History Courses
Undergraduate
This is a course that surveys the origin and development of the traditional religions of India and China and the three “Religions of the Book”: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (DEMAND)
This course is a survey of major developments in the Mediterranean and Western Europe from the origins of the Roman Empire through the end of the Middle Ages. (DEMAND)
The course includes material and presentations leading to an understanding of the basic nature of history, how to study it, methods and techniques in researching and writing it, basic computer and quantification skills, and more summarily, historiography and philosophies of history. (F)
This course introduces students to the duties of museum registrars, curators, conservationists, and administrators. Students will learn how to catalog and preserve the items in a museum’s collection. Students will also visit other local museums to gain greater knowledge of museum operations.(DEMAND)
This course will introduce students to the ethics and techniques of collecting, preserving, and interpreting oral interviews. They will gain practice in using oral evidence, along with original primary sources and photographs, by exploring the role, impact, and consequences of race, gender and class on American history. (DEMAND)
This course explores the significant of women’s studies, its contemporary relevance, and its pertinence to interdisciplinary scholarship. It introduces students to women’s studies scholars and activists and traces the develop of feminist theory.
This course is a survey of major trends in the development of early modern Europe. Topics to be discussed include Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, Absolutism, and the French Revolution. (F)
This course will focus on the Middle East from the mid 19th century to the present. Areas of study will include the nature of Islamic society; the rise of nationalism and independence movements; the creation of the state of Israel; and the Arab-Israeli conflict. (DEMAND)
This course examines selected topics in history and requires extensive reading and research. Prerequisites: Honor students or permission of instructor. (DEMAND)
The development of American constitutionalism from English origins to the present will be covered in this course. Emphasis on the development of separation of powers, states’ rights, the Supreme Court, and the sectional controversy, economic regulations, and the modernization of the Bill of Rights, especially problems of desegregation, free speech, obscenity and criminal justice. (DEMAND)
This course will examine that deliberate historical construction of the image of “Eastern” Europe and the “Balkans” which categorized entire peoples as being half-barbarian and thus only half-civilized. This served to convince “Western” Europeans of their own superiority so that the terms “Eastern” Europe and “Balkans” became synonymous with ethnic hatred, backwardness and barbarism. Students will look at literature from these regions in order to understand their struggle to confront, resist and critique these stereotypes. (F;S;SS)
This course examines the evolution of the relations between the United States and East Asian countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. It will focus on such themes as mutual perceptions of Americans and East Asians, activities of American merchants and missionaries in the region, East Asian immigration to the United States, the Pacific War, the Korean War, the Vietnamese War, and the normalization of Sino-American relations. (F;S;SS)
This course surveys the history of Russia from earliest times to the present, with emphasis on the twentieth century. (DEMAND)
This course will examine the social and political history of the Third Reich. Special attention will be paid to Hitler’s racial policies and the Holocaust. (F;S;SS)
This course will provide a cultural, legal, and historical introduction to human rights, a central concept and ideal of the contemporary world. Students will examine the long tradition of scholarship in economics, law, political science, sociology, and history. (F;S;SS)
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate
With special emphasis on the Great Depression, New Deal, the Great Society, and the expanding role of the United States as a world power, World War II, cold war, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts are studied. Major themes include the origin, consolidation, and expansion of the New Deal, the growth of executive power, the origins and spread of the Cold War, civil liberties, civil rights, and challenges for the extension of political and economic equality and the protection of the environment. (DEMAND)
This is an advanced reading, research, and discussion course on the historical experience of people of African descent in a global context. It examines the worldwide dispersal and displacement of Africans over time, emphasizing their migration and settlement abroad over the past five centuries. (DEMAND)
This is a reading, research and discussion course concentrating on various aspects of the life and history of Native Americans. Emphasis will be placed on historiography and major themes in Native American history, including Indian slavery, Indian slave holders, creolization, culture, law and politics. (DEMAND)
This is a seminar course stressing comparative analysis of revolutions and revolutionary movements in the United States, France, Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran. Students will also evaluate theories of revolution in light of historical examples. (DEMAND)
From original research, class lectures, and discussions, students will become familiar with the nature of the Civil Rights Movement; will evaluate its successes and failures; and will analyze the goals and tactics of each major participating Civil Rights organization. Students will also evaluate the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on American society. (DEMAND)