The history department offers several different independent study courses that students can enroll in to earn credit for conducting or assisting with research under the guidance of a history faculty member. If you are interested in arranging an independent study course, please work directly with a history faculty member to determine the assignments/workload for the course, a course description, and the number of units you will be taking it for. Then, once that has all been settled, follow the directions on our Undergraduate Petitions page to enroll in an independent study course. Read below for details on each of our independent study courses to determine which you should enroll in.
History 99: Introduction to Research
This course is intended for lower-division students to earn credit for assisting history faculty members with a research project. The course can be taken for 1-4 units of credit, and may be repeated for a maximum of 8 units. Only 4 units of HIST 99 may be applied to the lower-division portions of the history major and minor. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199AA-ZZ courses combined. Departmental approval is required to enroll.
History 196: Internship in History
This course enables upper-division students to obtain credit for history-related internship experiences. This course is graded P/NP and must be taken in conjunction with History 199, for which a written project related to the internship experience must be completed. Students will typically complete 2 units of HIST 196 and 2 units of HIST 199, and must find a history faculty member willing to oversee these courses and approve that their internship is sufficiently historical. This course may be repeated for credit to a maximum of 8 units, and up to 8 units can apply towards the upper division portion of the history majors. Only 4 units total may be applied to the upper division portion of the history minor. Departmental approval is required to enroll.
History 199: Independent Studies
This course allows upper-division students to earn credit for conducting research under the guidance of a history faculty member. Many students pursue an independent study course with a professor they have taken regular courses from in the past, if they wish to expand on the professor’s area of expertise. Students must have a 3.0 GPA for the preceding 3 quarters, and must have taken at least 2 upper division history courses. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199AA-ZZ courses combined. You must be a major in History or present justification to the instructor and department for diverting from norm. No more than 8 units of History 199 may be applied to the majors in History or History of Public Policy, and no more than 4 units may be applied to the history minor. Departmental approval is required to enroll.
History 199RA: Independent Research Assistance
Enables upper-division students to earn credit for assisting faculty members on a research project, such as those through the FRAP program. Students must have a 3.0 GPA for the preceding 3 quarters, and must have taken at least 2 upper division history courses. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199AA-ZZ courses combined. No more than 8 units of History 199RA may be applied to the majors in History or History of Public Policy, and no more than 4 units may be applied to the history minor. Departmental approval is required to enroll.