History students are enthusiastically encouraged to study abroad! In addition to experiencing cultures shaped by centuries of historical events (that you’ve likely read about), studying abroad provides you with a unique opportunity to gain important life and work experience. Students who participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) can select from 40 different countries (and counting) and over 150 different program options. Most programs offer history courses that are readily applied to your major or minor requirements!
Several UCEAP programs also have language acquisition, internship, and research opportunities.
Academic Planning for Study Abroad
You can readily create an academic plan that incorporates study abroad, no matter where you’d like to go or for how long you’d like to participate. Short- or long-term programs, including summer, quarter, semester, or year-long, are available. Some history students have even studied abroad up to three separate times! Mention study abroad the next time you meet with the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator to create a plan that works for you!
Up to three courses completed abroad may apply to your history major or minor requirements. Courses must transfer back to UCSC for a minimum of 4 quarter units each and must also be passed with a C (or equivalent) or better.
Several courses offered abroad are pre-approved to apply to the history major. Courses completed abroad that are not already pre-approved may be petitioned.
You can expect to satisfy requirements abroad that correspond with the country and/or region that you are studying in. For example, an Americas and Africa history major studying abroad in Germany can plan on satisfying their Europe and the Mediterranean World breadth requirements abroad.
Study abroad courses with a UC number 1 – 99 may apply to lower division requirements, and courses with a UC number 100 and up may apply to upper division requirements.
UCEAP Public Course Catalog
The UCEAP Public Course Catalog lists courses previously completed by UCEAP students and indicates how many lower or upper division UC quarter units each course was awarded upon transfer.
UCSC Global Learning
Check out the UCSC Global Learning website or stop by their office for information on how to get started, financing study abroad and scholarship assistance, housing, application deadlines, and more!
Petitioning Study Abroad Courses
Courses completed via the UC Education Abroad Program that are not already pre-approved to satisfy history major or minor requirements may be petitioned. Save course syllabi, reading lists, your class notes, papers, tests, etc. These materials will help you successfully petition your study abroad courses.
When to Submit Your Petition
Courses that you are seeking history major/minor credit for must appear on your UCSC academic record before they may be petitioned. It can take up to four months after the official end of your UCEAP program for your study abroad courses and grades to appear on your UCSC academic record.
How to Submit Your Petition
Submit a unique UCSC History Department Study Abroad Course Petition per course. You will need the following information and materials to complete your petition:
- The discipline, course number, and title of the course(s) your are petitioning. E.g., XHIS 114, Modern Brazil.
- Your final grade for the course(s).
- Supplementary course materials, preferably a syllabus and reading list. You may also wish to include your class notes, papers, tests, etc. if you think doing so will support your petition. You may attach up to three unique PDF, document, or image files to your petition.
- The UCEAP Course Catalog HTML links to the course(s) you are petitioning, if available.
Please note: Courses most likely to be approved are those that are standard course offerings in history. Interdisciplinary courses or courses in other fields of study (e.g., political science, European studies, anthropology, etc.) are assessed in terms of whether the preponderance of the readings, lectures, and course requirements are clearly applicable to your area of study.
Questions about this petition? Contact the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Important Reminders
Up to three courses completed abroad may apply to your history major or minor requirements. Each course must transfer to UCSC for a minimum of 4 quarter units and must also be passed with a C (or equivalent) or better.
Intensive Major Language Requirement
The intensive history major language requirement may be satisfied by at least one quarter of study abroad with foreign language instruction. Consult with the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator to learn more about how the following pre-approved study abroad programs may satisfy the intensive major language requirement and how to fit study abroad into your unique academic plan of study.
Additional study abroad programs may be petitioned to satisfy or partially satisfy the intensive major language requirement. Consult with the History Undergraduate Program Director to request approval of you desired study abroad program prior to your departure.