- Faculty
- Field Description
- The Major
- The Minor
- Electives by Area of Concentration
- Special Program
- Courses
- Department of History Web Site
Field Description
The Department of History has three paramount aims for its undergraduates, whether they are majors, minors, or students in the required core courses.
First, we foster an appreciation for studying the past for its own sake, in all its variety, ambiguity, and strangeness. To this end, each course emphasizes the exploration and interpretation of primary sources, the raw materials with which historians construct the narrative of the past.
Second, the faculty aims to help students understand that the past has shaped the present. We ask them to participate in the never-ending dialogue between the past and the present by encouraging them to explore difficult questions: What happened? Why did it happen? What were the consequences? What were the dominant values and the dissident voices? How did different cultures and societies interact? How did contemporaries and later generations differ in interpreting events? What are the context and meaning of the changes that have occurred in business, medicine, economics, politics, religion, culture, urban affairs, and gender and race relations? After exposure to these questions, students enter the world personally enriched and better equipped for whatever profession they choose.
Third, the department understands its role in educating students for effective membership and leadership in a global political, social, and economic community by providing an historical understanding of the major world cultures. In courses that range from ancient to modern times, from Asia to New York City, and from the history of women to African-American history, we try to contextualize the world for students.
The Major - fall 2015 (See below for changes to the Major that will take place in spring 2016.)
History majors are required to take at least eight history courses (24 credits) numbered 3000 and above. They must take one course in at least three different areas of the globe; these areas include American, Latin American, European, African, and Asian history. Majors are encouraged, but not required, to take the Capstone Course (History 4900). Majors must also write a substantial research paper (minimum of twenty pages) under the supervision of a professor in one of their courses. Students may take six credits toward their majors in other departments, if the courses are related to their program of study; prior consultation with a history department advisor is required.
The Minor - fall 2015 (See below for changes to the Minor that will take place in spring 2016.)
The minor in history (completing three courses at the 3000-level or above) is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the discipline for students who are majoring in other academic areas. Students can choose courses from different regions, such as the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and West, South, and East Asia. These courses may focus on urban, intellectual, economic, or political issues. History combines perfectly with studies in international business, economics, business ethics, or finance, as well as many other fields.
To complete the history minor, students take three upper-level courses (9 credits). Two of these courses must be at the 3000-level, followed by HIS 4900, the history capstone course. Interested students should consult with the history department.
Electives by Area of Concentration
American History
Social Welfare Policy ( POL 3005) | 3 credits | |
Religion and Politics in the United States ( POL 3008), ( REL 3008) | 3 credits | |
Colonial America: From Settlement to Independence | 3 credits | |
The Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850 – 1880 | 3 credits | |
| The Sixties in America ( BLS 3055) ( LTS 3055) | 3 credits | |
African American History ( BLS 3060) | 3 credits | |
American Conservatism: Origins, Development, and Contemporary Controversies ( POL 3102) | 3 credits | |
City and Suburb in Twentieth-Century America | 3 credits | |
History of American Business Enterprise | 3 credits | |
U.S. Economic History | 3 credits | |
American Foreign Relations in the Twentieth Century | 3 credits | |
History of the Cold War | 3 credits | |
History of American Medicine | 3 credits | |
Science and Technology in American Life | 3 credits | |
American Intellectual History | 3 credits | |
Topics in American History | 3 credits | |
American Urban History | 3 credits | |
The Immigrant in American History | 3 credits | |
History of the People of the City of New York | 3 credits | |
The Great Depression, 1929 – 1940 | 3 credits | |
History of the Jewish People in America | 3 credits | |
Women in America | 3 credits |
Latin American History
Afro-Brazilian History ( LACS 3020) | 3 credits | |
History of Civilizations in Latin America | 3 credits | |
History of Caribbean Civilizations | 3 credits |
European History
Ancient Greece | 3 credits | |
The Ancient World: Rome | 3 credits | |
Europe in the Age of the Renaissance | 3 credits | |
Jesus – A Historical and Critical Approach ( REL 3100) | 3 credits | |
European Thought in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries | 3 credits | |
European Intellectual History in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 3 credits | |
Modern Imperialism | 3 credits | |
The Third Republic in France | 3 credits | |
Women in Europe: Ancient to Modern | 3 credits | |
Russia Under the Tsars | 3 credits | |
The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Regime | 3 credits | |
Topics in European History | 3 credits | |
Comparative Revolutions | 3 credits |
African History
Survey of African History ( BLS 3061) | 3 credits | |
Women in African History ( BLS 3062) | 3 credits | |
History of the African Diaspora ( BLS 3063) | 3 credits | |
History of African Religions ( REL 3815) | 3 credits |
Asian History
A Survey of Asian History ( AAS 3080) | 3 credits | |
The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad ( REL 3084) | 3 credits | |
The Islamic Middle East and North Africa: 622 – 1789 | 3 credits | |
The Modern Middle East and North Africa ( POL 3086)
| 3 credits | |
Asian American History ( AAS 3345) | 3 credits | |
| 3 credits | ||
Contemporary Islamic World | 3 credits | |
History of Modern Iraq | 3 credits | |
3 credits | ||
Ancient India | 3 credits | |
The Making of Modern India ( POL 3842) | 3 credits | |
The Heritage of Chinese Civilization ( AAS 3851) | 3 credits | |
Modernization and Westernization in Asia | 3 credits | |
The Emergence of Modern Japan ( AAS 3853) | 3 credits | |
China in Revolution ( AAS 3854) | 3 credits | |
Topics in African, Asian, or Latin American History | 3 credits |
General Department Courses
Colloquium in History | 3 credits | |
| HIS 3950 | Special Topics in Global History | 3 credits |
Capstone Course: In Search of History | 3 credits | |
Independent Research and Reading in History | variable | |
History Internship | 3 credits | |
|
HIS 6001H | History Honors I, II, and III | variable |
The Major (effective spring 2016)
History majors are required to take at least eight history courses (24 credits) numbered 3000 and above. They are encouraged to take courses in at least three of the six different geographical areas of our curriculum; these areas are Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, The United States, and Global, Comparative, or Transnational History. Majors are required to take the Capstone Course (History 4900). Students may take six credits toward their majors in other departments, if the courses are related to their program of study; prior consultation with a history department advisor is required.
