Social & Behavioral Sciences & Distance Education
Dr. Alex Miranda, Dean
For more information contact:
Jason Ward, Division Area Coordinator
714-895-8948
History is the study of past human events and ideas that continue to inform the present. The study of primary sources (i.e. original documents and objects) fosters essential critical thinking, analytical, and interpretative skills for students. Multiple voices and conflicting interpretations of sources encourages a healthy skepticism of preconceived information and challenges students to ask essential questions, to explain historical causality, to pose new interpretations, and to conduct their own research using historical evidence. An understanding of the past, moreover, enables students to better understand their identity and to contribute to their society as more informed citizens.
The Associate of Arts Degree for Transfer in History focuses on a critical analysis of the past to understand how it has influenced our identities and shaped today’s societies. Students choosing this major will study a range of historical subjects including United States History, World History, and Western Civilization. In addition, students will learn how to identify historical significance, to analyze historical evidence, and to construct historical arguments based on primary and secondary sources. Completion of this major will provide students with a well-rounded understanding of History and equip them with the skill set of a historian. Students will be prepared to pursue a baccalaureate degree in History.
