course descriptions
Prerequisite Grade
All prerequisites must be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Lower Division
1 World History
An introduction to history through the study of world societies, from the Paleolithic age to the seventeenth century, focusing on the development and interaction of the major civilizations of the Middle East, the Mediterranean world, East Asia, Latin America, Africa, India and Southeast Asia, and North America. Readings are based on primary sources and differing historical interpretations.
2 World History
An introduction to history through the study of world societies from the 17th century to the present day, focusing on the themes of modernization, industrialization, imperialism, Third World development, and cultural exchange. Readings are based on primary sources and differing historical interpretations.
4 History of Western Civilization
An introduction to history through the study of Western Civilization from its origins in the Mediterranean world to the age of discovery in 15th-century Europe. Readings include primary sources as well as works dealing with issues of interpretation.
5 History of Western Civilization
A study of Europe’s political, social, economic, and cultural evolution from the 16th century to the present, focusing on major aspects of modernization through reading and discussion of primary documents and differing historical interpretations.
17 History of the United States
A survey course in American history which begins with the European discovery of the New World and ends with the era of Reconstruction following the Civil War. The approach is chronological, with emphasis on major historical interpretations.
18 History of the United States
A survey course in American history which begins with the end of Reconstruction and moves forward to the present day. The approach is chronological, with emphasis on major historical interpretations.
24 SSMPP Advising/Portfolio (.25)
A quarter-credit activity course that supports freshmen, sophomores, and first-semester juniors who are enrolled in the Single Subject Matter Preparation Program in the Social Sciences (SSMPP). It includes advice of course scheduling, assistance with self-assessment portfolios, instruction in pedagogy and classroom technology, guidance with lesson plans and assessment, and help with career planning.
Upper Division
Freshmen are not admitted to upper division courses.
100 Problems and Issues in World History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by regular course offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
103 Proseminar in Historical Research
This seminar develops the student’s ability to do historical research by focusing on a specific historical problem or development through intensive, systematic use of a wide range of sources. Each student carries out a research project under the guidance of the instructor. The topic of every proseminar is announced and described prior to registration each semester.
104 Historical Interpretation
This seminar introduces students to questions of historical methods; its content focuses on major methodological controversies and interpretations within a specific area of history, to be determined by the instructor. Examples of such areas include interpretive issues of the Middle Ages, the Third Reich, or the New Deal. Prerequisites may vary according to the topic and instructor.
105 Modern Approaches to History
A study of the development of history as a scholarly discipline beginning with fundamental questions of method and research, followed by analysis of major controversies stemming from contemporary approaches to historical research and to public history. In addition, resident historians discuss the problems they encounter in their research and writing.
110 Problems and Issues in European History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by the regular offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
111 Early Medieval Europe
A study of the early development of medieval society and institutions, emphasizing the formative influences of classical, Christian, and Germanic culture in the creation of the Middle Ages. The course traces the Middle Ages from A.D. 300 to 1000, considers such issues as medieval monasticism and the papacy, the rebirth of empire under Charlemagne, the origins of feudal society, and the effects of Byzantine culture and the rise of Islam upon the Latin West.
Offered in alternate years.
112 The High and Later Middle Ages
A study of the years A.D. 1000 to 1450, that period in which the seeds of medieval culture, sown during the 700 preceding years, come into full flower—the age of the Crusades and chivalry, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, St. Francis, St. Thomas, and Dante. The course is divided into thematic sections treating the relationship between the Christian and Muslim worlds, papal-imperial politics, social and economic changes, the rise of the universities, and the waning of the Middle Ages.
Offered in alternate years.
113 The Age of the Renaissance
An exploration of the rise of humanism in Europe between 1350 and 1550. The course focuses upon the educational and artistic movements that began in Italy and spread north to the rest of Europe. Attention is given to providing a social and political context for the cultural achievements of the period. Renaissance culture will be examined in light of its classical and medieval roots.
Offered in alternate years.
114 The Reformation Era
A survey of 16th-century European society, emphasizing social and political changes brought about by widespread religious reforms. Attention is given to key Reformation figures, such as Desiderius Erasmus, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ignatius of Loyola, and Theresa of Avila. The course will also explore the impact of the printing press on Europe and the spread of capitalism.
Offered in alternate years.
115 Enlightenment and Revolution
Beginning with an examination of the political, social, economic, and intellectual aspects of the old regime, this course analyzes 18th-century challenges to that regime. The ideas of the philosophers, the upheavals of popular revolution in France, and the spread of revolutionary institutions by Napoleon’s conquests are major issues for reading and discussion.
