Courses

HISTORY PROGRAM COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ARCG 208 Archaeology Of Greece (3)

An introduction to the archaeology of Greece from prehistory to the modern day, delivered on-site in Athens, Ancient Corinth, and other villages. Students will encounter the long histories of the Greek landscape from the perspectives and experiences of varied readings, travel, ethnography, and fieldwork. We will explore the question how archaeology contributes to the craft of modern history and produces often conflicting interpretations of the past by increasingly diverse national, ethnic, and religious communities. The course includes collaborative archaeological research of modern, medieval, and ancient sites and landscapes as well as a final digital public humanities project.

ARCG 396 Historical Archaeology (3)

An introduction to the study and practice of archaeology for historical argument and public engagement. The course explores the modern discipline of historical archaeology and historians’ use of material remains to generate new conclusions about the past. Themes include archaeological theory, methods, analysis, and interpretation, as well as the material culture of the Mediterranean basin and North America. The class includes a small field component and a public-oriented collaborative project.

HIST 101 Ancient Mediterranean History (3)

An introductory survey of Mediterranean history from the Bronze Age to the end of antiquity. Themes include social, economic, political, religious, and cultural developments over time and space. The course explores topics such as Bronze Age civilizations, the Greek city state, Athenian democracy, Platonic philosophy, Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic age, Roman political culture, the growth of Christianity, and the diversity and interactions of ancient populations.

HIST 102 Modern European History Survey (3)

An introductory survey of modern European history. Themes include social, economic, political, religious, and cultural developments over time and space. The course will explore topics such as the Renaissance and Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, the modern nation state, colonialism and empire, global conflicts of the twentieth century, and the various interactions of modern populations.

HIST 141 United States History Survey To 1865 (3)

A survey stressing political, economic, diplomatic, and social themes. Begins with discussion of pre-Columbian America and ends with the Civil War.

HIST 142 United States History Survey Since 1865 (3)

A survey stressing political, economic, diplomatic, and social themes. Begins with Reconstruction and continues through the present day.

HIST 201 Introduction To History (1)

This course will explore the ways in which human communities (including historians) think about the past, both as a way of thinking and living in the world and also as a disciplined practice. Students will consider the relationship between Christian faith and the study of history, careers in history, and how to begin thinking about putting a history degree to use in the world. While this course is required of all first-year history majors, anyone interested in an introduction to history is welcome.

HIST 202 Historical Methods (3)

This course serves as an introduction to the discipline and methods of history. Students will be introduced to the process of historical research and writing using primary and secondary sources. They will identify historical problems, undertake research by locating and analyzing sources, and develop critical reading, writing, and citation skills to synthesize information and construct arguments. The course will also foster interdisciplinary engagement, discussions, and public presentations.

HIST 203 Effective Historical Writing (1)

This course provides an opportunity to master the syntactical skills and rhetorical techniques of effective historical writing in both narrative and analytical modes. Students will study these skills and techniques with faculty mentoring, and then workshop and peer review drafts of their papers (assigned in the companion HIST 202 Historical Methods course) in preparation for final submission.

HIST 205 Ancient Greece (3)

A survey of the Greek world from prehistoric times to the end of antiquity. Themes include the diversity and developments of populations, political ideals, social life, material conditions, and religious practices over time and space. We will explore subjects such as the Trojan War and Bronze Age Civilizations, the emergence of the city state, Athenian democracy, the Peloponnesian war, and classical philosophy, drama, mythology, art, and architecture. Our survey will consider also the later transformations of Greek institutions in the centuries following the conquests of Alexander the Great and eventually the Roman state.

HIST 206 Ancient Rome (3)

A survey of ancient Rome and its development from small city-state to the dominant power of the Mediterranean world. Themes include the diversity and developments of populations, political ideals, social life, material conditions, and religious practices over time and space. We will explore subjects such as the origins of the city, Republican forms of government, imperialism, the civil wars, the Roman Empire, daily life, and the emergence of Christianity. Our survey will end with the transformations of the Roman world in late antiquity.

HIST 207 The Early Church (3)

A survey of the historical developments of Christianity within the Roman Empire. Themes include the diversity and developments of ancient populations, political ideals, social life, material conditions, and religious practices over time and space. We will explore topics such as Jewish backgrounds and Christian origins, the growth of the church, Roman persecution and assimilation, the conversion of the emperor Constantine, religious pluralism and violence, and the nature of Christianization between the first and seventh centuries.

HIST 210 Knights, Peasants, And Bandits (3)

An exploration of the ways ordinary (and some not-so-ordinary) people coped with both daily life as well as major historical events that occurred in England from the Norman Conquest to the Tudor dynasty. Special emphasis is placed on life within the communities of family, village, court, church, and city.

HIST 212 Medieval Europe (3)

A study of the cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments in Europe from the eighth to fifteenth centuries AD. Major themes include the emergence of medieval social institutions and modes of thought, Christian monasticism and spirituality, and the cultural interactions of the Latin West, the Byzantine East, and the Islamic world.

