HIS: History

HIS 100. Contemporary Global History. 3 Credits.

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the major events and themes of the "long" 20th Century and how they shaped the contemporary world from both American and global perspectives.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 101. History of Civilization I. 3 Credits.

Cultural elements and social institutions in the West and the East from earliest times through the Renaissance.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 102. History of Civilization: Power, Identity, and Culture in the Modern World. 3 Credits.

Developments in civilizations from 1500 to the present, with emphasis on Western civilization and its interrelationships with the non-Western world.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 150. The American Experience. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of the United States from colonial times to the present. It emphasizes the history of key ideas including nationalism, sectionalism, imperialism, industrialism, and identity.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 151. History of the United States I. 3 Credits.

This course examines the social, economic, political, and intellectual development of the United States from the beginning of the Colonial period through Reconstruction.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 152. History of the United States II. 3 Credits.

A comprehensive history of the United States from 1865 to the present, examining the economic, political, and cultural development of American society, and the evolution of American foreign policy.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 195. Special Topics in History for Non-Majors. 3 Credits.

This is a special topics course that provides an alternative to the traditional introductory history survey courses. While traditional history surveys cover a range of eras and numerous topics, this course will focus on one historical theme, event, period, movement, person, debate, etc., and be covered in a manner suitable for non-majors. Topics will often reflect popular contemporary interests and newer trends in history.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 199. History Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

History Transfer Credits.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 200. Making History: Controversies in History. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of controversies within and concerning the discipline of History. In examining those controversies, this course accomplishes two key goals for history majors: it introduces them to the features and issues of historiography -- the history of the history discipline -- and asks them to evaluate the professional and ethical responsibilities of historians within the larger society. In particular the course examines why there have been vastly different ideas about what the purposes and uses of history ought to be, how those differences have shaped the discipline of history, how these disagreements get expressed through public, political controversies about what "correct" and "proper" history is, and how historians identify, evaluate and resolve professional and ethical conflicts within their discipline.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.
Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 214. Do No Harm? The Pursuit of Justice in the History of Medicine. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of how people have understood and experienced health and sickness, and how people have practiced medicine and had medicine practiced upon them, from ancient times to the present. It places particular emphasis on the historical relationship between expert and lay medical knowledge, and in understanding how cultural values have informed the diverse ways that different societies have practiced medicine. The course similarly explores how medical knowledge and practice have become a potent form of cultural authority open to both great accomplishments and great abuse. In particular, we will examine how women, persons of African ancestry, persons with disability, and other historically marginalized groups interact with medical knowledge and practice. Using the analytical tools of social constructivist theory, the course examines how medical knowledge and the practice of medicine can be agents used to maintain structural inequalities. Crucially, however, marginalized persons and their allies also have used their own medical knowledge and practice to challenge those inequalities.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 215. Introduction to the History of Science. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of science from ancient Greek theories of nature, through the Scientific Revolution, Darwinian Revolution, and the Atomic Age to the Human Genome Project. In particular it looks at the historical changes in what is considered part of "nature" and its "scientific" study, changes in who and what is recognized as legitimate sources of knowledge about nature, and the significance of social factors, especially race, class, gender, and religious and political beliefs, upon the construction and reception of scientific ideas. The course emphasizes how historical methods can be used to better make sense of how and why people and societies construct scientific knowledge, and how and why they integrate that knowledge into culture, religion, politics, art, and other human endeavors.
Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 221. The Medieval Middle East. 3 Credits.

This course offers a survey of some of the most fascinating topics and heated debates of pre-modern Middle East history, covering the periods of Islamic Origins, Golden Age, and Global Connections. Students will analyze crucial moments in Islamic history and understand how these pre-modern roots have lasting effects on our world today.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 222. The Modern Middle East. 3 Credits.

This course provides a general introduction to the modern Middle East, including topics such as European imperialism, nation-building, the Cold War, and the war on terror. Rooted in a global comparative perspective, the course highlights the Middle East as a diverse region, home to many religious traditions and cultural practices.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 224. Reform and Revolution in Imperial Russia. 3 Credits.

Focusing on the Russian Empire from the reforms of Peter the Great in the early eighteenth century to the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty in 1917, the course examines the experiences and perspectives of the empire's diverse peoples. It immerses students in the world of imperial Russia via role-playing simulations and the analysis of primary sources. Students develop the critical skills of reading, writing, and speaking from the perspective of a historian and from the perspective of multiple historical figures in conventional and creative genres.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement, Russia & Eastern Europe Culture Cluster, Speaking Emphasis.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 299. History Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

History Transfer Credits.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 300. Varieties of History. 3 Credits.

Historical research techniques. Methodology, historiography, and varieties of history.
Pre / Co requisites: HIS 300 requires prerequisites of at least two 100-level history courses. Majors only.
Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis, Writing Emphasis.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 302. Modern India. 3 Credits.

Social, religious, and cultural underpinnings of modern India against a backdrop of the subcontinent's chronological development. Hindu and Muslim traditions discussed in terms of their own social, religious, and historical dynamics and as examples of complexities of national integration.
Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.

