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Curriculum
The curriculum offered by the department of history is exceptionally broad, covering Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the United States, and including social, political, intellectual, cultural and economic history. The course offerings are divided into four levels devised to meet a variety of student needs.
The first level of instruction (courses numbered 100-199) consists of broad courses designed to introduce the beginning student to the discipline of history. These courses survey general trends and developments in European, American, Latin American or Asian history.
The second level consists of upper-division courses (numbered 300s) that focus on particular themes, regions or periods. These courses are generally offered on a rotating basis every third or fourth semester.
The History Colloquium (HIST 200), Topics in History (HIST 300) and Historiography and Methods (HIST 395) constitute the third level of instruction. The History Colloquium is intended for beginning majors and is taken in the Sophomore year or first semester if the Junior year. The History Colloquium and Topics in History each involve an intensive study of a particular topic through reading, writing and discussion. Historiography and Methods addresses the critical skills applied by historians to the materials they work with.
The fourth level is the Senior Thesis (HIST 399). This course is viewed as the capstone of the major's experience and involves the research, organization and writing of a substantial paper. Seniors present their findings to a gathering of faculty, students, parents and friends. Internships are also available for interested students.
Major (40 credits)
8 credits at the 100 level; History 200 (prerequisite for the section of History 395 intended for history majors); 28 credits at the 300 level, including History 395 (prerequisite for History 399) and History 399. History 399 must be taken during the spring semester of the junior year or during the senior year. History 399 requires at least a C grade for completion of the major. With advisor approval, History 300, History 395, and History 399 can be repeated for credit.
Minor (20 credits)
8 credits at the 100 level; 12 credits at the 300 level; History 200 may be substituted for 4 credits at the 300 level, but admission to the course will be on a space available basis and requires permission of instructor.
Courses
Note: Italicized courses are offered in Fall 2007
- History 117: History of South Asia (HML)
- History 130: The Ancient World (HML)
- History 315: Islam in South Asia: Confronting Modernity (HMU)
- History 321: Colonial Mexico (HMU)
- History 331: The Medieval Mediterranean (HMU)
- History 337: The Age of Reformation (HMU)
- History 344: Modern Germany (HMU)
- History 366: Minnesota Regional History (HMU)
- History 395: Historiography and Methods
- History 397: Internship
- History 399: Senior Thesis
117 History of South Asia 1500. (4)
This class will trace the history of South Asia from the rise of the Mughal Empire to the advent and decline of the British Empire in South Asia. Important themes include the development of international trading networks, the effects of colonial ideology in the British context, and the lives of every-day people in South Asia during this period. We will explore the ways in which concepts of religion, gender, nationhood, and identity evolved and changed during this time.
130 The Ancient World. (4)
A survey of the origins of Western civilization through an examination of Greek and Roman history and culture from the Bronze Age to the Roman Empire. Possible topics include the nature of Athenian democracy, the role of women in classical society, slavery in the ancient economy, the significance of the fall of the Roman Empire. Alternate years.
140 The European Experience . (4)
A thematic survey of topics in European history since the Reinassance. Topics to be considered include the interaction of religion and society, the rise of nation-states, war and peace, intellectual and economic revolutions. Fall and spring.
152 The American Experience. (4)
A thematic survey of United States History. Topics and period to be emphasized varies, but major developments in political, social, intellectual and economic history are examined. Fall and spring.
200 History Colloquium. (4)
An examination of selected historical topics through reading, discussion and oral presentations. Intended for new majors and usually taken in the Sophomore year or first semester Junior year. Prerequisite: 1 lower division history course. Open to non-majors with permission of instructor. Every semester.
315 Islam in South Asia: Confronting Modernity. (4)
This class focuses the development of a Modern Islamic identity in South Asia from the last days of the Mughal Empire to the current period. Two important themes include 1) understanding the development of South Asian Islam in relationship to global develoments during the modern period and, 2) tracing the continuities and changes of older South Asian Islamic traditions. We will attempt to examine why the modern period produced a variety of Islamic movements, some moderate some extreme, and how they continue to impact our world today. Yearly.
