300 Humanities Office Building; (714) 824-6521
Steven C. Topik, Department Chair
Faculty
Marjorie A. Beale, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Assistant Professor of History (European intellectual and cultural)
Dickson D. Bruce, Jr., Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania, Professor of History (American culture, African-American history)
Yong Chen, Ph.D. Cornell University, Assistant Professor of History and Asian American Studies (Asian American history)
Cornelia H. Dayton, Ph.D. Princeton University, Associate Professor of History (Early American, legal and social, women's)
Alice Fahs, Ph.D. New York University, Assistant Professor of History (U.S. intellectual/cultural history)
Thelma Foote, Ph.D. Harvard University, Assistant Professor of History and African-American Studies (early America, African-American history)
Richard I. Frank, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Associate Professor of History and Classics (Roman empire, Classics)
Dorothy Fujita-Rony, Ph.D. Yale University, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies and History (Asian American, Filipino American history)
Jeff Garcilazo, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, Assistant Professor of Chicano/Latino studies and History (Chicana/Chicano and Latina/Latino Studies, American working-class)
James B. Given, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor of History (medieval Europe)
Douglas M. Haynes, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Assistant Professor of History (social and cultural history of modern Britain, social history of modern medicine)
Lamar M. Hill, Ph.D. University of London, Professor of History (Tudor-Stuart Britain)
Robert V. Hine, Ph.D. Yale University, Professor Emeritus of History (intellectual history of the American West)
Karl G. Hufbauer, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of History (social history of science)
Jon S. Jacobson, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of History (European international)
Michael P. Johnson, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor Emeritus of History (American social and political)
Lynn Mally, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Associate Professor of History (modern Russian and Soviet)
Samuel C. McCulloch, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Professor Emeritus of History (British empire and commonwealth)
Henry Cord Meyer, Ph.D. Yale University, Professor Emeritus of History (twentieth-century Europe)
Robert G. Moeller, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of History (modern Germany, European women)
Keith L. Nelson, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of History (American foreign relations)
Patricia A. O'Brien, Ph.D. Columbia University, Director of the UC Humanities Research Institute and Professor of History (modern French social)
Spencer C. Olin, Ph.D. Claremont Graduate School, Professor of History (American social and political)
Kenneth L. Pomeranz, Ph.D. Yale University, Associate Professor of History (modern Chinese)
Mark S. Poster, Ph.D. New York University, Professor of History and of Information and Computer Science (modern European intellectual)
Kathryn Ragsdale, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Assistant Adjunct Professor (social and cultural history of modern Japan)
David C. Rankin, Ph.D. The Johns Hopkins University, Associate Adjunct Professor of History (American social, African-American)
Jaime E. Rodríguez, Ph.D. University of Texas, Professor of History (Latin America, Mexico)
Daniel Schroeter, Ph.D. University of Manchester, Director of Religious Studies, Associate Professor of History, and Teller Family Chair in Jewish History (Jewish history, Middle East and North Africa)
Timothy Tackett, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor of History (Old Regime Europe, French Revolution)
Tanis Thorne, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Assistant Adjunct Professor of History and Social Ecology
Heidi Tinsman, Ph.D. Yale University, Assistant Professor of History
Steven C. Topik, Ph.D. University of Texas, Department Chair and Professor of History (Latin America)
Anne Walthall, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Professor of History (early modern and modern Japan)
Jonathan M. Wiener, Ph.D. Harvard University, Professor of History (recent American, theory and history)
R. Bin Wong, Ph.D. Harvard University, Professor of History (modern Chinese, comparative economic)
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, most of which fulfill part of the UCI breadth requirement. 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 are conducted as discussion groups and involve close reading and analysis of secondary texts. The research seminar is a one-quarter seminar in primary materials that culminates in the writing of a research paper.
The faculty encourages History majors and minors to study abroad and experience a different culture while making progress toward their UCI degree. 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 training and discipline derived from historical studies provide a valuable experience for all educated persons seeking to understand themselves and their world. Many students who complete undergraduate degrees in the Department of History go on to graduate school in a variety of fields, including history, law, business, international relations, and teacher education. The study of history is valuable preparation for many other careers as well. The strong academic and professional orientation acquired by History majors is necessary to pursue successful careers in such diverse fields as advertising, banking, journalism, management, public relations, publishing, and government service.
The Career and Life Planning Center provides services to UCI students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. See the Career and Life Planning Center section for additional information.
University Requirements: See pages 5761.
