History and Political Science
|
The Department of History and Political Science offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Political Science.
The History major helps students comprehend the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic experiences of peoples all over the world and develop personal skills of research, organization, writing, and analysis. (Please see the catalog for course descriptions and degree requirements.)
The Political Science program provides an understanding of important political ideas and ideologies as well as the workings of basic political processes and institutions. (Please see the catalog for course descriptions and degree requirements.)
The Department of History and Political Science also offers a Pre-Law minor, an interdisciplinary program that helps students to prepare for law school by enhancing their critical thinking and writing skills, and giving them substantial understanding of the social, cultural, historical, economic and political development of the law in the US and the world. The minor is designed for students who plan to attend law school or are interested in careers in fields closely related to the legal profession. Although the program is hosted by the Department of History and Political Science, students in any major in the undergraduate day school may participate.
Department faculty work closely with students, and classes are often addressed by well-known scholars and elected 
officials. The academic disciplines of the department are naturally and inevitably concerned with the University’s mission and vision and central to their emphasis on social justice, global peace, and values-based learning. We challenge our students to understand how decisions made in the past continue to shape society and political discourse, and to appreciate their own agency in shaping a better world.
Completing a major in History and/or Political Science is an excellent preparation for graduate study and for careers in law, politics, business, public administration, and education. Students have the opportunity annually to participate in the Model Arab League for Bay Area colleges and universities, and the faculty is proud of the strong undergraduate participation in the department’s life and activities. Many students have a double major in History and Political Science, and the department welcomes double majors – and minors – with other disciplines.
Faculty interests are broad but are particularly strong in Middle Eastern, Asian, and American history as well as international affairs and legal issues.
Faculty
Patti Andrews, Lecturer
BA (College of Notre Dame); MA (University of California, Berkeley)
Audrey Calefas-Strebelle, Lecturer and Core Faculty
BA, MA (Sorbonne)
Alice Clark, Lecturer
BA (Swarthmore College); MA, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin)
Stephen Cole, Associate Professor
BA (University of Sussex); PGCE (University of Durham); MA, Ph.D. (Indiana University)
Ali Ferdowsi, Professor and Chair
BA, MA (Shiraz University, Iran); MA (University of Florida); MA, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania)
Patricia T. McGlinn, S.N.D., Professor Emerita, 2007; Senior Lecturer
BA (College of Notre Dame), MA (Sacramento State University)
Jane Bond Moore, Lecturer
BA (Spelman College); JD (Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley)
Administrative Coordinator
Joanne Kaczor, BA (College of Notre Dame)
Emeritus
Abbas Milani, 2005
Patricia Hutchinson, S.N.D., 2003