Scholarships & Awards

The Baur scholarships are provided through the generosity of the late Professor John Baur, who taught in the History Department from 1964 to 1993. They are given to deserving CSUN History majors and History graduate students. The award is a credit for at least half of the student’s full CSUN California resident tuition and fees. The scholarship may be received only once.

This award honors William and Ethel Bruce, who, although unable to attend colleges themselves, encouraged and instilled in their children a lifelong enthusiasm for learning. It is given to a promising undergraduate or graduate student majoring in history who has completed at least 12 units of coursework at CSUN. Special consideration will be given to students who have returned to college after a significant interruption or delay in their collegiate study.

This award is named in honor of Professor Ron Davis, long-time supporter and facilitator of the History Department's student research programs in Natchez, Mississippi, and is made possible by the generosity of his former students. It is given to a student doing original research in Southern US History.

These awards, named in honor of Professor of History Charles Macune in recognition of his decades of devoted service to the department and the university, are given to outstanding undergraduate History majors or graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in history in a public forum. This can include 1) presentation of a paper at a professional conference; 2) publication of a journal article; 3) classroom performance; 4) performance as a teaching aide; 5) leader of a student organization.  

The Michael Patterson Scholarships are given in memory of the late Professor Michael Patterson, who taught in the Department from 1969 to 1993 and who devoted much of his time and energy to the preparation of students for the History Department's credential programs. This scholarship is intended to assist promising History majors or graduate students who are enrolled in the History Department's FYI/JYI Integrated History Subject Matter Program or SSMP Credential Program.

The Marie-Sophie-Pearl History Scholarship provides annual awards for students enrolled in the Department of History. Preference will be given to students who have returned to complete their BA or graduate degree after a period of at least ten years following high school graduation for employment and/or to care for their family. Per donor’s stipulation, recipients must be residents of the State of California and citizens of the United States.

This scholarship was established in 2002 in memory of Maria Ricci, through the generosity of her daughter, Professor Emeritus Gloria Ricci Lothrop, with the assistance of the W. P. Whitsett Foundation. The scholarship is intended to assist  promising History students with dependent children who are resuming their education following a significant interruption.

This scholarship is named after Professor James Sefton in recognition of his decades of teaching and service to the History Department. Known for his straight-shooting candor, humor, and unceasing demand for excellence, Dr. Sefton served as a mentor and counselor to CSUN students for 53 years, from 1965-2018, and administered the Department of History’s scholarships for much of that time. The scholarship was funded by his former student, retired Navy Capt. Dallas Bethea, who earned his BA in History from San Fernando Valley State College in 1969. According to him, Dr. Sefton taught him "the true meaning of intellectual curiosity... and that when you make a statement of fact, make sure it is absolutely correct.” The award is given to a History major or History graduate student who has a demonstrated interest in US political, constitutional, or military history. Recipients will have a record of strong academic performance and the potential for continued academic growth. 

The Department gives $500 awards for outstanding papers by undergraduate and graduate History students.

The Chatsworth Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is proud to encourage the study of US History at CSUN by awarding a $500 scholarship annually to an upper-division History student doing research on the United States before 1865. The recipient must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and will be expected to present their research either in person or on zoo, at a DAR chapter meeting. 

A $500 scholarship awarded to two outstanding Graduate or Senior Undergraduate students. It includes a free membership to LACHS.

This award is named in honor of the father of Terry Bailey, a History major who lost his father just as he was graduating from CSUN and preparing for law school. It is given to an outstanding undergraduate upper-division History major.

The award is given to the undergraduate History major in the graduating class with the highest grade point average. No application required.

This award is given to an upper-division History major who has produced the best paper, project, or portfolio in HIST 301 (The Historian's Craft). The award was established in 2007 by Nicholas Korda, a returning student who earned his B.A. in History after pursuing a successful career as a sound editor in the film industry. His list of credits includes ET (1982), Fatal Attraction (1987), The Addams Family (1991), Father of the Bride (1991), Twister (1996), and Armageddon (1998). Nick's father, Zoltan Korda, after whom the prize is named, was also a distinguished film director whose credits include The Four Feathers (1939).

This fellowship is given to a junior or senior History major with at least 12 units completed at CSUN.

This award is named in honor of the parents of the late Professor Emeritus Del Steck a founding member of the History Department. It is given to an outstanding graduate student in any of the Department’s post-baccalaureate (M.A., 2nd B.A., Credential) programs.

The Rena Vassar fellowship is named in honor of the late Professor Rena Vassar who taught History at CSUN from 1965 to 1990. It is given to a classified graduate student who has great promise, has completed at least 12 units of graduate work at CSUN, and is not in the final semester of their graduate program.