316 China in Revolution, 1800-1949. (4)
An analysis of China's transformation from Middle Kingdom to People's Republic. Explores traditional China's decline amid rebellion and the Opium Wars with the West; efforts to combat poverty, foreign domination, warlords and Japanese invasion; U.S.-China Relations; and Communism's victory in 1949. Alternate years.
319 Modern Japan, 1868-Present. (4)
A study of Japan's transformation from feudal kingdoms to economic superpower. Examines the "modernization" process sent in motion by the Meiji Restoration of 1868; the impact of its Asian neighbors and the West on Japan's economic rise and imperialist quest; and U.S.-Japan relations since WWII. Speculates on Japan's role in the forthcoming "Pacific Century."
360 U.S. Environmental History. (4)
333 Gender and Society in Western Europe. (4)
An examination of the images, roles and experiences of women and men in western Europe from the later Middle Ages through the French Revolution (1300-1800). Particular emphasis will be placed on the Renaissance and Reformation period. Topics include: sexuality, family, politics, work, religion, culture and the construction of masculinity and femininity. Alternate years.
337 The Age of Reformation. (4)
A study of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations in the 16th and 17th centuries with a particular emphasis on social history, including the causes and characteristics of religious change and its effects on European society and culture. Topics include the reception and implementation of the Protestant Reformation, Catholic responses to this challenge, radical religious movements, the role of women in religious reform, changes in family relations, and popular religion. Alternate years.
341 The Enlightenment and the French Revolution. (4)
The relationship between ideas, culture and politics in the 18th-century Enlightenment and French Revolution explores the cultural world of the common people, as well as the ideas of philosophers like Rousseau and Voltaire, and the role of women and men of all classes in social and political change. The focus is on France, but developments in other countries are included in the quest to understand the world that produced the first great revolution and the impact of that revolution on Europe. Alternate years.
347 Modern Britain. (4)
Examines the main social, economic, political, and cultural features of Britain from 1750 until the present, covering Britain’s rise as a powerful modern state and subsequent decline on the world stage. Themes include the social consequences of industrialization, changes in crime and the criminal justice system, the welfare state, the rise and decline of the British Empire, the effort to maintain a British identity in the face of the European Union. Alternate years.
352 United States in the Early 19th Century. (4)
The birth and development of the American Republic. Emphasis on political, economic and social developments. Highlights range from the struggle over the Constitution to westward expansion, industrialization and sectionalism. Alternate years.
365 American Indians. (4)
Examines how factors such as treaties, religion, education, and economics foster either cooperation or conflict between the Indian nations and the U.S. from 1865 to the Present. Case studies include a mix of woodland, pueblo and plains tribes, with substantial attention to Indian viewpoints.
354 United States in the Late 19th Century. (4)
A review of America’s forgotten era, including such topics as industrialization, urbanization, the birth of the modern labor movement, the beginnings of an empire and the political stalemate. Alternate years.
366 Minnesota Regional History. (4)
Minnesota’s past in the context of the Canadian and American Midwest. Analysis of the impact of immigration, urbanization, industrialization, political alignments and changing values on the state and region. Emphasis on how and why Minnesota is like/unlike surrounding states and provinces, and the consequences of those similarities and differences. Alternate years.
395 Historiography and Methods. (4)
An examination through reading and discussion of selected topics in history. This course focuses on historiography and methods. The nature of and uses of primary and secondary texts will be addressed, and the course will concentrate on the analysis and critique of the reading material. Every semester.
397 Internship. (4-8)
Supervised career exploration which promotes the integration of theory with practice. An opportunity to apply skills under direct supervision in an approved setting. Prerequisites: approval of the department chair and a faculty moderator; completion of the pre-internship seminar.
399 Senior Thesis (4)
Intensive research of a topic and preparation of a major paper. Required of every history major. Those majors seeking to graduate with "Departmental Distinction in History" and "All-College Honors" must take HONR 396 the spring of their junior year, History 399 fall of their senior year, and complete their Honors research and writing the spring they graduate. Every semester.