Offered in alternate years.
116 19th-Century Europe
A survey of the formation of modern European society from the French Revolution to the outbreak of World War I, emphasizing political, diplomatic, social, and ideological responses to industrialization, urbanization, and nationalism.
Offered in alternate years.
117 20th-Century Europe
A survey of European society from the outbreak of World War I to the present. Major themes include the failures of international stability, the problems of technological society, the effects of the Russian Revolution, the rise of fascism, the phenomenon of decolonization, and the development of the European Community, World War II and the Holocaust, the Cold War, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet system.
Offered in alternate years.
118 History through Fiction: 19th-Century Europe
This course uses as its main source a selection of the abundant fiction produced by observers of the political, social, technological, and cultural revolutions that transformed European society in the 19th century. Class discussion analyzes the fictional realms they created and considers the extent to which their visions reflect social and historical reality, and the indications of the political and social perspectives they contain.
Offered in alternate years.
119 Germany: From The Third Reich to the Present
What made the triumph of Nazism in Germany possible and how complete was its downfall? This course examines many facets of these questions including Germany’s historical tradition, Hitler’s life, the nature of the Nazi dictatorship, Germany’s role in World War II, and the evolution of the two Germanys through the Cold War and its European role since the reunification of 1990.
Offered in alternate years.
124 Advising/Portfolio (.25)
This quarter-credit activity course supports juniors and seniors who are enrolled in the Single Subject Matter Preparation Program (SSMPP). It provides SSMPP students with advising assistance, supervision of internship experiences, instruction in pedagogy and classroom technology, guidance on lesson plans and assessment, and assistance with credential program and graduate school admissions.
130 Problems and Issues in American History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by the regular offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
131 Colonial History of the United States
A study of three “experimental” societies in the New World: the “holy experiment” of the Quakers in Pennsylvania, the Puritan “city on a hill”
in Massachusetts, and the plantation society of the Anglicans in Virginia.
Emphasis is placed on religious, cultural, social, and political developments
within the colonies, with due attention to the British imperial and mercantile systems.
Offered in alternate years.
132 The American Revolution and the Early Republic
A study of the American Revolution, the Confederation period, the ratification of the Constitution, and the Federalist decade. Emphasis is placed on intellectual, political, economic, military, and diplomatic history, as well as on major historical interpretations of the periods covered.
Offered in alternate years.
133 Era of the Civil War and Reconstruction
An examination of American society and politics from the Age of Jackson to the end of Reconstruction. Major focus is on the Civil War as the great crisis of national unity: the economic, political, social, and cultural forces that brought it on, and the new nation that emerged in its aftermath.
Offered in alternate years.
134 Recent History of the United States
A study of the Twenties, the origins of the Great Depression, the New Deal, America during World War II, and the postwar periods including the Civil Rights Movement, Watergate, the Reagan revolution, and the Bush and Clinton years. Emphasis is placed on social, cultural, and literary history. The course concentrates on domestic developments rather than on foreign affairs.
Offered in alternate years.
135 United States Foreign Relations: 1898 to the Present
An examination of the nation’s foreign affairs from the rise of imperialism in the late 19th century through the challenge of war and peace in the twentieth century. U.S. policy is considered as the result of both domestic and foreign economic, political, and psychological influences.
Offered in alternate years.
136 Immigration and Ethnic Relations
in American History
A study of immigrant groups in the United States from the Revolution to the present, assessing their response to and impact upon American society.
Topics to be discussed include the foreign background of immigration, the
problems of adjustment, assimilation and mobility in comparative perspective, ethnic politics and culture, nativism, Black migration, and the “melting pot” vs. “cultural pluralism” description of America.
Offered in alternate years.
137 United States History in Comparative Perspective
This course integrates American history into an international framework of analysis by exploring similarities and differences between the United States’ historical development and that of other nations. Topics include comparative approaches to indigenous cultures, colonization, revolution and nationalism, political systems, the frontier, slavery and race, reform, immigration, industrialism, and the welfare state.
Offered in alternate years.
138 American Culture since the Civil War
This course draws upon sources from American popular and high culture since the Civil War in order to examine key ideas, attitudes, and forms of expression in 19th- and 20th-century America and suggests their relationship to the changing social context.
Offered in alternate years.
139 History of Women in America
A study of the changing roles and status of American women from the Colonial period to the present. Topics considered include work and
family life, the legal status of women, education, reform movements, and the campaigns for suffrage and women’s rights.