Program Prerequisite - Complete one of the following courses:
Themes in American History | 3 credits | |
Themes in Global History to 1500 C.E. | 3 credits | |
Themes in Global History Since 1500 C.E. | 3 credits | |
Modern American History | 3 credits |
Required Course:
Capstone Course: In Search of History | 3 credits |
Electives:
Africa
Survey of African History ( BLS 3061) | 3 credits | |
Women in African History ( BLS 3062) | 3 credits | |
| History of the African Diaspora ( BLS 3063) | 3 credits | |
History of African Religions ( REL 3815) | 3 credits |
Asia
A Survey of Asian History ( AAS 3080) | 3 credits | |
The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammed ( REL 3084) | 3 credits | |
The Islamic Middle East and North Africa: 622-1789 | 3 credits | |
The Modern Middle East and North Africa ( POL 3086) | 3 credits | |
| HIS 3346 | The Rise of Asia in World Affairs ( AAS 3346), ( POL 3346) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3446 | History of Modern Iraq | 3 credits |
| HIS 3820 | History of Chinese Religion ( AAS 3820), ( REL 3820) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3841 | Ancient India | 3 credits |
| HIS 3842 | The Making of Modern India ( POL 3842) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3851 | The Heritage of Chinese Civilization ( AAS 3851) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3852 | Modernization and Westernization in Asia | 3 credits |
| HIS 3853 | The Emergence of Modern Japan ( AAS 3853) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3854 | China in Revolution ( AAS 3854) | 3 credits |
Europe
| HIS 3011 | Ancient Greece | 3 credits |
| HIS 3012 | The Ancient World: Rome | 3 credits |
| HIS 3016 | Europe in the Age of the Renaissance | 3 credits |
| HIS 3100 | Jesus—A Historical and Critical Approach ( REL 3100) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3221 | European Thought in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries | 3 credits |
| HIS 3222 | European Intellectual History in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 3 credits |
| HIS 3250 | The Third Republic in France | 3 credits |
| HIS 3340 | Women in Europe: Ancient to Modern | 3 credits |
| HIS 3351 | Russia Under the Tsars | 3 credits |
| HIS 3352 | The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Regime | 3 credits |
| HIS 3360 | Topics in European History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3538 | The Holocaust in History and Memory ( JWS 3538) | 3 credits |
Latin America and the Caribbean
| Central America: A Regional Study | 3 credits | |
| HIS 3020 | Afro-Brazilian History ( LACS 3020) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3070 | History of Civilizations in Latin America | 3 credits |
| HIS 3073 | History of U.S.-Latin American Relations | 3 credits |
| HIS 3075 | History of Caribbean Civilizations | 3 credits |
The United States
| HIS 3005 | Social Welfare Policy POL 3005) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3008 | Religion and Politics in the United States ( POL 3008), ( REL 3008) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3041 | Colonial America: From Settlement to Independence | 3 credits |
| HIS 3044 | The Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1880 | 3 credits |
| HIS 3055 | The Sixties in America ( BLS 3055), ( LTS 3055) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3060 | African American History ( BLS 3060) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3102 | American Conservatism: Origins, Development and Contemporary Controversies ( POL 3102) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3345 | Asian American History ( AAS 3345) | 3 credits |
| HIS 3400 | City and Suburb in Twentieth-Century America | 3 credits |
| HIS 3140 | History of American Business Enterprise | 3 credits |
| HIS 3415 | U.S. Economic History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3450 | History of American Medicine | 3 credits |
| HIS 3455 | Science and Technology in American Life | 3 credits |
| HIS 3456 | American Intellectual History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3456 | Topics in American History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3472 | American Urban History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3550 | The Immigrant in American History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3551 | History of the People of the City of New York | 3 credits |
| HIS 3552 | The Great Depression, 1929-1940 | 3 credits |
| HIS 3560 | History of the Jewish People in America | 3 credits |
| HIS 3650 | Women in America | 3 credits |
Global, Comparative, or Transnational History
| HIS 3009 | Topics in the History of Globalization | 3 credits |
| HIS 3230 | Modern Imperialism | 3 credits |
| HIS 3367 | Comparative Revolutions | 3 credits |
| HIS 3380 | Contemporary Islamic World | 3 credits |
| HIS 3420 | American Foreign Relations in the Twentieth Century | 3 credits |
| HIS 3445 | History of the Cold War | 3 credits |
| HIS 3860 | Topics in African, Asian, or Latin American History | 3 credits |
| HIS 3950 | Special Topics in Global History |
Methods
| HIS 3500 | Colloquium in History | 3 credits |
| HIS 5000 | Independent Research and Reading in History | 3 credits |
| HIS 5100 | History Internship | 3 credits |
| History Honors, I, II, and III | 3 credits |
The Minor (effective spring 2016)
The minor in history is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the discipline for students who are majoring in other academic areas. Students can choose electives from different regions, such as Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, The United States, and Global, Comparative, or Transnational History. History combines perfectly with studies in international business, economics, business ethics, or finance, as well as many other fields.
