2009-2010 Course Listings

101. Topics. 2 to 4 semester hours.

Surveys that study some region or civilization of the past. Some sections are writing intensive. May be repeated for credit.

101C. Modern Japan. 4 semester hours.

105C/H. The Pre-Modern World. 4 semester hours.

Investigation of significant ideas, people, events and problems in World History from prehistory to 1400. Some sections are writing intensive. Every year.

106C/H. The Modern World. 4 semester hours.

Investigation of significant ideas, people, events and problems in World History from 1400 to the present. Writing intensive. Every year.

HIST 110 C/H Ancient Mediterranean Worlds. 2-4 semester hours

This course explores major events and themes in ancient history of the
Mediterranean world. Themes will include examination of religious and philosophical thought,
the evolution of language, the archaeology of urban and nomadic communities, and the political
events that defined the empires from the Sumerians and Minoans until the Islamic Caliphate and
Byzantium.

111H. Medieval Europe. 4 semester hours.

Survey of important historical events, developments and people of Western Europe from the end of the ancient world to the 14th century. Writing intensive. Every year.

112H. Modern Europe. 4 semester hours.

Survey of significant ideas, people, events and problems in European history from the 1500s to the present. Writing intensive. Every year.

135H. Latin America. 4 semester hours.

Survey of the history of selected major issues and themes in Latin
America from the pre-Columbian era to the present. Writing intensive. Alternate years.

161C. Pre-Modern East Asia. 4 semester hours.

Survey of the history of East Asia’s three major countries – China, Japan and Korea – from earliest times until the beginning of the 17th century. The focus is on culture and thought, as well as major political developments. Every year.

162C. Modern East Asia. 4 semester hours.

Survey of the history of East Asia’s three major countries – China, Japan, and Korea – from the 17th century to the present. The focus is on the response of these countries to the challenges of an increasingly global world. Every year.

170C. Topics in African History. 4 semester hours.

Exploration of various dimensions of African history. Some sections are writing intensive. Every year.

171C. African Societies to 1500. 4 semester hours.

The goal of this course is to enable you to learn the major themes and issues of African history before the arrival of Europeans and the Atlantic slave trade. Topics covered will range from the African roots of human society, placing Egypt within African history, to its influence on the kingdoms of Nubia and Ethiopia. We will also examine the role of Islam in the rise of Imperial West Africa and the city-states of the Swahili Coast. The course will conclude with the impact that the arrival of Europeans had upon these societies. You should expect to learn the main historical themes of Africa prior to 1500. In particular, this class will explore the role of oral traditions and “myth” in African societies and will attempt to ascertain their usefulness as historical documents.

172C. African Societies Since 1500. 4 semester Hours.

The goal of this course is to examine how African political, cultural, religious, economic and social institutions have responded to the penetration of outsiders throughout the last 500 years. These outsiders include European slave traders, missionaries, and colonizers as well as Arab traders and Islamic scholars. The impact of the slave trade and later European colonization will be explored in depth. Africans were not passive victims in their own history, and we will focus on how Africans responded to these challenges and struggled for their independence, and how these movements helped shape the face of Post-Colonial Africa. The role of Islam in Africa, especially a series of 19th century Jihads, will also be studied. It is this dynamic interplay between Africans and outsiders that has shaped the formation of modern Africa. One of the goals of this class is to provide students with the knowledge to shatter the myths and stereotypes that surround Africa.

173. Settlers and Liberators of South Africa. 4 semester hours.

This course will consider the conflict in Southern Africa from a historical perspective.  We will consider the nature of the European colonial societies and the Africans who resisted them.  Africans fought not only against a range of inequalities, but also, in their creative resuscitation of a suppressed past, over descriptive languages, social and cultural categories that are themselves the product of domination.  Africans used passive, hidden, and violent methods to overcome a variety of difficulties in achieving independence and survival.  The main focus of this class will be South Africa, but neighboring countries such as Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe will also be considered.  Readings will include novels, biographies, and a few manuscripts.  Students will be evaluated on class participation, take-home exams, and papers based upon the readings.  Writing intensive.

201. Topics in History 4 semester hours.

Topical approach to history. Some sections are writing intensive. May be repeated for credit.

202H/C. Writing and Interpreting History. 4 semester hours.

Topics courses that introduce different modes of historical writing
and problems in historical interpretation. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
Writing intensive. Every semester. Recent topics include: Children of the Past, Making Sense of the
Vietnam Wars, Hiroshima’s Shadows, Luther”

203H/C. The Historian’s Craft. 4 semester hours.

