WELCOME TO THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT-- WHERE THE
PAST IS PROLOGUE . . .
It is my great pleasure and distinct honor to serve as chair of the History Department at California State University, Chico, where serving students is our highest priority. Majoring in History at Chico State will provide you with an outstanding education that will prepare you for a productive and fulfilling career. History courses will help you learn how to think critically, read with understanding, and write with clarity and power. The History Department has superb faculty who have won many awards for excellence in teaching. You also will receive academic advisement from a professor who will pay close attention to your progress toward degree and show genuine concern for your personal wellbeing. Join us and you will be part of a family.
Currently, more than 300 students are History majors. Students either can pursue the General History Option or the Social Science Credential Option. Please consult the appropriate locations on this website for information on the details of our degree program. Two active student organizations are at the center of our History family—History Club and Phi Alpha Theta, which is the international history honor society. The History Department also has an excellent graduate program, offering a Master of Arts degree that trains students for doctoral programs or work outside the academic community. Our students make us proud. A History major has been the recipient of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Outstanding Student Service Award in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. A History M.A. graduate student recently won the University Best Thesis Award and another is now a faculty member at CSU, East Bay.
Chico State’s History professors specialize in almost all chronological eras and geographic areas, including Europe, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. Our faculty are productive scholars with national and international reputations, who publish books, articles, and essays on a variety of subjects. In addition to winning fellowships, several have been recipients of the University Outstanding Professor Award. Their expertise informs a wide selection of stimulating and popular courses. You can read about them at faculty biographies on this website. Please consider joining our History family. You will find our department a dynamic place where teaching and scholarship are sources of joy and excitement.
James I. Matray
Professor and Chair
Click here to access Dr. Matray's Personal Webpage.