To complete the history minor, students take three upper-level courses (9 credits). Two of these courses must be at the 3000-level, followed by HIS 4900, the history capstone course. Interested students should consult with the history department.
Special Program
Honors Program in History
History majors and other interested students will be admitted to the program in their junior or senior year. All students will be required to have had at least 12 hours of history courses with B+ average in history and a general average of B. Students falling short of these requirements may be admitted to the program upon the recommendation of two history faculty members.
The honors program may consist of two tutorials taken consecutively and devoted to reading and researching an area of the students choice. For College requirements for honors, see the Honors Programs section of this bulletin.
Courses
Courses in History (HIS)
Themes in American History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Themes in Global History to 1500 C.E. | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Themes in Global History Since 1500 C.E. | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Modern American History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Introduction to the Religions of Asia | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Medieval Civilization | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Europe in the Eighteenth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Europe in an Era of Revolution | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Nineteenth Century Europe | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Europe in the Early Twentieth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Europe and the World Since 1945 | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Modern America, 1880-1945 | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Recent America, 1945 to the Present | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Third World in the Modern Era | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Classical Buddhism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Classical Chinese Philosophy | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Social Welfare Policy ( POL 3005) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religion and Politics in the United States ( POL 3008), ( REL 3008) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Topics in the History of Globalization | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Central America: A Regional Study | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Ancient Greece | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Ancient World: Rome | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Europe in the Age of the Renaissance | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Afro-Brazilian History ( LACS 3020) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Colonial America: From Settlement to Independence | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
African American History ( BLS 3060) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Survey of African History ( BLS 3061) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Women in African History ( BLS 3062) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of the African Diaspora ( BLS 3063) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of Civilizations in Latin America | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| HIS 3073 | History of U.S.-Latin American Relations | 3 hours; 3 credits |
History of Caribbean Civilizations | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
A Survey of Asian History ( AAS 3080) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad ( REL 3084) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Islamic Middle East and North Africa: 622-1789 | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Modern Middle East and North Africa ( POL 3086) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Jesus - A Historical and Critical Approach ( REL 3100) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
American Conservatism: Origins, Development, and Contemporary Controversies ( POL 3102) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
European Thought in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
European Thought in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Modern Imperialism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Third Republic in France | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Women in Europe: Ancient to Modern | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Asian American History ( AAS 3345) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Russia Under the Tsars | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Regime | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Topics in European History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Comparative Revolutions | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Topics in European History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Contemporary Islamic World | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
City and Suburb in 20th Century America | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of American Business Enterprise | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
U.S. Economic History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
American Foreign Relations in the Twentieth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of the Cold War | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of Modern Iraq | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Health Care in America: 1800 - Present | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Science and Technology in American Life | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
American Intellectual History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Topics in American History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
American Urban History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Colloquium in History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| HIS 3538 | The Holocaust in History and Memory ( JWS 3538) | 3 hours; 3 credits |
The Immigrant in American History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of the People of the City of New York | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Great Depression, 1929-1940 | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of the Jewish People in America | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Women in America | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of African Religions ( REL 3815) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Ancient India | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Making of Modern India ( POL 3842) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Heritage of Chinese Civilization ( AAS 3851) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Modernization and Westernization in Asia | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Emergence of Modern Japan ( AAS 3853) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
China in Revolution ( AAS 3854) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Topics in African, Asian, or Latin American History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| HIS 3950 | Special Topics in Global History | 3 hours; 3 credits |
Capstone Course: In Search of History | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Independent Study History I | Variable hours and credits | |
Independent Study History II | Variable hours and credits | |
Independent Study History III | Variable hours and credits | |
Independent Study History IV | Variable hours and credits | |
History Internship | 6 - 8 hours; 3 credits | |
Honors History I | 3 hours; 3 credits per semester | |
Honors History II | 3 hours; 3 credits per semester | |
Honors History III | 3 hours; 3 credits per semester |