Series of topical courses designed to equip students with the basic
skills of research and analysis, in light of the nature and uses of history. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
Writing Intensive. Every semester. Recent topics include: Holy Antique Women! The Great War, Decade
of Decadence, The Negro Leagues, Excavating Egypt, Fact and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code.

210H. Topics in the Ancient World. 4 semester hours.

Topics in the Ancient World. 2-4 credits. Exploration of themes and
regions in ancient and pre-modern history . Some sections are writing intensive. Possible topics include:
Archaeology of the Near East; Monuments, Myths and Mummies of Ancient Egypt; Alexander the Great;
The Persian and Greeks.

221H. United States History I. 4 semester hours.

Study of the United States from colonial times through Reconstruction. Some sections are writing intensive.

222H. United States History II. 4 semester hours.

Study of the United States since Reconstruction. Writing intensive. Every year.

225H/R. Topics in Religious History. 4 semester hours.

Historical study of the interaction between religion and some other aspect of American Western culture, such as law, film or science. May be repeated for credit. Alternate years.

HIST 226H U.S. History from 1877 to 1945. 4 semester hours

Catalog Description: This course will explore major events and themes in the history of the United
States from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the end of World War II in 1945. This course will
satisfy the “H” general education requirement and will also satisfy the HIST 222 requirement for those
students in the History/Integrated Social Studies Major. (Note: students may not take both HIST 226
and HIST 222 for credit). No prerequisite. Writing Intensive. Alternate years.

HIST 227H. U.S. History since 1945. 4 semester hours

This course will explore major events and themes in U.S. history from the end
of World War II to the present. This course will satisfy the “H” general education requirement and
will also satisfy the HIST 222 requirement for those students in the History/Integrated Social Studies
Major. (Note: students may not take both HIST 227 and HIST 222 for credit). No prerequisite.
Writing Intensive. Alternate years.

229A. American Film. 4 semester hours.

Survey of American film and the film industry since the 1890s. Topics include the silent film era; the rise of the studio system and the Motion Picture Production Code; the end of the Code and the studio era; and contemporary American film. Some sections are writing intensive. Alternate years.

230H. African American History. 4 semester hours.

Study of the experien

ce of African American people in the United States. Every year.

HIST 240. Topics in Pre-Modern Europe. 2-4 semester hours

Course Summary and Description: Exploration of themes and regions in
European History up to 1500. Some sections are writing intensive. Possible topics include: The
Crusades, Medieval Eastern Europe, England from King Arthur to Queen Elizabeth. No prerequisite.
Alternate years.

241H. Topics in Modern Europe. 4 semester hours.

Exploration of themes and regions in European History from 1500 to the present. Some sections are writing intensive. Possible topics
include: Modern Britain, Modern Ireland, Modern France, Modern Germany, The Holocaust. Alternate years.

251C. The History of Russia to 1796. 4 semester hours.

“Survey of Russian history from the formation of the Kievan state to the death of Catherine the Great. Writing intensive. Alternate years.

252H/C. The History of Russia Since 1796. 4 semester hours.

Survey Study of the decline of the Russian Empire, and the rise of the Soviet Union with emphasis on Russia’s social, economic, political and cultural development. Writing intensive. Alternate years.

270. Topics in African History. 4 semester hours.

Exploration of various dimensions of African history. Alternate years.

272. Settlers and Liberators of South Africa. 4 semester hours.

This course will consider the conflict in Southern Africa from a historical perspective.  It will consider the nature of African and white societies, their historical transformation, and their interaction over the past three and a half centuries.  Southern Africa is a region of struggles and contests, not simply over politics and economics, but also, in important and powerful ways, over the past.

281 C/R. Modern Middle East. 4 semester hours.

This course is a survey of the history of the Modern Middle East through the reading of primary documents, secondary sources, short stories by Arab novelists, and the viewing of Arab, Farsi, and Hebrew films. Specific attention will be directed toward the topic of religious diversity in the region (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) and how the various groups have impacted the present configuration of the Middle East. Writing intensive.

301. Topics. 2-4 semester hours.

Topical approach, focusing on a specific theme. Prerequisites vary by section. Some sections are writing intensive. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  May be repeated for credit. Every year.

301C. Culture of Dissent in Japan. 4 semester hours.

HIST 302 Topics in Ancient History and Archaeology. 2-4 semester hours

Examination of physical and textual evidence for the history of ancient
communities in Afro-Eurasia from prehistory to Late Antiquity. Possible Topics include:
Nomadic Archaeology, New Kingdom Egypt, Homer and the Greeks, The Persian Wars,
Alexander the Great. Writing Intensive. Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of
instructor. Alternate years

HIST 303 Ancient and Pre-Modern Historians 2-4 semester hours

Textual analysis of ancient and pre-modern history through the
examination of select ancient historians. Possible historians include: Herodotus, Thucydides,
Arrian, Plutarch, Eusebius, Procopius, Ibn Ishaq, Tabari, and Baladhuri. Writing Intensive.
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor. Alternate years.

