400

HIS 400 History Capstone Research Seminar

This course represents the culmination of the history major. With the guidance of the instructor, students consider historiographic and methodological models and carry out a complete research project related to a common theme or body of source material. The final written product is graded by the instructor in consultation with a second reader, a faculty member assigned by the History faculty. This course is offered in the fall semester and is normally taken in the senior year.
Credit Hours: 4
(SS)

Prerequisites

HIS 201

HIS 401 Field Work

Involves practical work in museums, historical preservation and historical archives. Requires permission of area coordinator. Graded on a pass/fail basis.

Credit Hours: 4
(SS)

HIS 402 Natural and Unnatural Disasters in Modern World History

This course investigates the impact of catastrophes — earthquakes, epidemics, hurricanes, fires, accidents — on society, politics and culture in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas since 1624. Natural disasters often transform relations between nations and among social groups, while revealing social conditions and cultural attitudes kept hidden under normal circumstances. Natural disasters can create the conditions for revolutions, lead to wars over scarce resources, provide pretexts for imperial intrusions and expose the inequalities and tensions in society. Students will develop their knowledge of world history and disaster studies by reading and writing about selected case studies.

Credit Hours: 4
(IG) (SS) (W)

Prerequisites

Any two History courses.

HIS 413 The Era of World War I

The course traces the diplomatic and economic events leading to the outbreak of war in 1914 and follows the progress of the war, revolution and peace.

Credit Hours: 4
(IG) (SS)

HIS 414 The Era of World War II

The course traces the political, economic, social and diplomatic events leading to the outbreak of hostilities and the military and diplomatic aspects of the war itself. It concludes with the Nuremburg Trials.

Credit Hours: 4
(IG) (SS)

HIS 450 Independent Study

Involves guided readings, research and criticism.  Materials covered must be different from those included in current courses.  May be repeated for credit if subject matter varies.

Credit Hours: 2-4
(SS)

Prerequisites

Minimum 3.0 GPA, 12 hours of history. Independent studies must be taken under the direction of a full-time HIS professor. Subject matter must be determined through student-faculty consultation.

HIS 451 Senior Thesis

A substantial research and writing project.  The subject matter must be determined through student-faculty consultation.  A senior thesis can be written under the guidance of any full-time professor in the HIS department.

Credit Hours: 4
(SS)

Prerequisites

Senior standing, minimum 3.0 GPA.

HIS 460-462 Advanced Special Topics

Advanced study of a selected historical topic. This course will count toward the upper-level requirement for the History major, and, depending on the topic, may fulfill other requirements, with approval of the Associate Chair for History, Sociology, Geography and Legal Studies. May be repeated for credit if the topic differs.

Credit Hours: 4
(SS)