History

Bachelor of Arts

The mission of the Department of History and Classics is to encourage a sensitivity to the past in order that students might better understand the present and prepare intelligently to deal with the challenges of the future. Moreover, the department seeks to train and instruct students in historical methods, with emphasis on doing the work of history with the greatest possible objectivity, resisting personal and social prejudice and ideological fashion.

History courses are intended to develop in students a basic grasp of European, American, Global civilizations, and to provide students with opportunities to examine the interrelationship of various cultures and civilizations across time.

The department emphasizes an appreciation of the Judaeo-Christian heritage in keeping with the character and mission of the College as a Roman Catholic and Dominican institution. It also promotes an understanding of democratic tradition and practice and their relation to the responsibilities of citizenship and humane development of the nation and the world.

Advanced Placement Policy

History majors with an Advanced Placement grade of 4 or 5 on the A.P. U.S., European and/or World History exam(s) will be given a one-course reduction in the required courses for the specific regional requirement (US, European, or Global History) and will be given flexibility in choosing the remaining course. For instance, a major with a grade of 4 or 5 in U.S. History would be required to take only one more course in U.S. History and may choose any U.S. History course for that required course.

History minors with an Advanced Placement grade of 4 or 5 on the A.P. U.S., European and/or World History exam(s) fulfill the required course for the specific regional requirement (US, European, or Global History). For instance, a minor with a grade of 4 or 5 in European History would have no further European History requirements.

A limit of two A.P. scores of 4 or 5 will be recognized by the Department for reduction of the total number of courses in the major or minor. Students can still apply any additional credits towards their overall credit requirements for graduation.

Please Note:

Academic programs vary in their requirements. Students should consult with their faculty advisor and the Academic Guidebook to review the Academic Planning Form pertinent to their program of study. In addition, students should review course descriptions regarding any prerequisites for required courses. Graduation requirements include a minimum of 120 credit hours, although some academic programs may require additional credits. Please refer to the Academic Resources section of the catalog for more information. Information regarding the Core Curriculum is available within each course and online.

Required Courses

History majors are required to complete 33 credits in history. These are normally fulfilled by completing a three-credit methodology course, six credits each in United States history, European history, and Global History, nine from departmental electives, and a junior/senior seminar are required. Necessary adjustments and appropriate substitutions for departmental requirements may be made in accordance with approved department policy and with the permission of the chairperson of the department.

HIS 100 - Thinking and Writing about History 3 credits-
Two (2) United States History courses, chosen from:
HIS 255 Colonial North America: From Contact to Constitution (to 1789) 3 credits-
  OR
HIS 256 Creating a Nation from Founding to Civil War (1789-1877) 3 credits-
  AND
HIS 257 Redefining the United States at Home and Abroad (1877-1939) 3 credits-
  OR
HIS 258 The American Century (1939-Present) 3 credits-
Two (2) European Period History courses:
One (1) Pre-1715
One (1) Post-1715
Two (2) Courses from any of the following areas:
African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Indigenous, or Transnational History
(3) History Electives
(1) Junior/Senior Seminar or Honors Thesis in History (HIS 480 or above)

Pre-1715 European Courses

HIS 260 - Renaissance Florence: City and Culture: 1300-1550 3 credits-
HIS 280 - Ethnicity in the Ancient World 3 credits-
HIS 303 - Medieval England: The Real Game of Thrones 3 credits-
HIS 304 - Britain in the Modern World: from Empire to Brexit 3 credits-
HIS 305 - Religious War, Reform, and Renewal in Baroque Europe (c.1555-1648) 3 credits-
HIS 306 - Rights and Absolutism in Early Modern Europe (c. 1648-1714) 3 credits-
HIS 314 - The Russian Empire 3 credits-
HIS 324 - The Reformation 3 credits-
HIS 331 - Emperors, Barbarians, Warriors, and Queens in the Early Middle Ages 3 credits-
HIS 332 - Of Saints and Sinners: From Crusaders to Cathedrals in the Middle Ages 3 credits-
HIS 337 - The Ancient Greek World 3 credits-
HIS 338 - The Roman Republic and Empire 3 credits-
HIS 340 - Politics and Prose in Classical Athens 3 credits-
HIS 341 - Ancient Horror and the Grotesque 3 credits- /
CLA 341 - Ancient Horror and the Grotesque
3 credits-
HIS 360 - Greek and Roman Warfare 3 credits-