HIS 305. Modern China. 3 Credits.

Survey of the historical and cultural background of China. Emphasis is given to the significance of China's modern period and its impact on world affairs.
Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 306. Chinese Civilization. 3 Credits.

Study of dominant cultural, philosophical, and historical patterns that have influenced the development of China as it is today and the traditional way in which Chinese approach their own history.
Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 308. Introduction to the Islamic World. 3 Credits.

Study of the religio-cultural heritage of the Islamic world against a historical background. Selected areas of Middle, South, and Southeast Asia will be utilized to illustrate the flowering of Islamic arts, architecture, and poetry. Includes geography component.
Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 311. History of Africa to 1875. 3 Credits.

A survey of African history to 1875, providing regional coverage of the entire continent, and an examination of African oral traditions.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 312. History of Africa Since 1875. 3 Credits.

A survey of African history since 1875, focusing on European colonialism, African resistance, and contemporary developments.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 313. Eugenics and the University: The History of Higher Education's "War on the Weak". 3 Credits.

This course examines the origins and impact of eugenics -- the pursuit of "improving" humanity through the elimination of "undesirable" populations -- on people with disabilities. In particular it looks at the history of higher education and many of its academic disciplines in order to understand the origins of eugenic thinking, research, and advocacy, the prominence that these notorious and ugly beliefs had within the highest rungs of the highly educated elite, and the efforts of people with disability to resist eugenics. In this course students use the tools of history to grapple with a difficult question: how did so many seemingly "good" people that we associate with enlightenment, learning, and good works, fail to recognize the evil of their eugenicist assumptions, research, and public health recommendations? How can our historical study of persons with disability and their efforts to challenge ableism in the past guide our thinking and practice in the present?.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement, Speaking Emphasis.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 314. Latin American Women's History. 3 Credits.

Examines Latin American women 1500 - present. Focuses on intersections of class, race, and gender; relations between private and public spheres; changing women's experiences over time.

HIS 315. Colonial Latin America. 3 Credits.

Pre-Columbian period, colonial Latin America, and movements for independence; Indian, European, and African backgrounds; government, economy, society, religion, culture, and enlightenment. Interaction of diverse cultures in the New World.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Spanish Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring & Summer.

HIS 316. Modern Latin America. 3 Credits.

Latin America in the 19th and 20th centuries; liberalism, conservatism, dictatorship, revolution, socialism, industrialization, agrarian reform, cultural-intellectual achievements, and international relations. Topical approach, using individual countries as case history illustrations.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Spanish Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring & Summer.

HIS 317. History of Mexico. 3 Credits.

Mexico from Pre-Columbian period to present, including civilizations of Mayas and Aztecs, Spanish conquest, Colonial period, movement for independence era of Santa Ana, La Reforma, Diaz dictatorship, Mexican Revolution, cultural-intellectual achievements, international relations, and modernization of Mexico since the Revolution.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Spanish Culture Cluster.

HIS 318. The Ancient World. 3 Credits.

Classical Greece and Rome with consideration of economic, social, intellectual, and political history. Selected writings of the ancients.
Gen Ed Attribute: Classical Civilizations Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster.

HIS 319. Medieval Europe. 3 Credits.

Western Europe from the fall of Rome to approximately 1300. Economic, social, political, and intellectual developments in the major kingdoms of the West; the history of the Universal Church.
Gen Ed Attribute: Classical Civilizations Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster.

HIS 320. Renaissance and Reformation. 3 Credits.

Political, economic, social, and cultural forces that emerged in Europe from 1300 to 1650. The evolution of modern states and the rise of the middle class.

HIS 323. Austrian Civilization. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary study of Austrian civilization, 1848-1938. Emphasis is placed on fin-de-siecle Vienna, not only as its pivotal role in Austrian culture but also as a testing ground for modernism in the West.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Germany Culture Cluster, Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 324. Race & Nation in the Russian Empire. 3 Credits.

Focusing on the formation of a vast and diverse Russian empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the course explores tensions between an emerging sense of Russian national identity and the racialized practices that sustained imperial rule. It includes substantive study of peasants, workers, women, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and colonized peoples. As students analyze and interpret the multiple ways in which the empire's marginalized peoples experienced and resisted structural inequalities, they develop skills in historical thinking, writing, and speaking.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Russia & Eastern Europe Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 328. The French Revolution and Napoleon. 3 Credits.

A study of key social, political, and cultural themes of the French Revolution from its origins during the ancient regime to the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, France & Francophone Area Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 329. Gender and Peace. 3 Credits.

Examination of the ways in which social and historical constructions of gender intersect with perceptions and experience of war and peace.
Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 331. 20th Century Europe. 3 Credits.

European fascism and communism; totalitarianism confronts liberalism; interaction between domestic politics and foreign policy; polarization of European politics; disintegration of the political institutions of the traditional state.
Pre / Co requisites: HIS 331 has a recommended prerequisite of AP European History completed in high school or HIS 102 but does not require it.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 332. The Holocaust. 3 Credits.

