The undergraduate program in history is designed to develop critical intelligence and to foster an awareness of ourselves and our world through the study of the past. The Department presents a variety of approaches to history, and each emphasizes basic disciplinary skills: weighing evidence, constructing logical arguments, and exploring the role of theory in historical analysis and human action.

The Department offers a number of lower-division courses open to nonmajors as well as majors, many of which fulfill part of the UCI breadth requirements. The Department requires all majors to take a survey course in world history, United States history, European history, Latin American history, or East Asian history. These courses are also open to nonmajors.

Students who are interested in the study of history but are majoring in other disciplines may minor in history. The minor incorporates elements of the Department's program for majors but allows students enough flexibility to pursue programs in other departments and schools.

Upper-division courses range from the examination of individual nation-states (e.g., Chinese history), to studies of the relations among nation-states (e.g., European International History), to historical analyses of political, socio-economic, and cultural factors (e.g., Women in the United States). Students are also provided the opportunity for small-group learning experiences in a series of colloquia in social history, political history, international history, intellectual history, social thought, and comparative history. The colloquia, History 100W and 190, are conducted as discussion groups and involve close reading and analysis of primary and secondary texts.

The faculty encourages history majors and minors to study abroad and experience a different culture while making progress toward their UCI degree.

Click here to learn more about studying history abroad. The Center for International Education, which includes the Education Abroad Program (EAP) and the International Opportunities Program (IOP), assists students in taking advantage of the many worldwide opportunities that can provide other perspectives on history. See the Center for International Education section of the Catalogue or your academic counselor for additional information.

The tentative course offerings for the School of Humanities (listed by department) for 2012-2013 can be found here. Please note that the Winter and Spring 2013 schedules are subject to change.

If you have specific questions about the undergraduate program, please email Professor Yong Chen (y3chen@uci.edu), the Director of Undergraduate Studies or Lubabah Memon (lmemon@uci.edu), the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.