

The study of history imparts skills that are applicable to all employment endeavors, as it fosters the intellectual rigor and curiosity that results in strong civic engagement.

Studying history makes us better citizens, stronger writers, better critical thinkers and more attuned to the lived experiences of those around us.

Whether you need to craft a strong cover letter, marketing copy, a legal brief, or make a coherent argument for why you deserve a raise, the critical thinking and communication skills you hone as a history major during your time at San Francisco State University will serve your well.

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Bachelor of Arts, History (39 units)

Lower Division Requirements (12 Units):

  • History majors must take twelve lower division units in History. Classes numbered 100-299, with the exception of History 107, can be counted towards this requirement.

Upper Division Requirements (27 units):

Required Courses (6 units)

  • History 300 GWAR with a grade of “C” or better (3 units)
  • History 696 Seminar 

NOTE: Successful completion of History 300 GWAR is required before you can take History 600.

Upper Division Electives (21 units)

The elective course of study must include:

  • 3 Upper Division units of  “US History”
  • 6 Upper Division units of “Area Studies”
    • No more than 3 of which may be European History
  • 3 Upper Division units of “Chronological Breadth”

A single course may be used to fulfill more than one of these requirements.

For example: HIST 604 Islamic World I: 500-1500 would count as an “Area Study” as well as fulfill the “Chronological Breadth” requirement. A full course listing including attributes is available on the department bulletin.

History majors may not choose CR/NC grading in more than two history courses for their major, nor elect CR/NC grading in HIST 300 GW or their proseminar. With the approval of their advisor, students may use up to three units from other departments to count toward their history major.

General Education Requirement: Complementary Studies (12 units)

History majors may fulfil the SFState Complementary Study requirement in several different ways:

  • Any completed minor
  • Any combination of language and/or upper division courses which are complementary to the study of history (examples include: Humanities, International Relations, Political Science, Philosophy, Cinema, English, Jewish Studies, Art, and many others). These units DO NOT need to be from a single discipline.

Each major must include in their course of study:

