Understanding history is key to preparing for the future. As a history major at Fresno Pacific University, you will gain a broad perspective and develop critical understanding and insight into cultures and events of the past and present, as well as look to the future. The classroom isn’t the only place you’ll learn. Through field studies at local and regional museums, festivals and even travel abroad to places like Italy, Japan and Russia, you’ll experience history first-hand.
Highlights
- Opportunities to personalize your major in specialized areas of history and classics
- Major includes the study of religion in history and focuses on ideas and culture and how they shape each other
- Participation in sponsored events and symposia, featuring a variety of guest speakers
- Culminating individualized project
- Opportunities to work closely with other programs to enrich majors and involve the campus in plays or readings
Career opportunities
Graduates are prepared to pursue advanced study in the disciplines of history, theology, classics, philosophy and education as well as professional fields such as law, library science, archival management and public history. Fresno Pacific has an excellent reputation among local high schools in single-subject credential acquisition. The breadth of training that you receive in our history program is a significant part of the social science subject-area preparation for a career.
Course listing
In order to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Fresno Pacific University, students must complete at least 120 units. Along with completing all required courses in their selected area of study, general education requirements must be met by all graduates. See the general education summary in the undergraduate academic catalog for more information.
Select programs may not provide enough units for a student to graduate and therefore an emphasis and/or elective courses must be completed alongside the major. Please see below for emphases related to this area of study.
General Education Prerequisites
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 120 | Ancient Civilizations | 4 |
| HIST 130 | Medieval and Early Modern Civilizations | 4 |
| HIST 140 | Modern Civilizations | 4 |
| HIST 150 | American Civilization | 4 |
Required Courses (32 Units Minimum)
At least one upper-division course in five of the following areas
- Ancient history
- Medieval, Renaissance or Reformation history
- Modern European history
- World history
- American history
- Religious or topical history
- Sufficient additional courses to complete the number of units required for the major.
A Capstone Series:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 460 or HIST 462 | Philosophy of History or Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 483 | Projects in History* | 1-3 |
*Must complete 4 units total; usually 2 units completed in two consecutive semesters
Notes
Both parts focus attention on the various ways of interpreting historical subjects, the role of Christian faith and religious experience in history and historical interpretation, the philosophical and theological implications of historical work and the development of a historical habit and practice in the student.
Students interested in teaching high school history should consult the requirements of the social science secondary teaching major.
One course from another discipline may be substituted for one course in the major upon approval of the major program director or one’s advisor.
Program director
W. Marshall Johnston, Ph.D.
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Program details
I have been challenged and encouraged to push myself further academically than I ever thought possible. I have found, through the mentorship of the amazing faculty, new perspectives and methods of approaching my studies in a rewarding way.
Meg Clark
- History