HIST 240 Age Of Hamilton (3)

An examination of the early American republic (1787-1815) through the life of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the United States Treasury. Topics covered include Hamilton’s childhood in the West Indies, his participation in the American Revolution, his personal and family life, his economic and political philosophy, his role as a leader of the Federalist Party, and his famous duel with Aaron Burr.

HIST 244 Civil War America (3)

An examination of the causes, nature, and consequences of the American Civil War. Covers the period from 1848-1877 and discusses such topics as the nature of slavery, the rise of abolitionism, the collapse and reconstruction of the American political system, and the realities of war.

HIST 248 War, Peace, Memory In America (3)

This course offers a study of how the experience of war has shaped Americans' identities and definitions of citizenship. Themes include the incorporation of women into the military, gender roles, propaganda, PTS(D) and its precursors, veteran studies, and social movements for peace. Readings provide an investigation into how wars that Americans have fought are remembered in the collective memory, whether through national narratives, in the media, or in popular culture. These address whose histories are remembered and forgotten, the ways myths of war are created for political purpose, definitions of heroism, and how memories of war shift over time.

HIST 256 America & World War II (3)

This is a history of American experiences during the war and in the immediate postwar period, including an examination of the home front, European and Pacific theaters. This course offers a study of how the experience of war have shaped Americans' identities and definitions of citizenship. Themes include the incorporation of women into the military, gender roles, propaganda, PTS(D) and its precursors, veteran studies, definitions of heroism, and social movements for peace.

HIST 271 World History To 1500 (3)

This course will examine the varied, complex, and rich histories of the human experience across the globe to the year 1500 CE. It will look at the history of the world both as a global unit and also in terms of the synergies between diverse cultures that have generated the transformative motors of world history. Revolving around the core theme of cross-cultural interactions we will look at the exchanges between nomadic and sedentary cultures, trade, instruments of governance, the formation and spread of worldviews, the role of the environment, and subaltern social groups.

HIST 272 World History Since 1500 (3)

This course will examine the varied, complex, and rich histories of the human experience across the globe since 1500 AD. It will look at the history of the world both as a global unit and also in terms of the synergies between diverse cultures that have generated the transformative motors of world history. Since 1500 AD global cross-cultural contact produced new patterns of order and interaction. For this reason, we will examine the growth of capitalism, European Imperial formations, the cultures of colonialism, modernity and Globalization, and the condition of postmodernity.

HIST 273 Hist Of Premodern Asia To 1500 (3)

A broad thematic introduction to the world historical transformations in government and society in Asia from the earliest times to the establishment of contact with Europeans in the 16th century. The twin themes of order and encounters will form the foundations for analyzing the different ways in which Asian societies grew in complexity as they crafted elaborate institutional arrangements for governance, and also as they became interconnected within wider circuits of the movements of ideas, commodities, and populations.

HIST 274 Hist Of Mod S Asia Since 1500 (3)

A broad introduction to the historical transformations of government and society in Asia from the 16th Century onward. The focus will on regions like East Asia, South & Southeast Asia. Themes explored include indigenous political systems, adaptations to European & Japanese imperialism, the "great divergence," the growth of national movements, decolonization, and the entanglements with modernity and contemporary capitalism.

HIST 294 Digital History (3)

What does it mean to practice history in the digital age? In this course, we explore how technology is changing the way we think about, research, and present the past. Our emphasis will be on the practice of digital history through specific exercises in GIS, data collection and manipulation, internet archiving, database creation, website development, social media, image and video editing, and digitization. Through a range of applications, tools, and collaborative exercises, we will see how digital tools readily intersect with the practice of history and how these applications are changing the way we understand our discipline.

HIST 303 Late Antiquity (3)

A study of the transformation of the Roman world from the third to seventh -centuries AD, examining the end of the ancient world and the birth of new medieval societies in Europe and the Mediterranean. The course gives attention to such topics as the Christianization of the Roman Empire, shifting boundaries of empire and political structures, changes in society and economy, transformation of town and countryside, Germanic migrations, the rise of the papacy, and the emergence of Islam.

HIST 304 Tudor-Stuart England:1400-1700 (3)

An introduction to the history of England from the Later Middle Ages through the Tudor/Stuart era. Major themes include social, economic, and religious change and the ways in which those changes influenced politics and culture from the Wars of the Roses through the Elizabethan Age and the English Civil War.

HIST 312 The Trial Of Joan Of Arc (3)

This course provides a deep study the extraordinary person, career, and trial of Joan of Arc. Her heresy trial in particular provides an important window into contemporary attitudes towards not only politics and authority but also religion and gender. Because the course is a reading seminar students will also be afforded ample opportunities to explore the methods of scholarly historical inquiry, with emphasis on the methods by which historical knowledge is produced, and then to assess the strengths and limitations of such attempts to reconstruct and comprehend peoples and cultures from the deep past, both historically as well as historiographically.

HIST 319 Topics In European History (3)

Selected Topics related to a specific area of European History.

HIST 329 Topics In Modern European History (3)

Selected topics related to a specific area of Modern European history.

