Our history program offers range and depth in our course offerings and a chance to study in small classes with engaged professors who love what they do. You will have the opportunity to meet and work closely with a faculty of internationally recognized scholars committed to providing you with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in many professions.
From the history of food to a close examination of modern Asian societies, the history department offers a wide variety of classes that cover many diverse themes. Some focus on specific time periods, while others take a regional approach. Just as diverse is the array of specialties our faculty members draw from to illuminate historical topics.
You have the option to earn your Bachelor of Arts degree in three years. Do your part to stay on track, and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work. That means significant savings on tuition and you get a jumpstart on your career. See a faculty advisor to assist you in planning.
Sarah Hess is a Powell Scholar majoring in history. In spring 2019, she won an award for best undergraduate research at the Phi Alpha Theta regional history conference at Sacramento State University for a paper she wrote about naturalist John Muir's pioneering study of glaciers.
Hess plans to go on to law school with the goal of becoming a corporate attorney in Silicon Valley.
As a history major, you will have many opportunities for learning outside the classroom. We have facilitated internships at nearby museums and supported independent student projects and presentations at national conferences.
In addition, you may have the opportunity to earn a Summer Research Fellowship for the Digital Delta Project, which documents and preserves the history of communities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The project is aimed at making a meaningful impact in the community by creating interactive historical resources that can be used by Northern California residents and integrated into local K-12 schools' lesson plans to better educate students on the region's history.
An example of the kind of research projects students do at the University of the Pacific, Little Manila Recreated makes history real for students by combining digital technology, the arts and sciences to build a virtual model of a Stockton community that was destroyed nearly 50 years ago in the name of progress.
A successful history major can think, analyze, write and be persuasive—highly desirable skills in today's marketplace. You will have the added benefit of acquiring historical knowledge and perspective, which gives you a unique, contextual understanding about the world in which you live.
If you wish to qualify to teach history at the secondary level, you should complete the Single Subject Credential in the social sciences. Ask you adviser or the department chair for information on specific course requirements. For other credential requirements, you should consult faculty in Benerd College.
