Department of History
Programs and Courses
Undergraduate Courses in History
HIST 121 The United States to 1877 (3 hrs.)
A broad interdisciplinary course in the historical development of American social and cultural institutions to 1877.
HIST 122 The United States since 1877 (3 hrs.)
A continuation of the preceding course, covering the years 1877 to the present.
HIST 253 Reading and Writing History (3 hrs.)
An introductory course in the discipline of history, focusing on the fundamentals of historiography (the "history" of history) and historical methodology (research, writing, and documentation). This course is a pre-requisite/co-requisite for all history courses at the 300- and 400-levels.
HIST 264 A Nation Divided: American History (3 hrs.)
A general course in American history highlighting themes of division, conflict, and contradiction incorporating--but not limited to--subjects such as race, gender, class and society. May be taken for Humanities core curriculum credit. Specific course topic and content varies.
HIST 265 A World Divided: World History (3 hrs.)
A general course in world history highlighting themes of division, conflict, and contradiction incorporating--but not limited to--subjects such as race, gender, class and society. May be taken for Humanities core curriculum credit. Specific course topic and content varies.
HIST 300 Social Studies for Interdisciplinary Studies Majors (3 hrs.)
Designed specifically for students seeking teacher certification in the elementary grades, this course provides a survey of the social studies in content areas (history, geography, government, and economics) and incorporates various strategies in teaching social studies.
HIST 301 Social Studies for Middle School Teachers (3 hrs.)
Designed specfically for students seeking teacher certification in middle school social studies (grades four through eight), this course provides a survey of the content taught in those grades including not only Texas, U.S., and world history, but also the appropriate areas of government, economics, and geography. This course also incorporates various strategies for teaching those subjects.
HIST 303 Historical Geography (3 hrs.)
A study of the various ways in which history has affected and has been affected by geography, including but not limited to physical, political, cultural, and environmental elements. Topics may include the emergence of ancient civilizations, the spread of Islam, and global commercial relations.
HIST 304 World Civilization to 600 (3 hrs.)
A study of world civilizations from the earliest records to the end of classical civilization. The focus will be on the origin and development of centers of civilization in the Mediterranean/Near East region, India, China, and the Americas.
HIST 305 World Civilization from 600 to 1600 (3 hrs.)
A study of world civlizations from the collapse of Greco-Roman civilization through the age of exploration. The focus will be on the reorganization of society, the rebuilding of culture and the development of new economic systems in Europe, India, Asia, and the Americas.
HIST 306 World Civilization since 1600 (3hrs.)
A study of the rise of modern Europe, the world, and the changes in western and eastern culture resulting from expansion and conflict. Stress will be placed on the changing political, social, and cultural scene in Europe and the non-western world.
HIST 312 Medieval Civilization (3 hrs.)
The classical and Christian heritage; growth of political, social, economic, and religious institutions; rise of cities and national monarchies; establishment of universities, scholastic philosophy, literature, and the arts.
HIST 314 Renaissance and Reformation (3 hrs.)
A course devoted to the study of nature and origin of social, economic, and political changes which ushered in culture of the Renaissance and witnessed the development of the modern State. Emphasis will be placed on the religious movements and controversies of the Reformation period.
HIST 315 17th and 18th Century Europe (3 hrs.)
An exploration of European intellectual traditions and innovations of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as manifested in ideas, science, the arts, and their interrelationship.
HIST 327 The French Revolution and Napoleon (3hrs.)
A study of the political, social, and economic developments in France from Louis XVI's accession to the throne of France in 1774 to the Congress of Vienna in 1815 that ended the Napoleonic Wars.
HIST 329 19th Century Europe (3hrs.)
A comprehensive study of the political, social, economic, and intellectual development of modern Europe with emphasis on the major ideas and movements which influenced Europe before World War I.
HIST 360 Themes in World History (3hrs.)
A study of the themes which influenced all human cultures from the earliest times to the present, considered within the context of a comparative framework. Such themes as the impact of technological change on society, the development of means of economic exchange, and the structure of religious and ideological systems may be examined.
HIST 365 History of Modern East Asia (3hrs.)
A survey of developments in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with emphasis on the impact of the west in the nineteenth century and modernization in the twentieth.
HIST 375 History of Mexico and Central America (3 hrs.)
