History Curriculum
The Major
In consultation with their faculty advisor, history majors are encouraged to develop a field within the department, specializing in a geographic region, in a period such as eighteenth- or nineteenth-century history, or in a thematic area such as women’s history or social/cultural history.
Course Offerings
Below is a list of available courses offered by the history department. Consult the Registrar’s Office and the College Catalog for registration information.
HIST 1101 - Europe To 1750
This course will introduce the main social, political, economic, and cultural forces that shaped and reshaped European societies and Europe's relationship to the world in this period. Topics for discussion and study include the institutions of medieval Europe, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the emergence of modern commercial capitalism, the English Revolutions, and the Enlightenment. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1102 - Modern Europe 1750-1900
Between 1750 and 1900 most of the characteristics associated with the "modern world" became established facts of life in much of Europe. This course will introduce the main social, political, economic, and cultural forces that transformed European societies and led to an era of European domination of much of the globe. Topics include the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, nationalism and the unification of Italy and Germany, imperialism, the emergence of modern feminism, and socialism. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1104 - Modern Europe, 1900 To Present
This course explores European political, social, cultural and economic history from the turn of the twentieth century to today. Students will examine topics such as the Great War and its aftermath, the rise of Communism and Nazism, the Second World War, the Holocaust, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, the impact of history and memory on European society, and the problems and possibilities facing Europe today. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1111 - Introduction To Public History
What is public history, and why does it matter? Who authors the narratives found on historical markers, memorials, and in museum exhibits? How do these public media shape our collective consciousness? This course draws from the historical, theoretical, and practical applications of the field through readings, discussions, lectures, field trips, and experiential learning. Students will learn the art of historical storytelling, while gaining hands-on experience by curating a small exhibit. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1115 - The Holocaust
This course will examine Nazi Germany's systematic murder of Europe's Jews and other minorities during the Second World War. Topics to be covered include the history of racism and anti-Semitism, Nazi racial policies, the mindset of perpetrators and bystanders, the variety of experiences of the victims, and memory after Auschwitz. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1123 - East Asia To 1600
A survey of the civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea from roughly 2000 BC to 1600 AD. Hours credit: 4.
HIST 1124 - East Asia 1600 To Present
The course is a continuation of East Asia to 1600. It introduces students to social and political change in East Asia from 1600 to present. The course complements modern histories of China and Japan with the history of Korea and presents a comparative and transnational perspective.(CI, HE)
HIST 1141 - Us From Colonial To Pres
This course provides a historical perspective on major themes in US history from the colonial period to the present. It does not offer a comprehensive survey but will provide historical background on many important topics, including foreign policy, race relations, labor, immigration, social policy, and social movements. Students will learn how to read, use, and evaluate a wide range of primary historical sources. They will identify different methods of historical inquiry and gain an appreciation for how history structures our daily lives. Credit hours: 4 credits. (CI, HE)
HIST 1145 - Afr Am & Constr Of Amer
This course explores African American history from 1619 to the present, with particular focus on the ways African Americans shaped American culture and resisted white supremacy. Throughout the semester, we will examine a range of historical events and movements, including slavery, abolition, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Lives Matter Movements. Further, in this course, we will interrogate the construction of race in America through an intersectional lens. Creit hours: 4. (CI, HE)
HIST 1167 - Atlantic World
Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage created the first sustained link between the eastern and western Atlantic, opening new worlds of possibility, transformation, and unforeseen consequences that continue to reverberate today. This course explores the history of the Atlantic World, and the peoples from Europe, Africa, and the Americas who lived it. Topics include encounters, cultural adaptations, slavery, circulation, and revolutions. Credit hours: 4. Offered Session Two.
HIST 1180 - Mediterranean Empires
This is a survey course covering the history of the Mediterranean from the introduction of agriculture (c. 9000 BCE) to the rise of Islam (632 CE). The course considers the cultural, political, and social history of the region across this period, paying particular attention to the Greeks and Romans. Hours: 4. Identical with CLAS 1180. Offered in alternate years.
HIST 1185 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 1186 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 1. One time only.
HIST 1186S - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 2. One time only.
HIST 1186W - Hist One Time Only
Credit hours: 3. One time only. Winter term.
HIST 1187 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 1188 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 1188S - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 2. Prerequisite: HIST 1188. One time only.
HIST 2203 - Modern Germany, 1789-1918
This course explores German political, social, economic, and cultural history from the French Revolution through the First World War. Students will examine topics such as the impact of the French Revolution on the German lands, the conservative reaction after the downfall of Napoleon, the revolutions of 1848, the establishment of the German Empire, the emergence of modern culture and mass politics, and the outbreak of the First World War. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Alternate years.
HIST 2204 - Modern Germany, 1918 To The Present
This course explores German political, social, economic, and cultural history from the First World War to the present. Students will examine topics such as the impact of World War I, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, World War II, the Holocaust, the Cold War, the division and reunification of Germany, the impact of history and memory on German society, and the problems and possibilities facing Germany today. The course includes a required field trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Alternate years.