HIST 304 Topics in Late Antiquity. 2-4 semester hours

Exploration of selected topics in Late Antiquity in Afro-Eurasia. Writing
Intensive. Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor. Alternate years.

HIST 305 Archaeological Field Methods. 2-4 semester hours

Introduction to theoretical and practical application of archaeological
field methods. Course includes excavation field experience and training in documentation.
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor. Every year.

312. Topics in Medieval History. 4 semester hours.

“Examination of various themes and debates in medieval history. Prerequisite: History 105 or 111 or permission of the instructor. Writing Intensive. Alternate years.

314. Topics in Renaissance and Reformation. 4 semester hours.

Examination of various themes and debates in Renaissance and/or Reformation
history. Pre-requisite: HIST 106 or HIST 112 or permission of the instructor. Writing intensive. Alternate
years.

HIST 318. Nazi and Fascist Europe. 4 semester hours

Exploration of the development of fascism and national socialism and their
impacts on European history from 1919 to 1945. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: HIST 106 or
permission of instructor. Alternate years.

319. European Women’s History. 4 semester hours.

Survey of major themes in the history and study of European women . Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

320. American Women’s History. 4 semester hours.

Study and exploration of roles of women in American society from the 17th century to the present. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive.

322. Revolutionary America. 4 semester hours.

Advanced study of the origins of the rebellion, the course of the war, the evolution of national and local governments, and the Revolution’s impact on American society. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive.

HIST 325. Topics in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations. 2-4 semester hours

Exploration of selected topics in U.S. diplomatic history and/or the history of
U.S. diplomatic relationships with various regions of the world from the middle of the nineteenth
century to the present. Prerequisite: HIST 106, HIST 222 or permission of instructor. Other
prerequisites may be substituted depending on the topic. Writing Intensive. Alternate years.

331. American Constitutional History I. 4 semester hours.

Examination of the constitutional issues and the leading figures who helped shape American constitutional development from colonial beginnings to the end of Reconstruction. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

332. American Constitutional History II. 4 semester hours.

Examination of the constitutional issues and the leading figures who helped shape American constitutional development from Reconstruction to the present. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

335. Modern Latin America. 4 semester hours.

Introduction to 19th and 20th century Latin America, with a focus on major issues, trends, and themes in the history and development of Latin America since independence. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive.

341. The Victorians. 4 semester hours.

Study of the major social, economic, political and intellectual developments of the period. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

370. Topics in African History. 4 semester hours.

Exploration of various themes and debates in African history. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

371. Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Gender in 20th Century Africa. 4 semester hours.

The objective of this course is to provide students with an analytical and historical framework for understanding events on the African continent during the 20th century.  Students will be provided the necessary historical background, however, the main thrust of this class will be to investigate the changing notions of nationalism, ethnicity, and gender in modern Africa.  Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.

372. Race in the United States and South Africa. 4 semester hours.

This class will focus on the political, economic, and cultural reasons behind the construction of racially discriminatory sytems in the United States and in South Africa.  White settlers in both the United States and South Africa turned to the use of slaves; why did they do this and how did they justify it?  After the abolition of slavery, each society developed new economic structures along with new forms of institutionalized segregation.  By comparing the institutionalization of racism in both countries, students will gain a better understanding of why these systems emerge and how they function.  Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.

380. Topics in Public History. 4 semester hours.

Topics in various aspects of public or applied history, such as archival management, historic preservation and museum studies. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

390. Reading Colloquium. 4 semester hours.

Current topics include: Medieval Women, The Cold War at Home
and Abroad, South Africa, Martyred Bodies in Late Antiquity, French Revolution, Russian Revolution, The
U.S. and Vietnam, Impeachments and Contested Elections, European Imperialism. Prerequisite: History
202. Writing intensive. Every year. This course may be repeated for credit.

411. Senior Seminar: the Study of History. 4 semester hours.

Philosophical approach with a consideration of methods of historical research and writing. Prerequisite: History 202, 203, history major and instructor’s permission. Writing intensive. Every year.

490. Independent Study. 1-4 semester hours.

Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission. Every year. This course may be repeated for credit.

491. Internship. 1-4 semester hours.

Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission. Every year. This course may be repeated for credit.

492. Directed Research. 1-4 semester hours.

Primary and/or secondary research done under the supervision of a member of the department. Prerequisites: History 202 and 203 and permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit.

499. Honors Thesis/Project. Variable credit.

Prerequisite: 3.50 GPA and permission of the Department Chair.