History

  • Overview
  • Courses

Provides an exploration into human history with an emphasis on social justice to prepare students for transfer to a Bachelor's in History

What You'll StudyCourse Sequencing
LHI

Please note that transfer to many four-year colleges and universities may require the completion of four sequential semesters of World Languages. Transfer specialists recommend using electives to start language requirements at the community college prior to transfer.

Curriculum Documents

To plan degree completion, see the course descriptions in the academic catalog which specify the planned semester(s) in which required classes are to be scheduled.

This is just one way you might complete the History program in 4 semesters over 2 years of full-time study, or 8 semesters over 4 years of part-time study. (Sample course sequences assume that all pre-requisites have been satisfied and the student is prepared for college-level work.) For a detailed list of required courses, optional electives and program information, download the History program description from our official academic catalog.

Course descriptions are also available in the catalog. Find courses

Sample 2 Year Sequence of Courses
Fall 1Spring 1Fall 2Spring 2

ENG Comp. I
PSY 101
HIS 101
BIO 104

ENG Comp. II
MAT 117 or MAT 107
SOC 101
HIS 102
HIS 127 (open elective)

GEO 101
PCS 101 or PCS 141
Beh and SS elective
HIS 105
HIS 219

HIS 106
ENG 200 elective
Elective
HIS 220
FRE 101

Sample 4 Year Sequence of Courses
Fall 1Spring 1Fall 2Spring 2

ENG Comp. I
HIS 133
BIO 104

MAT 117 or MAT 107
ENG Comp. II
HIS 134

PSY 101
HIS 105
GEO 101

HIS 106
SOC 101

Fall 3Spring 3Fall 4Spring 4

HIS 219
PCS 101 or PCS 141

HIS 220
ENG 200 elective

Elective
Beh and SS elective

FRE 101
HIS (open elective)

Program Learning Outcomes

What's Next

Transfer to a Baccalaureate program

By taking classes in a Liberal Arts option, students complete courses that help develop 100 and 200 course level knowledge and skills in a particular field. If you don't satisfy the requirements of a specific Liberal Arts option, you may still be able to fulfill the requirements of another option, or fulfill the requirements of the Liberal Arts General degree. Students are advised to work closely with their GCC advisor to select the specific courses that will help meet their career or transfer goals. Note: Students who complete a Liberal Arts option will graduate with the degree "Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts." Your area of concentration is reflected only in your transcript, not your diploma.

HIS 101 Western Civilization to 1500 A.D. - 3 credits

The major ideas, institutions, and developments of Western Civilization from ancient times to the Renaissance. Themes include the nature of humankind; relationship of the individual to society and the universe; the role of religion; the individual in history; the tradition to modern modes of life and thought.

(Offered: Every Fall)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 102 Western Civilization Since 1500 A.D. - 3 credits

Analysis of ideas, attitudes, and developments of Western Civilization from the dawn of the modern age to the present. Topics include the scientific and industrial revolutions; the rise and triumph of nation states; the French and Russian revolutions; European imperialism in Asia and Africa; socialism, communism, and fascism; dictatorships and World War II; challenge of the non-Western world.

(Offered: Periodically)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 105 History of the American People to 1865 - 3 credits

Economic, social, and cultural development of the American people prior to the Civil War. Utopianism; the Revolutionary Era; the development of national consciousness; consensus and conflicts; constitutionalism; the roots of American foreign policy; race relations; slavery and war. NOTE: Students may receive credit for HIS 105 or 107, but not for both.

(Offered: Every Fall, Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 106 History of the American People Since 1865 - 3 credits

Reconstruction; industrialism and triumphant capitalism; the capitalist model of society; business and the protestant ethic; labor, populism, and dissent; imperial expansion and the progressive politics; crisis in the American Dream; The Great Depression and the New Deal; minorities and change; the roots of contemporary American foreign policy to Vietnam. NOTE: Students may receive credit for HIS 106 or 108, but not for both.

(Offered: Every Fall, Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 127 History of African-American Peoples - 3 credits

A survey of the African-American experience in the United States, including African heritage, enslavement and slavery, resistance, the Civil War and Reconstruction and their combined legacies of racism and oppression, and the continuing struggles of African-Americans for full and equal rights.

(Offered: Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 131 Women in American History - 3 credits

A survey of women's roles in American history emphasizing the social history of unknown as well as famous women of diverse ethnic and class backgrounds who helped shape life and culture in America from the Colonial period through the Revolutionary era, the Frontier movement, 19th Century political activism and urbanization, and the 20th century through reform movements and the global community.

(Offered: Every Fall, Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 090 and ENG 094, or satisfactory placement

HIS 133 World History I - 3 credits

An exploration of the origins of humankind and the development of ancient and Medieval societies across the world (India, China, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East).

(Offered: Every Fall)Prereq: ENG 101 or concurrent enrollment in ENG 101

HIS 134 World History II - 3 credits

An exploration of the increasingly interconnected modern world, from the period of European colonialism after Columbus, to the growth of globalization after World War II.

(Offered: Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 101 or concurrent enrollment in ENG 101

HIS 218 Women and Gender in the American West to 1920 CE - 3 credits

An exploration of the history of gendered experiences, roles, and influences, with emphasis on women in the American West before and after European and American expansion. Students concentrate on the gendered interface of Native, European, African, Middle Eastern, and Asian persons west of the Mississippi River prior to the closing of the Western Frontier. Further, students examine the unique western landscape and its influence on gender roles and experiences.

(Offered: Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 101. Recomm: HIS 105, HIS 106, or HIS 131

HIS 219 Legal History of American Civil Rights - 3 credits

An interdisciplinary approach to examining historical relationships between people and the law in the United States. This course explores crucial themes in civil rights including the changing role of the federal government in defining and protecting the rights of individuals and groups; the historical relationship of the U.S. legal system to minority groups, Indigenous populations, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBT+ groups. Students examine the development of federalism and the evolution of the separation of powers as these principles of political organization relate to civil rights throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

(Offered: Every Fall)Prereq: ENG 101; and HIS 106. Recomm: POL 101

HIS 220 North American Indigenous History - 3 credits

Approaches Indigenous history in North America from pre-Columbian to the 20th Century through the lens of self-determination rather than victimization. The central theme of this course is that Indigenous nations have always engaged in empowering action and were never simply victims of European oppression and/or abstract social, political, and environmental forces. Students investigate ways in which Indigenous nations proved to be steadfast in preserving traditional cultural traits amid an expanding imperial force, and fought for their rights while insisting on their proper place in an evolving political, environmental, and social landscape.

(Offered: Periodically)Prereq: ENG 101; HIS 105 or HIS 106. Recomm: POL 101

HIS 221 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Histories in the U.S. - 3 credits

An exploration of the history of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender, and queer people in the United States with a focus on the engagement, contributions, and advancements of these communities within the larger U.S. context. This course focuses on the experiences of people within the LGBTQ communities as they define themselves over time; organize both privately and publicly; challenge gender and sexual norms; and fight discrimination through achievements, political representation and legal victories. Finally, the course addresses the racial, ethnic, and class diversity of LGBTQ+ communities. Exploration of these topics rely almost exclusively on ideas expressed by gender and sexual rebels, many of whom have come call themselves lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered, and queer people.

(Offered: Every Spring)Prereq: ENG 101; Recomm: HIS 105 or HIS 106