Offered in alternate years.
140 African-American History: 1619 to 1865
A study of the role and contribution of African-Americans in the development of United States history from the colonial era to the Civil War. The course analyzes the concept and practice of slavery, the place of the African-American in the U.S. Constitution, the American colonial and post-colonial economy and the Black peoples, the factors that caused the Civil War and American domestic socio-political history.
Offered in alternate years.
141 African-American History: 1865 to the Present
A study of the political and social consequences of African-American emancipation from the Reconstruction era onward. The course emphasizes the African-American search for positive ways to implement constitutional and democratic principles. It also analyzes the importance and impact of “protest” as a socio-political phenomenon and culminates with the study of new forms of activism in the African-American community.
Offered in alternate years.
142 California
A study of California from its pre-contact beginnings to the present; its transformation from an Indian society to an ignored Spanish outpost, to Mexican domination, and finally to one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. The course deals with problems of change and growth as the Golden State enters the next century.
Offered in alternate years.
150 Problems and Issues in Latin American History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by the regular offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
151 Contemporary Latin America
A survey of the history of the continent in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on the elusive search for democracy, the development of capitalism, and the various alternatives proposed by reformist and revolutionary movements and government over the decades.
Offered in alternate years.
152 Latin American Revolutions
A comparative study of the history of the major revolutionary movements and governments of Latin America in the 20th century—Mexico, Cuba, Chile, and Nicaragua—focusing on their origins, the composition of the participants, the international context of their development, and the goals, successes, and failures involved.
Offered in alternate years.
153 Latin America: Race and Society
The course traces the African heritage of Latin America, putting special emphasis on the Caribbean, Brazil, the Pacific coast of Central America and Venezuela, and the small countries of Surinam and Guyana. It examines the origins of the African population of Latin America, their contribution to the culture and economy of the region, and the continuing struggle against racism and discrimination.
Offered in alternate years.
154 Latin America and the United States
Over two centuries, relations between Latin America and the United States have varied from mutual admiration to distrust. Tracing these relations from the Monroe Doctrine to the present involvement of the United States in Central America, the course explores the questions: How has Latin America reacted to the United States’ pursuit of its national interests and security in the region? What degree of success
has the United States achieved in its objectives?
Offered in alternate years.
155 Latin American Environmental History
An introduction to the history and relations between humans and their environment in Latin America from the pre-Columbian era, through the colonial period and independence, and into the 20th century. Special emphasis is placed on Mexico, Brazil, and Central America to explore topics such as agriculture and environment, war and ecology, the history and fate of the tropical rainforests, industrialization and environmental destruction, development and conservation, and sustainable alternatives in the 21st century.
Offered in alternate years.
160 Problems and Issues in Asian History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by the regular offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
161 Modern Japan
The course begins in 1603 with the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate and ends with present-day Japan. Emphasis is placed on political, economic, cultural, and social history. Special attention is given to the “Japanese character” as it evolved historically. A major theme of the course is Japan’s success in modernizing or Westernizing.
Offered in alternate years.
162 Modern China
The course begins in 1644 with the establishment of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty and ends with present-day Communist China. Emphasis is placed on political, economic, cultural, and social history. The main themes of the course are China’s struggle to modernize, and reaction and revolution in late 19th- and 20th-century China.
Offered in alternate years.
170 Problems and Issues in African History
Analysis of a selected theme, problem, era, or region not covered by the regular offerings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registration each semester.
171 African History to 1850
A study of human origins in Africa, Black migration, the expansion of Islam in Africa, the slave trade, and the rise of ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Zulu. The course searches for and establishes the cultural identity of Africa before slavery, and the influence of ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Meroe cultures on subsequent sub-Saharan civilization.
Offered in alternate years.
172 African History Since 1850
A study of the major themes of state building, Islamic revolutions, colonialism, nationalism and pan-Africanism, the role of the military in recent decades, African decolonization and economic development in the context of the modern world. The course emphasizes the development of African contemporary culture in comparison with that of select nations and regions of the developed world.
Offered in alternate years.
197 Special Study
An independent study or research course in an area not offered by
the department. Permission from the instructor and department chair
is required.
199 Special Study—Honors
An independent study or research course for upper-division majors
with at least a B average in history. Permission from the instructor and the department chair is required.
* Offered in alternate years.
* Offered in alternate years.
** Offered at least once in a 3-year period.
# Does not fulfill an Area requirement.