Post-1715 European Courses

HIS 220 - Living in an Imperial World: Cities and Empires, 1500 to the Present 3 credits-
HIS 304 - Britain in the Modern World: from Empire to Brexit 3 credits-
HIS 307 - At the Crossroads of Modernity: Europe in the 18th Century 3 credits-
HIS 308 - Industry, Empire, Revolution: Europe in the 19th Century 3 credits-
HIS 310 - The Rise and Fall of the British Empire 3 credits-
HIS 311 - Era of the French Revolution 3 credits-
HIS 314 - The Russian Empire 3 credits-
HIS 315 - The Soviet Union and Beyond 3 credits-
HIS 319 - Victorian Worlds: British Society, 1837-1901 3 credits-
HIS 353 - Chaos, Violence, and the World Wars in 20th Century Europe 3 credits-
HIS 354 - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, 1920-1950 3 credits-
HIS 355 - Reimagining Postwar Europe: Communism, Capitalism, Conflict, and Cooperation 3 credits-
HIS 358 - History of Ireland 3 credits-
HIS 359 - Twentieth-Century Ireland 3 credits-

Global Requirement

History and History/Secondary Education majors are required to take at least two global History courses as part of their History requirements.

Courses that fall into the following categories can be used to fulfill the global requirement: Asian, Russian,* Latin American, Middle Eastern, African, and Native American histories, or any histories that focus on autochthonous peoples, provided that they (a) include a significant amount of content beyond the scope of the study of Western history and/or (b) offer alternative perspectives to those peoples who emanate from Western Europe or the United States by focusing on the response to contact, conquest, and colonialism.

Courses not explicitly included in the above categories may fulfill the global requirement with the approval of the instructor and the chair or assistant chair.

HIS 200 - Japanese Pop Culture as Postwar History 3 credits-
HIS 215 - The Diversity of Latin American Religious History 3 credits-
HIS 230 - Early Latin American History 3 credits-
HIS 231 - Modern Latin American History 3 credits-
HIS 240 - Native American History to 1815 3 credits-
HIS 241 - Native American History since 1815 3 credits-
HIS 298 - Early Modern East Asia 3 credits-
HIS 299 - Modern East Asia 3 credits-
HIS 339 - Ancient Egypt 3 credits-
HIS 342 - History of the Middle East to 1920 3 credits-
HIS 344 - Colonialism and Nationalism in Modern Africa 3 credits-
HIS 345 - History of the Modern Middle East 3 credits-
HIS 352 - Global Feminisms in the Age of Empires and Beyond 3 credits-
HIS 368 - Modern Japan 3 credits-
HIS 369 - Modern China 3 credits-
HIS 314 - The Russian Empire 3 credits-
HIS 315 - The Soviet Union and Beyond 3 credits-
*Russian History may not count as global history for Secondary Education majors. Please consult with the assistant chair or with your advisor for clarification.
HIS 488 - Warriors in Japanese History 3 credits-

United States Electives

HIS 122 - Black Cinema: A History of African American Film and Beyond 3 credits-
HIS 202 - American Military History 3 credits-
HIS 205 - Introduction to Public History 3 credits-
HIS 207 - African-American History 1619 to Present 3 credits-
HIS 214 - North American Religious History 3 credits-
HIS 218 - Multicultural United States: Racism, Ethnicity, and Immigration History in the Contemporary U.S. 3 credits-
HIS 226 - Women and the Modern American Experience 3 credits-
HIS 316 - The Civil War and Reconstruction 3 credits-
HIS 322 - American Diplomatic History II 3 credits-
HIS 325 - The American Revolution 3 credits-
HIS 330 - The Age of Hamilton and Jefferson, 1789-1815 3 credits-
HIS 346 - Slavery in the United States, 1619-1865 3 credits-
HIS 364 - Panics and Depressions in US History, 1789 3 credits-
HIS 366 - Corporations and Entrepreneurs in United States History 3 credits-
HIS 367 - Marketing Campaigns in U.S. History, c.1850 3 credits-
HIS 375 - Food in U.S. History 3 credits-

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