This course aims at fostering a sympathetically critical understanding of contemporary Mexico and Central America in the light of their past. It will explore the interrelationship between the region's political and economic history as well as continuity of its social and cultural patterns from pre-Columbian times to the present.
HIST 385 History of South America (3 hrs.)
This course will examine the historical experience of the South American continent from pre-Columbian times to the present in all its dimensions--political, social, cultural, and diplomatic--with a focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
HIST 400 Composite Social Studies (3 hrs.)
Designed for those seeking certification in secondary or middle school social studies, this course will explore the relationship between and the intersections among the social studies content areas (history, government, economics, and geography). Study will include analyses of content-area textbooks, state assessments, and established curricula.
HIST 402 Colonial North America, 1492-1763 (3 hrs.)
This course charts the development of the Spanish, French, and British colonies in North America from the pre-Columbian period through the end of the Seven Years' War, concentrating upon the British colonies of the Eastern Seaboard.
HIST 403 Revolutionary America, 1750-1791 (3 hrs.)
This course examines the decline in British-American colonial relations that precipitated the American Revolution, which was completed with the ratification of the Constitution. Emphasis is placed upon the growth of democratic and republican political institutions, and the development of a distinctively "American" society.
HIST 404 The Age of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy, 1789-1850 (3 hrs.)
A study of the awakening of American nationalism and the development of political, social, and economic institutions of American life through the early national and antebellum eras.
HIST 405 The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 (3 hrs.)
The political, social, and constitutional origins of the American Civil War and the reconstruction of the southern states.
HIST 407 The Foundation of Modern America, 1877-1914 (3 hrs.)
A survey of the major factors which underlie the formative period of contemporary America, especially those elements which make the Gilded Age as revolutionary a one as the United States has ever experienced.
HIST 409 The United States in the Twentieth Century (3 hrs.)
This course is designed to develop an understanding of the various forces which influence contemporary society. The major themes of industrialization and international involvement provide the framework within which modern America emerged on the world scene. A distinctive feature of the course is the introduction of conflicting interpretations of the major events in modern American history through extensive collateral reading.
HIST 415 History of Texas (3 hrs.)
A study of the land, people, and institutions of Texas, beginning with Indian, Spanish, French, and Anglo convergence and continuing chronologically through Reconstruction. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century topics include the state's western frontier, populism, education, the environment, ethnic, gender, and mythic factors that define their regions.
HIST 425 History of the American South (3 hrs.)
A topical exploration of Southern history with emphasis on the physical, ethnic, economic, and political factors that have shaped a distinctiv region or subculture, within the United States.
HIST 435 History of the American West (3 hrs.)
A topical exploration of trans-Mississippi American history with an emphasis on the political, economic, environmental, ethnic, gender, and mythic factors that define this region.
HIST 436 Studies in African American History (3 hrs.)
This course explores aspects of the historical experience of people of African descent in the New World through the examination of primary and secondary sources. Topics may include an introduction to African history, forced migration through the "Middle Passage," the experience of slavery and freedom, and a comparative analysis of the civil rights movements in different American countries.
HIST 437 American Diplomatic History (3 hrs.)
This course is a study of U.S. foreign policy which examines the international role of the U.S. as its prominence in world affairs grew from the period of the Spanish-American War through the World Wars, and the Cold War. Peacetime as well as wartime developments will be investigated.
HIST 439 War in the Modern World (3 hrs., Capstone)
This course utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of warfare. While war in general will be examined, emphasis will be placed on the American military experience. Topics to be covered include weapons, development, military leadership, and the effects of war on man and society. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
HIST 450 Techniques of Historical Research and Writing (1 hr.)
A required workshop for all history majors designed to provide carefully guided "hands-on" experience in research methods and writing techniques, concluding with the preparation and presentation of a finished historical essay in approved scholarly form. Prerequisite: HIST 350.
HIST 488 Contemporary Ideas (3 hrs., Capstone)
The course studies contemporary writing, mostly non-fiction, that is characterized by originality of topics, breadth of subject matter, clarity of expression, and audacity. In reading logs, students make observations, take notes, and explore questions. In finished writings, they work out connections among ideas from various fields, moving from analysis to synthesis and fresh insights. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
HIST 489 Independent Study (1-4 hrs.)
Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated when topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of department head.
HIST 497 Special Topics in History (3 hrs.)
Courses on various subjects of history. May be repeated when topics vary.
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