SJSU Catalog

History Department

Introduction

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 annual 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.

At the graduate level, our primary fields of study are Gender History, American History, Ancient-Medieval History, Modern European History and World History. Other specializations can be arranged. Graduate students pursue studies in two fields. To earn the MA degree each student must also meet a foreign language or research skill requirement and either complete a master's thesis or, in fields where it is offered, a comprehensive examination. For the MA Concentration in History Education see below. Graduate students are eligible to apply for departmental scholarships. Graduate courses are offered in the late afternoon or evening for the convenience of working students.

History graduate students have won the university's Outstanding Thesis competition. MA graduates have been accepted into PhD programs ranging from Stanford University and University of California campuses to such diverse institutions as the New School for Social Research, Tulane University and Oxford University. Among our distinguished alumni is Professor Linda Cooke Johnson of Michigan State University, editor of The Historian, the national journal of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society.

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.

Advising

The History Department has undergraduate and graduate advisors and students are encouraged to call or visit during regular office hours. We encourage students to maintain close contact with their advisor to insure that requirements are being met.

Transfers

Community college courses evaluated as equivalent to SJSU courses in the lower division are transferable. This includes the six-unit lower division requirement in the history major.

Upper division courses in history completed at four-year institutions can also be applied to the requirements for the history major. However, 12 units of course work must be earned on the SJSU campus for the major; six for the minor.

Graduate Applicants

An undergraduate major in history is not required for entry into the graduate program, but an applicant with insufficient preparation may be required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in up to 15 units of upper division history courses before being admitted as a classified graduate student.

In addition to submitting an application to Student Services, graduate applicants should have three letters of recommendation sent directly to the History Department's graduate advisor.

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". HIST 101 and HIST 180H normally will be open only to qualified seniors.