School Requirements: See page 190.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
Fourteen courses are required: a year-long survey selected from world history (History 21A, 21B, 21C), United States history (History 40A, 40B, 40C), European history (History 41A, 41B, 41C), Latin American history (History 42A, 42B, 42C), or East Asian history (History 43A, 43B, 43C); five upper-division History courses; two colloquia (History 190), one of which is followed by a research seminar (History 192); and three additional lower- or upper-division History courses.
If a student has satisfied the survey requirement with United States or European history, then at least two of the other required History courses selected must deal with Latin American, East Asian, Middle Eastern, North African, or world history. Conversely, if a student has satisfied the survey requirement with Latin American or East Asian history, then at least two of the other required History courses selected must deal with United States or European history.
Residence Requirement for the Major: Three history courses, a colloquium, and a research seminar must be completed successfully at UCI.
Departmental Requirements for the Minor
Seven courses are required: a year-long survey in world history (History 21A, 21B, 21C), United States history (History 40A, 40B, 40C), European history (History 41A, 41B, 41C), Latin American history (History 42A, 42B, 42C), East Asian history (History 43A, 43B, 43C), or Crises and Revolutions (History 50, three different topics required); and four upper-division History courses.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: At least four upper-division History courses must be completed successfully at UCI.
The graduate program leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History is designed to provide students with both advanced historical skills and a rigorous grounding in historical theory. This combination of theoretical study with training in historical method reflects the Department's conviction that scholars should be encouraged to deal with significant questions about the past and to approach these questions in a methodologically sophisticated way. This approach requires that the student develop the critical abilities necessary to deal with primary sources, secondary syntheses, and the interrelationship of history and theory. Candidates for an advanced degree in History are expected to gain teaching experience as an integral part of their graduate training. Ordinarily this is accomplished through service as a Teaching Assistant.
Basic to the curriculum is the Department's course in History and Theory which deals with both theoretical texts and historical studies that have utilized theoretical concepts and models. The course directs attention to the diverse implications of modernity, to the groups who dominated and were dominated by it, and to the costs and benefits of the process. These matters can be studied most satisfactorily by the historian whose theoretical self-consciousness and methodological facility have been systematically and carefully developed.
The colloquium, a reading course that examines a field's chief historical works, enriches the student's knowledge of the main areas of historical research and develops critical reading skills. Colloquium series are offered yearly in American history and modern European history, biannually (depending on demand) in early modern European history, Latin American history, East Asian history, and ancient history, and occasionally in medieval history. A student may prepare a dissertation in any of these fields.
In addition to the History and Theory sequence and the major field colloquia, students also take a proseminar/research seminar sequence during their first year. The proseminar provides an orientation to the literature on a broad historical subject, and the associated seminar offers guidance in research and writing on problems within this broad area. Students awarded M.A. degrees at other institutions before entering the graduate program at UCI may be exempted from this requirement, subject to evaluation of their M.A. theses.
During the second year of study, Ph.D. students normally take a colloquium series in their second field. They also take a two-quarter research seminar where they have an opportunity to work on problems of their own choosing; students who entered the program with an M.A. degree must also take this seminar. In addition, independent reading and research courses are provided for advanced, specialized study in tutorial form.
The immediate objective for the doctoral student is to develop two fields of competence in addition to History and Theory. Competence in the two fields is demonstrated by the satisfactory completion of three courses in each of these areas. A comprehensive oral examination on the student's major field follows fulfillment of all degree requirements. However, those students who elect a second field administered by another program or department (e.g., Critical Theory) must complete requirements, which sometimes include a written examination, for that field. Competence in History and Theory is demonstrated by satisfactory completion of History 200A and 200B. History 200C may be taken as an elective.
The subsequent objective, to write a distinctive dissertation, is of crucial importance. To assist in accomplishing both objectives, the Department offers intensive consultation with the faculty as well as a lively intellectual atmosphere. Students have long shared in the decision-making processes of the Department, which engages the entire historical community at UCI in the collective pursuit of excellence. Students profit also from a vigorous visiting speakers program that brings scholars from other campuses and other nations to meet and interact with UCI students and faculty.
Requirements for Admission. Although it is desirable that an applicant have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in History, the Department also accepts students who have previously specialized in other subject areas and who show promise of sustained and self-disciplined work in history. Typically, a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.3 (B+) is required for admission, with evidence of better work in history. In addition, all applicants are asked to submit three letters of recommendation and scores from the Graduate Record Examination. An example of written work in history from undergraduate courses is also required. Students are accepted for admission for fall quarter only, and the deadline for application for fall admission is February 1.
