History

Department Chairperson : Bernard Rowan

Graduate Program Advisor : Rita Kucera

Graduate Faculty : Robert E. Bionaz, Hannah A. Jones, Lionel Kimble, Ann E. Kuzdale, Suzuko Morikawa, Saidou M. N’Daou, Steven Rowe.

The Department of History, Philosophy, and Political Science offers graduate study in African, European, Latin American, African American, and United States history leading to the degree of Master of Arts in History. The program is designed to meet the needs of in-service secondary school teachers and those who wish to prepare for the teaching of history at the community college level. It also provides an excellent preparation for students planning to continue study leading to a more advanced degree at another university. In addition to the general program, the department offers a concentration in Black Studies, available in the individualized curriculum. 

General Requirements

* Fulfillment of the general degree requirements for admission to the graduate program.

• Completion of a minimum of twenty-four credit hours of undergraduate history courses, including twelve hours of survey work in European and United States history. Students with inadequate preparation will be required to take additional selected courses prior to consideration for admission to candidacy.
• Students must have earned a B average (3.0) in the junior and senior years and in all undergraduate history courses.
• Completion of thirty credit hours at the graduate level.
• A minimum of half of the courses applied to the satisfaction of Master’s degree requirements must be at the 5000-level.

Specific Requirements

Completion of five courses at the 5000-level, HIST 5400/400, 5405/405, and three seminars. HIST 5400/400 is to be taken first. A student will not be permitted to enroll in any other 5000-level course until HIST 5400/400 is completed.

Completion of five courses at the 4000-level on specific
geographical, chronological, or thematic topics.

All elective courses are to be chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor.

Although a thesis is not required, a student may elect to present one, written under the direction of a departmental specialist in the thesis area. Six credit hours will be given for a thesis in lieu of six credit hours of seminar work. The student must register for six credit hours and will receive an incomplete grade until the completion of the thesis and its acceptance by the thesis committee.

A comprehensive examination on two historical areas must be taken at or near the end of a student’s course work; a minimum grade of B is necessary to earn the degree. The examination is given in October and in March; description and full details are supplied to each entering student. It is the student’s responsibility to make application to take the comprehensive examination well in advance of the date the examination is to be taken.

An individualized curriculum may be constructed to fit a student’s particular interests and requirements. Within this curriculum, electives may be chosen from the disciplines of English, geography, or another field.

This arrangement can be undertaken only upon the formulation of a rationale and written consent of the graduate advisor.

Professional Development Sequences

Certificate of proficiency in specific areas: Ethnic Studies: GEOG 4323/323, 4500/350, 4510/351, 4520/352; Global Studies: GEOG 4620/362, 4387/387, 4990/390.

Course Offerings

History (HIST)

5130/313 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY (3)

Origin of Christianity, its spread, development of doctrines and practices, movements within the church, various denominations.

5301/301 THE ERA OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Background and development of the French Revolution.

5302/302 HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN (3)

History of women with African Descent from the enslavement period to the present. Emphasis on issues of racism and sexism in late 19 ^thcentury and 20 ^thcentury U.S. society with relation to the feminist, womanist, Civil Rights, and Black Poser movements.

5303/303 RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Aspects of 15th and 16th century political and cultural history.

5305/305 THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

The African American struggle for civil rights since 1900 with an emphasis on the period since World War II.

5307/307 THE EUROPEAN WORLD IN THE 20TH CENTURY (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Europe from 1914 to the present.

5308/308 THE VIETNAM WAR (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

The causes and effects of the Vietnam War with an emphasis on the United States and its role from World War II to 1975.

5310/310 WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE AGES (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Topical and chronological survey of women in the Mediterranean and Euro-pean world, with emphasis on their social, cultural and intellectual accomplishments. Special emphasis on realities and perceptions of the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic traditions.

5311/311 RACE AND LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES (3)

Prerequisites:HIST 1310/131 recommended or consent of the department.

Race and relationships through labor struggle and the formation of the United States working-class. Central focus on working women and men of color from the mid-nineteenth through the twentieth century.

5312/312 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY IN EUROPE (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Europe during the 19th Century.

5314/314 CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION 1850-1876 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Events of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

5317/317 THE FORGING OF MODERN AMERICA (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

The Gilded Age, Progressive Era, World War I, the 1920’s, and the Great Depression.

5319/319 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC, 1763-1815 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Independence movement and the formation of a new nation.

5320/320 AMERICAN COLONIAL HISTORY (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Culture and institutions of the American colonies.

5323/323 THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE (3)

Prerequisites:HIST 131 recommended or consent of the department.

Immigration and migration as factors in the United States history.

5326/326 AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Development, impact, and interpretation of American foreign policy.

5327/327 THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND GREECE (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Civilizations in the ancient Near East and Greece.

5328/328 WORLD CIVILIZATIONS 500 BC-1500 AD (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Competition for world domination among civilizations originating in Western Europe, the Middle East, China, and India.

5329/329 HISTORY OF ROMAN CIVILIZATION (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Roman civilization under the Republic and Empire.

5331/331 TUDOR/STUART ENGLAND (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

English history from 1485 to 1714.

5343/343 THE MEDIEVAL WORLD: SPECIAL TOPICS (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Advanced and specialized topics on the social, cultural, political, intellectual, and religious history of the Middle Ages. May be taken more than once for credit if topics are different.

5344/344 HISTORY OF EASTERN EUROPE (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Eastern European politics and culture from the seventh century to the present.

5348/348 HISTORY OF THE OCCULT (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Occultist beliefs and practices from Graeco-Roman Egypt through the 20th century. Historical interconnections with mythology, religion, theology, philosophy, and psychology in various cultures.

5350/350 HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES TO 1900 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Impact of the Afro-American on the history of the United States before 1900.

