Major Requirements
A major in History requires the successful completion of at least 11 courses in History.
1. The 11 required courses must include the following introductory courses:
- HIST 011 PZ – The World Since 1492
- HIST 012 PZ – History of the Human Sciences
- Either HIST 025 PZ – US History Before 1877 or HIST 026 PZ – Modern US History Since 1877.
2. With the approval of a History major adviser, students may substitute one of the following courses for HIST 025 PZ/HIST 026 PZ mentioned above:
- HIST 017 CH – Introduction to Chicanx and Latinx History
- HIST 111B AF – African American History Since 1877
- HIST 125 AA – Introduction to Asian American History
It is preferable that students take these required introductory courses during their first two years at the College.
3. In addition to the three introductory courses, students must also complete:
- HIST 197 PZ – The Seminar in History, (normally taken in the junior year or fall of the senior year).
- At least one (1) course focusing on a geographic region outside of the United States and Europe. At Pitzer, courses fulfilling this requirement include, for example:
- HIST024 PZ – Colonialism in Africa; HIST 045 PZ – West African History through Novels and Film; HIST 144 PZ – Death and Dying in African History; HIST169 PZ – Globalization and Oceania, and HIST 170 PZ – Hybrid Identities: Spanish Empire. Certain courses offered at the other Claremont Colleges also may fulfill this requirement; students should consult with a History major adviser in selecting appropriate courses.
4. At least one (1) course must focus on a temporal period before 1600. At Pitzer, courses fulfilling this requirement include:
- CLAS 164 PZ – Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius HIST 073 PZ – The Problem with Profit;HIST074 PZ – Queering the Medieval?; HIST 170 PZ – Hybrid Identities: Spanish Empire; HIST 173 PZ – Religion, Violence and Tolerance, 1450–1650; HIST 175 PZ – Magic, Heresy and Gender in the Atlantic World, 1400–1700; and HIST178 PZ Queer and Feminist Histories of Early Modern Europe, 1350–1650. Certain courses offered at the other Claremont Colleges also may fulfill this requirement; students should consult with a history major adviser in selecting appropriate courses.
5. Students must also take five (5) additional courses in History.
6. Finally, each student is expected to develop a coherent thematic or topical focus comprised of at least three (3) courses in history; of these three courses, at least one must involve producing a significant research paper. An asterisk before the course number indicates that the course contains a significant research component.
For example, a student might construct a thematic focus on science and the environment by taking Ecological History, Natural Disaster in Cold War Cameroon, and Science and Technology in the Early Modern World. Many other configurations are possible; students should consult with their history major advisers in developing appropriate thematic clusters.
While the history major does not require the study of a foreign language, students are strongly encouraged to develop language skills relevant to their thematic or topical foci. Students hoping to pursue graduate study in history (other than U.S. history) are especially urged to acquire a competence in a relevant language as early as possible.
Honors:
Students whose overall GPA equals or exceeds 3.5 may be nominated by the history faculty to write theses, which will be considered for honors by the field group. Courses taken in order to write honors theses (typically HIST 199 PZ) will be counted as additions to the 11 courses required for the major.