HIST 2221 - Modern China
An introductory survey of the history of modern China from the early 19th century to the present that will examine the shifting contours of China's social fabric, political identity, and internatinal position. The course will focus equally on the Qing Dynasty, Republic of China, and post-11949 People's Republic of China under the Communist regime. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.
HIST 2222 - Modern Japan
An introductory survey of the history of modern Japan from the mid-119th century to present that will begin with the Meiji Restoration and end with the Fukushima disaster of 2011. The course will examine Japan's rapid modernization and its consequences, focusing on Japan's shifting domestic identities, international position, and socioeconomic developments. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.
HIST 2226 - History Of The Middle East
A selective survey of Middle Eastern history from the time of Muhammad until the present. Primary emphasis is on the Islamic Middle East, although the course will also be concerned with the establishment of Israel. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.
HIST 2230 - Chinatowns In The U.s.
Hours credit: 4.
HIST 2237 - American Women's History
An exploration of American women from pre-contact Native American cultures to the contemporary United States, focusing on women's evolving roles, work and status; family construction; sexual attitudes and behaviors; reproductive patterns and rights; and the development and impact of feminist consciousness. The course is alert to regional, ethnic, ideological, and class diversity among American women. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
HIST 2258 - African History Early To Present
This course will examine changes over time in Africa from the ancient period through the present. Topics will include the Swahili Coast, Empires of the Middle Ages, the Transatlantic Slave Trad,e Colonialism, Decolonialism, and Post-Colonial Africa. We will investigate the distinct regional histories of Africa, as well as the connections between them and to Indian Ocean, Atlantic, and trans-Saharan networks. Credit hours: 4. Offered every year. (CI, HE, WI)
HIST 2274 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 1. One time only.
HIST 2274S - Hist One Time Only
Hours Credit: 2. One time only.
HIST 2277 - Russian History 9th To 19th Century
This course explores Russian political, social, economic, and cultural history from the founding of Kievan Rusia through the beginning of Nicholas II's reign. Students will examine topics such as the impact of the Mongol invasion, the rise of Muscovy, the reigns of Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, the impact of the Napoleonic Wars, and developments in the Russian Empire as its leaders and people faced the changing, modernizing world of the nineteenth century. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years.
HIST 2278 - Russian History From 1900 To Present
This course explores Russian political, social, economic, and cultural history from the turn of the twentieth century to today. Students will examine topics such as the Revolution of 1905, World War I, the Bolshevik Revolution, the reign of Joseph Stalin, World War II, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the problems and possibilities facing Russia today. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years
HIST 2285 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. One time only.
HIST 2286 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 2287 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 2288 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 2290 - Independent Study
HIST 3301 - Topics In Modern European History
Concentrated reading and discussion on a specific theme or themes in modern European history. Topics will be selected in advance. Themes/topics will vary from year to year. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit when topic differs.
HIST 3307 - Topics In Asian History
Concentrated reading and discussion on a specific theme or set of themes in Asian history. Topics will be selected in advance. Topics will vary from year to year. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisites: sophomore standing or permission of the Instructor. Offered alternate years. May be repeated for credit when topic differs.
HIST 3308 - Topics In Atlantic History
Concentrated reading and discussion on a specific topic or theme in Atlantic history. Topics will be selected in advance and will vary from year to year. Credit hours: 4.
HIST 3337 - Topics In N Amer Social&cult Hist
A seminar on a topic in the social and cultural history of North America from the colonial period to the twentieth century. Hours credit: 4. Prerequisites: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. Offered second semester.
HIST 3373 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 3374 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 3385 - Hist One Time Only
Credit Hours: 4. Prerequisite: Hist 1132 or 1135, or permission of instructor. One time only.
HIST 3386 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 3387 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 3388 - Hist One Time Only
Hours credit: 4. One time only.
HIST 3390 - Independent Study
HIST 3393 - Methods In History
This course introduces methods and tools of historical analysis and explores the mechanics of historical writing and research presentation to prepare history majors for successful completion of upper-division requirements. It also introduces students to the theories and methodologies historians employ, and leads them into discussions about ethical issues related to historical research, writing, and presentation. Credit hours: 4. Offered Session One.
HIST 4489 - Independent Study
HIST 4490 - Independent Study
HIST 4495 - Senior Capstone Research
Students will choose a topic for their independent research project and conduct the research in the first half of the capstone project. Working under the supervision of a faculty member, students will hone their research question and identify and analyze appropriate primary and secondary sources to help them answer it. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: HIST 3393 and permission of the History Department.
HIST 4496 - Senior Capstone Writing
In the second half of the capstone project, students will write their research paper. Students will organize the evidence gathered in HIST 493, create and revise multiple drafts of their paper, develop and use skills in bibliography, and will present their findings together in a conference setting at the end of the session. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: HIST 4493 and permission of the History Department.
