Advising Hours

• Contact the department for advising hours.

Impaction Criteria

• Undergraduate Program

Degree Requirements

• BA - History

Major Requirements

• Requirements for B.A. Program in History (PDF)

Major Form

• B.A. Major Form (PDF)
  

Secondary History/Social Sciences Preparation for Teaching

• If you plan to teach Secondary/Social Sciences (PDF)

Minor Requirements

• Requirements for History Minor (PDF)
• Requirements for Minor in Area Studies (PDF)

Minors

• Minor - Ancient and Medieval History
• Minor - Asian History
• Minor - European History
• Minor - Jewish Studies
• Minor - Latin American History
• Minor - Military History
• Minor - United States History
• Minor - General History
• Minor - Area Studies

About the Department

Knowledge of the past is a prerequisite for understanding the present and preparing for the future. The History Department at San José State University offers courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, designed to enable students to comprehend the forces that have shaped the United States and the world.

In addition to producing teachers and historians, the History Department prepares students for other careers. History students develop critical thinking skills and learn to write clearly and precisely, abilities applicable in a wide variety of occupations. History is a particularly appropriate undergraduate major or minor for students who want to enter law or medical schools or other professional programs.

Qualified majors are eligible to participate in the honors program. Outstanding student research papers are published in the journal Passports, and each spring students compete for departmental scholarships. The active local chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society, promotes academic and social activities for students.

In addition to a strong commitment to hands on teaching, History Department faculty members have had works published by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and the University of California Press, among others.

Faculty and students conducting research draw upon the special resources of the University Library, noted for its strong collections in California and military history. A recently established Legislators Archive is centered around the voluminous papers of longtime Congressman Don Edwards. Other research facilities located in the immediate area are the San José Historical Museum, the California History Center at DeAnza College and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Honors Program in History

A student may qualify for admission to the History Department honors program provided he or she is a history major or minor or a Social Science major who has completed 15 upper division units in history. To apply to History Honors the student must have an overall GPA of 3.0, a GPA of 3.5 for all history upper division courses, or the permission of the chair. If accepted, the students must complete HIST 101 and 180H, each with a grade of "A" or "B" or the equivalents. HIST 101 and HIST 180H normally will be open only to qualified seniors.