5351/351 THE AFRICAN AMERICAN IN TWENTIETH CENTURY UNITED STATES (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Impact of the Afro-American on contemporary life.

5352//352 THE CHICAGO EXPERIENCE (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

A variety of classroom activities and traditional learning resources are supplemented by direct investigation of key aspects of the city.

5353/353 HISTORY OF EAST AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Analysis of major events caused by the migration of the Bantu, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, and peoples of the Pacific Ocean islands to East Africa and the creation of Swahili Civilization representing the first great melting pot culture in Africa.

5354/354 HISTORY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 2840/284 and 2850/285 recommended or consent of the department.

A survey of the Bantu civilizations of the African Sub-Continent, their contacts with European civilization in the 17th century and the creation of a multiracial society in the 20th century.

5355//355 MODERN AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 2840/284 and 2850/285 recommended or consent of the department.

A detailed look at Africa since World War I, especially the impact of colonialism the rise of African nationalist movements and struggles for independence, and changes in Africa since independence.

5356/356 SLAVERY IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of Department.

The rise of slavery in the trans-Atlantic world. The Triangular Trade, the role of slavery in the development of western capitalism, and the effect of racist justification for that institution.

5357/357 HISTORY OF HAITI (3)

Prerequisites: HIST 1710/171 and 2300/230 recommended or consent of the department.

History of Hispaniola from 1492 to the present with a particular focus on the first successful slave insurrection.

5359/359 RUSSIA UNDER THE CZARS (3)

From the rise of the Romanovs in 1613 to their fall in the revolutions of 1917.

5360/360 HISTORY OF THE SOVIET UNION, 1917-1991 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

The Soviet Union since the 1917 Revolution with emphasis on Leninist-Stalinist policy.

5362/362 THE WORLD SINCE 1945 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Analysis of major social, political, economic, military, demographic, and cultural trends and events in the world since the end of World War II.

5364/364 COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

From the pre-Columbian Indian civilizations through the European discovery and conquest to the movements for independence.

5369/ 369 FIELD INTERNSHIP (3 - 12)

Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

Special assignment or research projects in museums, schools, libraries, or programs which would involve students in practical applications of historical knowledge or research. 25 Clock hours per credit hour. (May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 12 semester hours.)

5371//371 MEXICO SINCE INDEPENDENCE (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of Department.

Mexico from independence to the present with a major focus on U.S.-Mexican relations. 

5379/379 SPAIN SINCE 1492 (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of Department.

Spain from the completion of the Reconquista through the rise and fall of its New World empire to the present.

5381/381 HISTORY OF RELIGION (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Historical study of world religions, their origins and development. Includes discussion of religions originating in India (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism); the Far East (ancestor worship, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto); and Middle East (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Native African, Native American and syncretic Caribbean religions are also discussed. Emphasis on non-Western and Third World religions.

5383/383 THE BLACK CHURCH IN AMERICA (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

History of the origins and development of the major religious movements among Black Americans.

5384/384 WEST AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 2840/284 and 2850/285, or consent of the department.

The West African sub region, with special emphasis on the Niger River Valley civilizations of Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Ashanti, Yoruba, and Dahomey, the ancestral origins of African Americans, the impact of the desiccation of the Sahara Desert, and the impact of trans-Sahara and trans-Atlantic trade.

5386/386 ANCIENT AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 2840/284 and 2850/285 recommended or consent of the department.

An understanding and appreciation of Africa before 1500 AD and the discovery of the new world, and on the eve of the breakdown of its civilizations under the impact of this discovery and Islam.

5387/387 KEY PROBLEMS IN AFRICAN HISTORY (3)

Prerequisites:HIST 2840/284 and 2850/285 recommended or the consent of the department.

Africa from ancient to modern times with emphasis on the origins of human civilization, the Saharan factor in African history, the impact of Sudanese and Bantu migrations, and evaluation of foreign interventions and their legacies, state formation and problems of development and governance. Emphasis on the theoretical and mdthodological issues of the debate on and in African History.

5390//390 COLONIALISM, NATIONALISM AND INDEPENDENCE IN THE THIRD WORLD (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Political, economic and cultural changes brought about in traditional society by the imposition of Western rule, leading to the rise of nationalism and successful independence movements. India, Indochina, Kenya, and Nigeria will be used as case studies.

5394 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN HISTORY (1-3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department

Staff-directed study in special topics.  May be repeated once under a different topic for one to three additional credit hours. 

5399/399 SPECIAL TOPICS IN HISTORY (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Analysis of particular historical problems that have a high degree of contemporary significance.

Note: All graduate students are eligible to enroll for 400-level classes, except those designated as restricted to master’s degree students or requiring departmental permission.

5400/400 HISTORICAL METHODS (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of graduate advisor.

Principles of historical research.

5405/405 HISTORICAL THOUGHT (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400.

Systems of historical thought and the works of great historians.

5470/470 SEMINAR IN UNITED STATES HISTORY I (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405

Research in special phases of United States history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5471/471 SEMINAR IN UNITED STATES HISTORY II (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of United States history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5472/472 SEMINAR IN UNITED STATES HISTORY III (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of United States history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5480/480 SEMINAR IN EUROPEAN HISTORY I (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of European history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5481/481 SEMINAR IN EUROPEAN HISTORY II (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of European history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5482/482 SEMINAR IN EUROPEAN HISTORY III (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of European history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5490/490 SEMINAR IN HISTORY I (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5491/491 SEMINAR IN HISTORY II (3)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, 5405/405.

Research in special phases of history. Topics will vary from term to term. (May be taken more than once with a different topic.)

5499/499 MASTER’S THESIS (6)

Prerequisite: HIST 5400/400, HIST 5405/405, and consent of graduate advisor.

Directed research.