Department of History

Survey of the peoples, cultures, and social, economic, and political systems that have characterized the world’s major civilizations in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania from 1700 to present.

Prehistory to 800 CE. History 4A introduces students to the histories of the ancient Near East, North Africa and Europe, an understanding of which is important for studying later European history. Lectures and readings examine cultural, economic, intellectual, military, political, religious, and other aspects of the period. Weekly small group sections in which students discuss historical sources and methods are an essential part of this course.

Survey of the history of Modern Europe, 1650-present. Discusses the major social, political, religious, and cultural characteristics and developments of the period, as well as key interactions between Europe and other parts of the world. Weekly discussion sections are an important feature of this course, enabling students to develop and expand upon material presented during the lecture hour.

History 8A-B are general survey courses designed to introduce students to major themes in Latin American history. This course encompasses the crisis of colonial rule in the late eighteenth century, independence wars in the early nineteenth century, and the birth and transformations of independent republics from Mexico through the Caribbean to the Andes and the Southern Cone, into the twenty-first century. The course emphasizes the diversity of the Latin American experience with special attention to political processes and social transformations including revolutions, slavery and its legacies, and the struggle for citizenship and democracy, with particular attention to the working classes and ingenious movements.  

Through studying a particular topic in history, students gain insight into historical methods and skills. Course designed for freshmen and sophomore history majors or prospective majors. Others may enroll by permission of instructor. Topics vary by quarter and instructor.

Through studying a particular topic in history, students gain insight into historical methods and skills. Course designed for freshmen and sophomore history majors or prospective majors. Others may enroll by permission of instructor. Topics vary by quarter and instructor.

World War I to the present. A survey of the leading issues in american lifefrom colonial times to the present. The course focuses on politics, cultural development, social conflict, economic life, foreign policy, and influential ideas. Features discussion sections.

Introduces students to the history of the Middle East from the rise of Islam until the nineteenth-century Ottoman reforms known as the Tanzimat. Subjects covered include the early caliphates, the influence of Turkic and Mongolian peoples on the region, the Crusades and jihad, the Ottoman and Safavid dynasties, and the interactions between people of different cultural and religious backgrounds in the region.

Modern Iranian history from the 1906 Constitutional Revolution to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the post- revolutionary years. Shi’i Islam, the rise of nationalism, the quest for modernization, democracy and authoritarianism, and imperialism and politics of oil.

1945 to present. History 49-A- B-C is a general survey course designed to introduce students to major themes in African history. The course focuses on colonialism and decolonization, nationalism and self-liberation, development and neocolonialism, Cold War contexts, as well as African experiences of independence and the everyday in our contemporary, global world. Weekly discussion sections are an important feature of this course, enabling students to develop and expand upon material presented during lecture.

Undergraduate research seminar exploring the histories of sex and sexuality from the late-18th through to the 21st century. Focuses on the changing social, cultural, legal, and political meanings of sex and sexuality in its varied forms. Students conduct historical research in a seminar context, using both primary and secondary source materials, to produce an original and substantial research paper.

Surveys social history of technology in American life with attention to 19th and 20th centuries. Focuses on history of U.S. industrialization, the place of innovation in U.S. history, and role of technology in intellectual, political, and social life.

History of the Persian Empire from its formation under Cyrus II of Anshan (r. 559-530 BCE) to the conquests of Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BCE).

This course will be a discussion, reading of a single document, and critique of your peers’ papers. Certain principles and rules for the study of history will be discussed. The main thrust of the course, however, is the analysis and writing of one or two short (500 to 600) word papers on some excerpts translated from one of Richelieu’s most famous writings, The Political Testament.

Using historical and contemporary films, this class examines and analyzes interpretations of the U.S.-Mexico border as well as the myriad of characters who roam the borderlands, including migrants, border patrol agents, smugglers, and humanitarians. The films include English- and Spanish-language popular films, independent films, and documentaries.

The failure of the Caliphate and the search for a new political order; Turkish military and political domination; the structures of urban society; the rebirth of Persian literature; the classical formulations of Islamic religious thought.

All colonial projects had to face the problem of linguistic differences. The ways in which they did so varied widely and are very revealing of their different ambitions, ideological foundations, and local circumstances. Explores the history of colonialism comparatively from the perspective of language, from the late fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, in the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

A research seminar in Latin American history. Students will conduct historical research in a seminar context, using both primary and secondary source materials, to produce an original and substantial research paper. Topics addressed: defining a research problem, identifying an original topic, conducting research, citing sources, and presenting results. Intensive writing required.

Explores the intersectionality of honor, gender, race, and class during the colonial period and the nineteenth century, in the Americas, with an emphasis in Iberoamerica. Looks into the ways in which these notes, ideas, or concepts served as a metaphor for policies, rights, inclusion, and discrimination. Through the reading of secondary and primary sources, we explore ways in which women and men from different backgrounds and ethnicities negotiated, internalized and resisted hegemonic, imposed assumptions about their honor or lack of it. Lastly, we consider ways in which the sequels of these assumptions linger up to the present and shape the way we perceive one another.

Students will conduct historical research in early American history in a seminar context. An original and substantial research paper is required.

Study of the identification formation, and consequences of social policy in the U.S. over the past 200 years. Policies toward poverty, civil rights, family and population, health, education, crime, religion, and urban development are studied, among others.

Specific topics will differ from year to year. Through readings and discussion students will explore a topic or problem in the history of Pre-Modern China. The course will culminate with a 10-20 page research paper.

Through this year-long internship, students work under faculty direction to produce an issue of the UCSB History Department’s Undergraduate Journal. Students meet every two weeks and gain practical experience in scholarly publishing disseminating calls for papers, soliciting undergraduate contributions, locating peer reviewers, facilitating revisions with authors, and bibliographic and copywriting work. They also gain a working knowledge of the UCSB Library’s online publication platform, which will host the journal. Students utilize various digital humanities tools – podcasts, social media, and websites – to promote the undergraduate research being published in Journal as well as host an annual showcase of scholars’ work.

A reading course in a field of the professor’s specialty. Introduces the student to the sources and literature of the field in question. Written work as prescribed by the instructor. RE. Race and Ethnicity

This year-long interdisciplinary colloquium brings together graduate students and UCSB scholars who study the histories of women, gender, or sexuality across time and space. It introduces students to current literature and contemporary debates through readings, discussion, and public presentations by visiting scholars, UCSB scholars, and graduate students. Participants will meet every other week. Preparation might include coordinating readings for discussion, writing a chapter/article for peer review, or presenting original research to colloquium members.

Writing/reading workshop, professionalization seminar, and guest lecture series for graduate students working in area of history of science/technology. Meets monthly throughout the academic year.