  • 12 lower division units

    • History courses numbered 100-299, with the exception of History 107, may be used to fulfill this requirement
  • History 300GW GWAR: Historical Methods
  • History 696 Seminar in Historical Methods
  • 3 upper division units of US History
  • 6 upper division units of Area Studies
    • No more than 3 of which may be European History
  • 3 upper division units of Chronological Breadth
  • A single course may be used to meet up to two of the aforementioned requirements
  • Remaining units maybe a combination of the above and "Elective Only" units to meet the 27 unit Upper Division Requirement for the major.
Upper Division History Course attributes
Number Title Attributes Fullfilled Other
300GW GWAR: Historical Methods    Required Course
302 Doing Local History   US History
303 Intro to Oral and Public History   US History
304 Teaching History with Comics   Elective Only
305 Digital History Methods and Practice   Elective Only
305 Digital History Methods and Practice   Elective Only
307 Monsters & Monstrocity Chronological Breadth Elective Only
310 Ancient Near East Chronological Breadth Area Studies
311 Ancient Mediterranean World in Transition Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
313 Love and Sexuality   Elective Only
315 Science from the Scientific Revol.   Elective Only
317 Holocaust and Genocide   Area Studies (Europe)
318 The Holocaust and Law   Area Studies (Europe)
319 Magic in the Ancient Mediterranean Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
320 Archaic and Classical Greece Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
321 Hellenistic Greece Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
322 The Roman Republic Chronological breadth Area Studies (Europe)
323 Imperial Rome Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
324 Greek and Roman Coins Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
325 Late Antiquity Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
326 Byzantine Empire Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
327 Medieval Mediterranean Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
328 Pagans and Christians Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
329 Early Christian Church Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
330 Early Middle Ages Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
331 High Middle Ages Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
332 Jewish History I: Beginnings to 1650 Chronological Breadth Elective Only
334 Renaissance Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
335 Jewish History 2: 1650 to Present   Elective Only
336 Reformation Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
337 Knowing and Unknowing Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
338 Europe and Wider World 1348-1768 Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
339 Pirates and Piracy   Elective Only
340 Saints, Demons and Popular Beliefs in Medieval Europe Chronological Breadth Area Studies (Europe)
342 French Revolution and Napoleon   Area Studies (Europe)
343 Soviet Russia, West and Cold War   Elective Only
344 Nineteenth Century Europe   Area Studies (Europe)
345 Era of Globalization   Elective Only
346 Recent European History   Area Studies (Europe)
347 Women in Modern Europe   Area Studies (Europe)
348 Thought and Culture in Modern Europe   Area Studies (Europe)
349 Topics in European History   Area Studies (Europe)
350 Greece and the Balkans   Area Studies (Europe)
351 Venetians and Ottomans in Eastern Med   Area Studies (Europe)
352 From Glory to Debt: Greece 19th-21st   Area Studies (Europe)
353 History of Mexico   Area Studies
354 History of Brazil   Area Studies
355 History of Women in Latin America   Area Studies
356 Social Change in Modern Latin America   Area Studies
357 Colonial Latin America Chronological Breadth Area Studies
358 Latin America: National Period   Area Studies
359 Central America & Caribbean Chronological Breadth Area Studies
360 Ancient Chinese Civilization Chronological Breadth Area Studies
361 Imperial China Chronological Breadth Area Studies
362 History of Modern China   Area Studies
363 Taiwan: History, Memory, Imagination   Area Studies
364 Women in China and Japan   Area Studies
365 History of Japan Chronological Breadth Area Studies
366 Approaches to the African Past Chronological Breadth Area Studies
367 History of Africa Chronological Breadth Area Studies
368 Modern Africa   Area Studies
369 Gender in African History   Area Studies
370 Tales from Ancient India Chronological Breadth Area Studies
371 Islam in South Asia: 1000 to Present Chronological Breadth Area Studies
372 India and the British Empire   Area Studies
373 India Since Gandhi   Area Studies
374 Bollywood and Beyond   Area Studies
376 History of Southeast Asia   Area Studies
379 Topics in Asian History   Area Studies
380 Islamic World I: 500-1500 Chronological Breadth Area Studies
381 Islamic Wolrd II: 1500-Present   Area Studies
382 History of Iran and Afghanistan   Area Studies
383 Imperial. and Nation. In Recent Near East   Area Studies
385 Russian Revolution   Area Studies (Europe)
390 Era of the World Wars 1918-1945   Elective Only
391 Engaging Democracy: Historical Debates   Elective Only
395 International History 1814-1918   Area Studies (Europe)
398 Modern European Imperialism   Area Studies (Europe)
399 Topics in World History   Area Studies
405 Maritime History   Elective Only
416 The Jewish Sixties   US History
418 Society and Politics in American History   US History
420 American Colonial History Chronological Breadth US History
421 Food Fights: American Jewish Consump   US History
422 American Revolution   US History
424 US: Civil War and Reconstruction   US History
426 US: 1877-1916   US History
427 US: 1916-1945   US History
428 US Since 1945   US History
441 American Jews & Popular Culture   US History
448 The American West   US History
449 American Jewish History   US History
450 History of California   US History
451 Bay Area History and Society   US History
455 Philippines and US   Elective Only
460 US and World Before 1913   US History
461 US and world After 1913   US History
462 Making Whites: Race-Making in US   US History
464 American Ethnic and Racial to 1890   US History
465 American Ethnic and Racial 1890-Present   US History
466 History of People of Color in the US   US History
467 Women in the US to 1890   US History
468 Women in the US 1890-Present   US History
469 American Childhoods   US History
470 US Constitution to 1896   US History
471 US Constitution since 1896   US History
472 Courts, Politics, and Social Change   US History
473 Unfree Labor in Early America   US History
474 History of Labor in the US   US History
475 History of Sexuality in US before 1900   US History
476 American Environmental History   US History
478 American Popular Culture History   US History
479 History of Baseball   US History
480 Thought and Culture America to 1880   US History
481 Thought and Culture  America 1880-Present   US History
482 Religion in America   US History
484 Disability and Culture in theUS   US History
485 History of Sexuality in US since 1900   US History
489 Dynamics of the American City   Elective Only
490 Topics in American history   US History
680 Archives or Historical Agency Intership   Elective Only (up to 3 units)
681 Community Service Learning in Schools   Elective Only (up to 3 units)
690 Editing and Publishing History Journal   Elective Only (up to 3 units)
696 Seminar in Historical Methods (Variable Topic)   Required Course
697 Honors Thesis (for Honors Certificate only)   Certificate ONLY Required Course
698 Directed Reading in History   Elective Only
699 Independent Study   Elective Only (up to 6 units)

To Apply to the Bachelor of Arts Program: