Study Abroad for History Majors

Study History While Living in Europe

University College Utrecht Netherlands

The History Department enthusiastically encourages history majors to consider completing some of their undergraduate study through the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP). Life’s paradox is that we cannot know what we are until we see ourselves from outside. Our past and our future are profoundly linked. Study in a foreign university can deepen students’ understanding of the history of the world in a unique and powerful way. Because all courses taken through UCEAP are accepted as UC courses, with careful planning, students may spend as much as a year of study in a foreign university with no loss of progress toward graduation. What are you waiting for?

Everything has a history: cultures, religions, nations, languages, customs, political systems, societies, economies, and so on. And history is studied everywhere, so we encourage history majors to take advantage of the opportunities offered by UCEAP to study in another country. Don’t just study the history of Europe, Africa, Asia, or Latin America; study history in Europe, Africa, Asia, or Latin America! History will come alive when you visit the places you read about or see monuments that survive from the times you are studying. Studying history abroad means living in and with history. You will also be able to take history courses that are not available at UCSB (perhaps including the history of the U.S. from another point of view).

• Freshmen: It is best to begin planning as early as possible for study abroad. If you want to begin or continue the study of a foreign language through a short-term language and culture program, you can apply in your freshman year to go abroad as a sophomore.
   
• Sophomores and Juniors: You can apply in your sophomore year to do a language and culture program in your junior year. But if you want to complete a significant portion of your history major abroad, you should apply in fall of your sophomore year to spend your entire junior year abroad. Students doing immersion (full-year) programs in their junior year are advised to complete some of their upper-division electives prior to going abroad.
   
• Seniors/Fifth Years: If you want to go abroad in your senior year or as a 5th year, you should complete all of your major requirements or plan to take courses meeting your remaining requirements while abroad. It is possible to graduate while abroad, but close consultation with advisors in your department and the College of Letters and Science is essential.

*Students should plan to complete their upper-division research (R course or senior thesis) while at UCSB.

You should go to an UCEAP country that engages your particular historical interests. If you want to enhance your language skills, consider UCEAP in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, or other countries whose language you want to speak. This way you can combine historical and language study. Studying in a country that speaks a foreign language will help you become truly proficient, and language skills are essential for any historian. It is possible to fulfill the College of Letters and Science language requirement via UCEAP and with close consultation with your department and college advisors.

You are strongly advised to review your course choices with the departmental advisor in order to maximize the number of UCEAP units you can apply toward your History major.

UCEAP students automatically earn UC credit for the work they complete abroad. However, application of credit to major requirements is subject to the discretion of the student’s major department.

Use Gaucho Credit Abroad to search for the types of credit (i.e. major, minor, GE areas, or electives towards graduation) that UCSB students received for courses taken on UCEAP. You can find more UCEAP courses in the UCEAP Course Catalog and additional course listings on UCEAP partner university/program websites.

• Explore program options
• Attend info meetings
• Contact the UCSB EAP Office
• Contact the Department of History

Academic Planning Form Tutorial

Gaucho Credit Abroad Database