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

History 8A-B are general survey courses designed to introduce students to major themes in Latin American history. This course focuses on the diverse histories, politics, cultures, and societies of Mesoamerica, South America, and the Caribbean in the pre-Columbian and colonial periods. Topics include indigenous cultures, Mexica (Aztec) and Inca expansion, Spanish and Portuguese invasion, African diaspora, colonialism, law and legal institutions, religious conversion, trade and economic change, and 18th-century reform.

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.

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.

Sectional crisis through progressivism. A survey of the leading issues in American life from colonial times to the present. The course focuses on politics, cultural development, social conflict, economic life, foreign policy, and influential ideas. Features discussion sections.

A general introduction to the history, politics, culture, and social life of the modern Middle East. Begins with the nineteenth century Ottoman reforms known as the Tanzimat and moves on to cover capitalist consolidation, the rise of European colonialism, the state-building process, social movements, Cold War politics, and the growth of the oil industry. Pays particular attention to how twentieth century transformations shaped new modes of identification including nationalism and citizenship, feminism, sectarianism, pan-Arabism, Third Worldism, Islamism.

1800 – 1945. History 49-A-B-C is a general survey course designed to introduce students to major themes in African history. The course focuses on African civilizations and identities, European colonial conquests, governance and colonial economies, African resistance and engagement with global capitalism. Weekly discussion sections are an important feature of this course, enabling students to develop and expand upon material presented during lecture.

A survey of the history of Chinese civilization from 2,000 BCE to the present, focusing on the origins and later development of political, social, economic, philosophical, religious, and cultural traditions.

Exploration of same-sex intimacies and gender variance in ancient Greek, pre-modern Oceania, medieval Europe, Tokugawa Japan, modern Africa, and North America. Introduction to the theoretical questions in the study of sexuality and how scholars have used these tools

Undergraduate research seminar on a diverse range of topics in science, technology, and medicine. Varied topics addressed: defining a research problem, identifying an original topic, conducting research, citing sources, and presenting results. Students will conduct historical research in a seminar context, using both primary and secondary source materials, to produce an original and substantial research paper. Intensive writing required.

Examines the social and scientific impacts of evolutionary ideas from around 1800 through Charles Darwin, the modern evolutionary synthesis, the birth of ecology, and molecular biology. Focus is on America and Western Europe.

Undergraduate research seminar focusing on ancient Greece and West Asia. Students select research topic in consultation with instructor, conduct individual research, write multiple paper drafts, and submit final research paper of 15-20 pages.

The Nazi campaign of ethnic purification through eugenics and mass murder can be considered a watershed event in European history. This course examines the factors that combined to result in the Nazi genocides, as well as the contexts, causes and consequences of other modern genocides.

Explores the history of U.S.-Mexican relations from 1821 to the present. Topics include: U.S. intervention in Mexico, the Mexican Revolution, the Good Neighbor Program, immigration, NAFTA, the U.S.-Mexico border, and War on Drugs. Students will learn to read, interpret, and analyze foreign policy, primary, and secondary sources.

Examines how and why a small nation in the North Atlantic developed and lost a vast empire whose influence was felt across the globe and is still detected today. Also examines the role of violence, slavery and other systems of unfree labor, state politics, gender and race, as well as the exchange of commodities, ideas and people in forging and breaking imperial ties. Considers shifting power dynamics between colonizer and colonized and the nature of local experiences in the colonies. By focusing on imperial encounters in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific, we ask how Britain and its colonies shaped each other?s histories before, during and long after the heyday of European overseas empire.

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.

A continuation of History 159A-B. From 1900 to the present. Same course as Feminist Studies 159C.

A survey of American workers from the turn of the century to the present period. Topics include workers and American socialism, the 1919 steel strike, the rise of the CIO, labor and the cold war, and deindustrialization and workers.

Analysis of developments in foreign affairs in first half of twentieth century. Formation and execution of foreign policy; interaction between foreign and domestic affairs.

Ancient China to 589ce.

Leads students to understand some of the most important ideas, theories, and concepts in Modern China.

A survey of Japanese history from the early nineteenth century until World War II, in an effort to explain how, and at what price, Japan became the first successful modernizer in the nonwestern world.

Topical history course to explore the field of public history. Course explores preservation, government, media, historical societies and museums, archives, and teaching of public history. Emphasis on field surveys and case studies.

We will be collectively creating the first Social Justice Tour of Santa Barbara! This course offers a unique fusion of public history, social history, ethnohistory, ethnic studies, historical tourism, civic engagement, storytelling, and cultural geography. Students will use archival research to design and deliver a site-specific public history tour created for invited guests from across campus and the local community. Our course will rely heavily on a hands-on approach to learning, researching, and practicing public history methodologies appropriate for documenting, interpreting, and presenting experiences of marginalized communities. The course will help students gain understanding and insights into the issues of collecting and presenting historical information about communities and individuals around the social categories of race, Indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class; and help develop critical collaboration skills within the practice of public history.

For more information, visit the Senior Honors Seminar page.

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 the Journal as well as host an annual showcase of scholars’ work. This is part one of a two-quarter internship. Students will earn 4 units total upon completion of HIST 196JB. Use HIST 196JC to earn credit for journal participation beyond two quarters.

Students gain practical experience by working in organizations or initiatives engaged in addressing poverty and inequality through policy analysis, advocacy, direct social provision, community action, and/or political organizing. Opportunities to cultivate problem-solving, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills needed to work effectively in institutional or collectively organized settings and to gain exposure to professional, post-graduate educational and training, and related career opportunities in anti-poverty and social justice fields. Students work under faculty supervision to produce reports, a research paper, or other types of creative material based on their experiences. This course fulfills a requirement for the Minor in Poverty, Inequality, and Social Justice. Must be taken for a letter grade. Cross-listed with GLOBAL 196SJ. Formerly cross-listed with GLOBAL 177SJ.