History

Division: Social Sciences

History is the discipline that studies and interprets past events in light of their eventual outcomes using every tool at its disposal, but focusing primarily on the written record. Students will acquire skills and abilities in the use of both primary and secondary history sources, engaging a diversity of viewpoints in history in a civil and constructive fashion, and evaluating historical sources for credibility and perspective.

The most common career opportunities with a baccalaureate degree include law, business, research, writing, archival work, politics, and teaching.

Transfer requirements in History are available in the Counseling Department. In all cases, students should consult with a counselor for specific transfer requirements.

Contact Information

History Faculty Contact 

Katherine Becker, Ph.D. | katherineb@cos.edu

Stephen Tootle, Ph.D. | stephent@cos.edu

Social Sciences Division Chair

Marla Prochnow | (559) 730-3723 | marlap@cos.edu 
Kern: 730D | Visalia Campus

Dean of Business, Social Science, and Consumer Family Studies

Jesse Wilcoxson, Ed.D. | (559) 737-6281 | jessew@cos.edu 
Kern: 716 | Visalia Campus

Associate Degree

For a complete list of courses and descriptions visit: COURSES

HIST 004 History of Western Civilization to 1648 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
Survey of the development of western culture and civilization to the Reformation. (C-ID HIST170)
Prerequisites: ENGL 261 or equivalent college course with a minimum grade of C or eligibility for ENGL 001 as determined by COS Placement Procedures.
HIST 005 Western Civilization Since 1648 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
Survey of the development of western culture and civilization from absolutism to the present. This course covers events from approximately 1648 CE to contemporary times. Students will define the characteristics of modern Western civilization and trace how its institutions, ideas and developments from the middle of the seventeenth century to the recent past have shaped the current Western and wider world. (C-ID HIST180)
Prerequisites: ENGL 261 or equivalent college course with a minimum grade of C or eligibility for ENGL 001 as determined by COS Placement Procedures.
HIST 017 People of the US to 1877 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
Historical survey of the European colonization of North America and of the United States through Reconstruction, emphasizing the interaction of political, military, diplomatic, economic, geographic, and social factors in the evolution of American culture. (C-ID HIST130)
Prerequisites: ENGL 261 or equivalent college course with a minimum grade of C or eligibility for ENGL 001 as determined by COS Placement Procedures.
HIST 018 People of the US from 1865 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
Historical survey of the United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. (C-ID HIST140)
Prerequisites: ENGL 261 or equivalent college course with a minimum grade of C or eligibility for ENGL 001 as determined by COS Placement Procedures.
HIST 023 Mexican American 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
A study of the culture and heritage of the Mexican American people from the Native American period to the present time with an emphasis on the social, political, and economic factors shaping their destiny in American society.
HIST 025 World History to 1500 3 unit(s)
Hours: 3 Lecture/Discussion
A survey of the economic, political and social developments in world history from the emergence of human communities to the Modern Period (1500). (C-ID HIST150)
Prerequisites: ENGL 261 or equivalent college course with a minimum grade of C or eligibility for ENGL 001 as determined by COS Placement Procedures.

History

Becker, Katherine, Ph.D.
B.A., California State University, Fresno
M.A., California State University, Fresno
Ph.D., Ohio State University

Nelson, Benjamin
B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
M.A., University of California, Los Angeles
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Tootle, Stephen, Ph.D.
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
M.A., California State University, Fresno
Ph.D., Ohio University