New program starting in fall 2024.
At Dominican, the study of history and political science is an active process. Unlock your highest intellectual potential with this major. You will gain skills that will serve you well throughout your career. Whether you are interested in world or U.S. history, international relations, domestic politics, law or policy, we offer classes and internships to help you pursue your goals and discover new passions. Class sizes are small and allow for group discussions as well as close collaboration with faculty right from the start. The History and Political Science major will help you build your network, launch your career or prepare you for law school or graduate school.
The History, Politics and International Studies Department offers the following minors:
The History and Political Science major offers five concentrations that can launch your career paths toward law school, teaching in high school, and working with your communities, heritage sites or museums. For additional details, please see the course catalog.
History/Social Sciences Teaching
Students who are interested in teaching social science at the secondary level are encouraged to take specific courses in history and economics in addition to their major courses.
Public History
Public History prepares students for interpretive historical work in both the public and private sectors. The Public History concentration provides students with an opportunity to engage with the community to make history more accessible to all.
Identity, Culture, and Politics
This concentration is designed for students who are interested in understanding how the global themes of identity and culture impact politics, policy, and decision making.
American Political Institutions
This concentration is designed for students who are interested in further exploring American political systems, processes, and policy.
War, Peace, and Conflict
This concentration is designed for students who are interested in deepening their understanding of how the concepts and theories of international relations affect how political actors make decisions in the past, present, and future.
Our graduates have successfully transitioned to various law schools and graduate programs. Most recently, several of our alumni graduated from law school at the University of Washington, Vanderbilt, UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, and the University of Hawaii. Our students have also attended and graduated from graduate schools such as the University of Chicago, NYU, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, Cal Poly SLO, Cal State Chico, Cal State Sacramento, San Diego State, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in a variety of fields including: Latin American studies, Middle East studies, Global Studies, Public History, History, Non-Proliferation and Terrorism, Public Policy and Public Administration, and Social Science.
Careers of our alumni include:
- Marin County Board of Supervisors, Aide
- University of Chicago, UChicagoGRAD Office
- Legislative Director, CA State Senator, Sacramento
- Legislative Aide, CA State Assembly, Sacramento
- District Coordinator, CA State Assembly member
- Government and Community Affairs Officer, Caltrain
- Former Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Washington, DC Office
- Senior Business Immigration Analyst, Fragomen, LLP
- Walt Disney Museum, San Francisco
- Marin Catholic High School, History Teacher
- Teach for America
- AmeriCorps, Oakland Unified School District
- PayPal, Intelligence Analyst
Undergraduate research is an integral component of our program. Our students regularly present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), Phi Alpha Theta and the Dominican Scholarly and Creative Works Conference. The writing, research, and analytical skills developed during the process of completing a senior thesis provide students with transferable, career-ready expertise.
At Dominican, your thesis will be published in our research database alongside research produced by Dominican faculty. Thousands of scholars worldwide have access to the work you produce. Have a look at a few research papers by our students.
- "Roman Propaganda in the Age of Augustus" by Alex Pollok
- Irish Women's Immigration to the United States After the Potato Famine, 1860-1900, Mackenzie S. Flanagan
- "From Fields to Factories: The Industrialization of The United States’ " by Joseph Petersen
- "Presidential Campaigns and Social Networks: How Clinton and Trump Use" by Jack Davis
- "The Rise of OxyContin: How Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family is Res" by Colin White
- "Root Causes of the Generational Cultural Disconnect Among Marin Count" by Sierra Najolia
Degrees Offered
BA, Minor
School/Department
Course Catalog
Office Hours
Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