Program of Study. The M.A. program emphasizes the theoretical and historiographical dimensions of history. Each candidate for the M.A. will choose a graduate advisor who will supervise the student's program. Nine courses are required for the degree: two in History and Theory (History 200A and 200B), three in a colloquium series, three in proseminars (or two in proseminars and one in History 200C), and one in a related first-year research seminar. Students intending to pursue the Ph.D. should begin at once to delineate doctoral interests in order to fit their work for the M.A. into the total program.
Language Requirement. Normally a reading knowledge of one foreign language is required for the M.A. degree. Students in American history, with an advisor's permission, may substitute a one-quarter departmental course in quantitative methods for the M.A. foreign language requirement. Language competency is demonstrated by passing a departmental examination administered by a faculty member proficient in the chosen language.
Comprehensive Examination. At the end of the final quarter the M.A. candidate must pass a comprehensive oral examination covering the student's major field (e.g., America, Early Modern Europe) and focusing upon material assigned in the three-quarter colloquium series.
Time Limits. The M.A. requires a minimum of one year in academic residence and must be completed in no more than two years of graduate study.
Requirements for Admission. Applicants submit transcripts, three letters of recommendation, aptitude scores from the Graduate Record Examination, and a sample of written work. In addition, a departmental interview may be required.
Ph.D. students are advised to begin their graduate work at UCI, since those who have taken the M.A. elsewhere will be expected to enroll in the same courses that are required of all incoming students, with the exception of the First-Year Research Seminar. Subject to evaluation of their M.A. theses, these students will be exempted from this requirement. In the second and third years, the greater experience of those who enter with an M.A. may work to advantage in speeding them to the qualifying examination.
To be admitted formally into the doctoral program, students must satisfactorily pass a departmental evaluation at the end of their first year of study; this includes students who entered with an M.A. from another institution.
Incoming students are admitted for fall quarter only, and the deadline for application for fall admission is February 1.
Art History. A concentration in Art History, leading to the Ph.D. degree in History, is available through the Departments of Art History and History. Information is available in the Department of Art History section of the Catalogue.
Feminist Studies. A graduate emphasis in Feminist Studies also is available. Refer to the Women's Studies section of the Catalogue for information.
Program of Study. The Department requires doctoral students to prepare themselves in three different areas:
1. History and Theory.
2. The first field (such as Modern Europe), which is designed as a teaching field as well as the focus of the student's dissertation.
3. The second field (such as American History or Critical Theory), which is designed as a second teaching field.
The courses required in this preparation include the History and Theory sequence, colloquium series in both fields, First-Year Proseminar/Research Seminar sequence, and the Second-Year Research Seminar. The normal academic load is three courses per quarter. However, applicants may be eligible for approved part-time status, which allows students to take a lighter course load at reduced fees for a maximum of two academic years.
Every doctoral student will be assisted by a departmental advisor in the student's general area of study who will be responsible for approving defined fields, guiding the student to consultant faculty, and supervising the examination.
Language Requirements. All students, except as specified below, must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages prior to taking the Ph.D. candidacy qualifying examination. Competency in a language may be established either by passing a departmental examination or through extensive language use in one of the research seminars. The specific languages that may be used to satisfy this requirement depend on the student's first field.
Students in American history may use a substitute for one of their languages. They may take either the Department's graduate course in quantitative methods or two graduate courses in an allied discipline (e.g., critical theory, political theory, cultural anthropology, feminist theory, art history linguistics). Students pursuing the second option are expected to write a substantial paper that demonstrates the value of the allied discipline to historical inquiry. The two courses for the second option may not count toward fulfilling the requirement for the second field.
Qualifying Examination and Dissertation. In preparation for the oral Qualifying Examination, the student will present to the Ph.D. Candidacy Committee a portfolio of three papers totaling at least 45 pages on subjects related to the major field. Successful completion of this examination results in the student's advancement to Ph.D. candidacy. Within one academic quarter of the oral examination, new candidates must meet in a colloquy with their Doctoral Committee to present their dissertation proposal. Once the Doctoral Committee approves the proposal, the student begins intensive work upon the dissertation. The research and writing involved in this effort are expected to require from one to three years. At the end of this period an oral defense of the dissertation normally will be held, focusing on the adequacy of the student's research and thesis.
Students who enter with normal academic preparation and pursue a full-time program of study should be able to earn the Ph.D. degree within six years.