HIST 341 Colonial America (3)

A study of the political, social, and religious history of the North American colonies from 1620 to 1763. Emphases include the transformation of European and African settlers into a distinctly American people, and the often stormy relationships between Native Americans and European immigrants.

HIST 342 America In The Age Of Revolution (3)

An examination of the development of the United States between 1790 and 1848. Emphasis is given to the political, social, economic, and cultural factors which shaped American life during the Jeffersonian and Jacksonian eras.

HIST 345 Pennsylvania History (3)

This class provides students with the opportunity to gain an introductory understanding of the social, political, and economic developments that have characterized Pennsylvania from its colonial roots through the de-industrialization of the 1970s and 1980s and the individuals who helped shape these events. Fulfills QuEST Pluralism in Contemporary Society requirement.

HIST 347 Modern America: U.S. History, 1945-Present (3)

A study of the U.S. from the end of World War II to the present. Special attention given to the social and cultural influences of the Cold War, changes in the political economy, and protest movements in the late 20th Century.

HIST 352 African-Amer History Since 1865 (3)

A study of historical change in the lives, experiences, legal status, and social status of African-Americans from the abolition of slavery to the present. Special attention is given to African-American campaigns to secure political and social equality. Fulfills QuEST Pluralism in Contemporary Society requirement.

HIST 355 U.S. Urban History (3)

An examination of the process by which America moved from a society characterized by small farms and villages to one dominated by large cities and sprawling suburbs. Themes include the effects of technology and planning on city-building and the effects of the urban form on race, ethnic, and gender relations. Fulfills QuEST Pluralism in Contemporary Society requirement.

HIST 359 Topics In American History (3)

Selected topics related to a specific area of American history.

HIST 373 History Of Premodern South Asia (3)

This course looks at the broad outlines of the history of the Indian subcontinent prior to 1500. Through a combination of lecture, film and discussion students will explore the development of the Indus Valley cultures, the Vedic age, Hindu, Buddhistic, and Jaina worldviews, early kingdoms and empires, medieval state formations, Islamicate culture and Sultanic regimes which reveal the multilayered and complex character of the subcontinent’s history, one that goes beyond simple labels of "Hindu" and "Muslim."

HIST 374 History Of South Asia After 1500 (3)

This course examines the broad contours of the history of the Indian sub-continent after 1500 especially those parts covered by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Major themes include: the Mughal Empire, European colonial interventions and indigenous responses (reform, rebellion, and nationalism), and the painful emergence of south Asian nations and their postcolonial predicaments. These themes will also intersect with the following concerns: Mughal state making, colonial governance and its forms of knowledge, subaltern histories, gender and caste studies, communalism, and discourses on development.

HIST 389 Topics In World History (3)

Selected topics related to a specific area of World history.

HIST 390 Teaching History And Social Studies (3)

A seminar emphasizing disciplinary content issues that are specific to secondary school history and social studies teaching. Areas of focus include curricular and instructional decision-making processes; classroom management strategies, assessment techniques, adaptations for exceptional learners; instructional technology applications; historical thinking, and professional development. This course is required for History-Social Studies majors, but is also open to other students as an upper-division history elective.

HIST 392 Women & Gender In American History (3)

This course puts women and gender at the center of historical inquiry using a comparative perspective. Thus, the construction of masculinity and femininity and the relations between men and women will be examined across the globe from earliest times to the present. In the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, the significance of women and gender will be explored in such central institutions as the state, family, religion, and economy. Particular attention will be paid to the ways that women have negotiated their position throughout history, including the modern feminist movement that we know today. Fulfills QuEST Pluralism in Contemporary Society requirement.

HIST 393 Public History (3)

A study of how history is presented in the public sphere-including museums, commemorations, documentaries, community histories, and public memory. Addresses a variety of activities and careers for historians outside of academia. May include or be taken in conjunction with an internship.

HIST 395 Museums, Memorials, and Monuments (3)

This course offers a study of how American experiences have been remembered and memorialized through museum exhibits, monuments, and memorials. Themes include the ways organizations influence the construction of memorials and monuments, federal government funding for national monuments, whose histories are prioritized, histories that are forgotten, the historical context of monument erections and the establishment of memorial sites, and national debates over the construction of historical narrative.

HIST 397 Special Topics In Public History (3)

Selected topics related to a specific area of public history.

HIST 398 Special Topics In History (3)

Selected topics related to a specific area of historical inquiry including American history, European history, non-Western history, and historiography.

HIST 401 Historiography & Philosophy Of History (3)

A study of the meaning and interpretation of history, with special attention to movements of historical thought and the historians who influenced those movements. This capstone seminar course is designed specifically for senior History Majors.

HIST 491 Independent Study (1-3)

Independent study or research under the supervision of an instructor whose approval must precede the student's enrollment.

HIST 497 Major Honors I (3)

Independent research program for students who have strong academic records for a minimum of five previous semesters of collegiate study.

HIST 498 Major Honors II (3)

Independent research program for students who have strong academic records for a minimum of five previous semesters of collegiate study.