Focuses on ethnic, nationalistic, economic, and religious causes of the Holocaust, including 20th-century Nazism, racism, and anti-semitism; study of the Nuremberg trials.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 343. Colonial America. 3 Credits.

Examination of the colonial experience of Europeans in the parts of America that became the United States, from Columbus's voyage in 1492 to the eve of the Revolutionary War.

HIS 344. History of Pennsylvania. 3 Credits.

The founding and development of Pennsylvania from its Colonial beginnings to the present with emphasis on the relation of the past to the present.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 349. The Jew in History. 3 Credits.

The course covers the vast expanse of Jewish history going back to 2000 B.C., tracing the story of a people who belong to one of civilization's major monotheistic religions.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 352. Modern American Military History. 3 Credits.

The role of the American military in shaping the course of the nation in the 20th century. Offered in fall semester.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 356. U.S. Environmental History. 3 Credits.

An examination of the transformation of the American landscape, the history of American environmental policy, and the development of today's environmental crisis.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 357. Diplomatic History of the United States. 3 Credits.

The theory and practice of American diplomacy from Colonial times to the present with emphasis on the 20th century.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 362. Violence in America. 3 Credits.

A study of violence in American society as an instrument of change and a method of social control.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement.

HIS 364. U.S. Urban History. 3 Credits.

A survey of the rise of the American city from early Philadelphia to the modern metropolis. The recurring themes of growth, immigration, social mobility, city politics, city planning, urbanism, and suburbanism.

HIS 365. American Popular Culture in the 20th Century. 3 Credits.

An examination of the rise of American mass consumer culture, commercialization of leisure, development of the mass media, and redefinition of normal and deviant behaviors.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 366. The Turbulent Sixties. 3 Credits.

Examination of the stress and conflict in American politics, arts, literature, and society of the 1960's.
Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 367. American Material Culture. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary study of American civilization through the examination of its built environment and crafted and manufactured artifacts from the colonial period to the mid-twentieth century.
Cross listed courses AMS 367, HIS 367.

HIS 368. Gay America. 3 Credits.

Encompasses four hundred years of gay and lesbian history, culture, and politics, from colonial settlers and Native American cultures to the present with emphasis on the 20th century.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement.
Typically offered in Summer.

HIS 369. American West. 3 Credits.

Exploration of the historical and mythical American West, from pre-Columbian America to the present.

HIS 370. American Indians. 3 Credits.

A survey of Indian civilization on the continent of North America and the confrontation of this civilization with white culture.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 373. African-American History. 3 Credits.

A survey of African-American history from 15th century West Africa to the present that focuses on the evolution of African-American culture and identity, and the struggle for freedom and racial equality.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement.

HIS 375. A History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. 3 Credits.

This course will examine the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the factors that both encourage and impede resolution. Consideration will also be given to the history of the U.S. involvement in the conflict.

HIS 376. American History at the Movies. 3 Credits.

This course examines the relationship between academic scholarship and the presentation of American History in film.

HIS 378. Revolutionary America. 3 Credits.

This is a cultural, military, and social history of the Revolutionary Era. It covers a period of time from the mid-eighteen century through the formation and ratification of the federal constitution and the adoption of the Bill of Rights.

HIS 380. History of U.S. Involvement in the Middle East. 3 Credits.

Examines U.S. involvement in the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. Consideration will be given to religious, economic, and diplomatic activities as well as involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 381. The Forgotten Queens of Islam. 3 Credits.

Students will learn about prominent women in Islamic history, with a focus on the medieval period. Students will learn to read historical texts "against the grain" through the lens of feminist history.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Diversity Requirement, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Speaking Emphasis.
Typically offered in Spring.
Cross listed courses HIS 381, WOS 381.

HIS 390. History on the Web. 3 Credits.

This course helps students develop skills to critically engage with, evaluate, and synthesize historical resources on the Internet by teaching digital literacy through instruction in searching and discovering information, evaluating material critically, and collecting and curating information. Beyond the mere collection of information, though, this course will develop students' ability to gain the transferable skill of moving from information to knowledge.
Distance education offering may be available.

HIS 393. Reproduction and Reproductive Rights in the United States from 1700 to the Present. 3 Credits.

This course studies the history of childbirth and reproductive healthcare in the United States from colonial times to the present day. It focuses on the social, medical, political, cultural, and personal circumstances that have shaped the experiences of sex, contraception, conception, and childbirth.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 397. Topics in World History. 3 Credits.

Topics may vary each semester. Emphasis on student research and discussions.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 398. Topics in European History. 3 Credits.

Topics may vary each semester. Emphasis on student research (in class and online) and discussions (in class).
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 399. Topics in U.S. History. 3 Credits.

Topics may vary each semester. Emphasis on student research and discussions.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 400. Research Seminar in History. 3 Credits.

The Capstone course for History majors gives students an opportunity to conduct extensive original research, shared with peers through written and spoken-word presentation formats commonly valued by scholars. Topics will vary with instructor. Senior-standing strongly recommended.
Pre / Co requisites: HIS 400 requires a prerequisite of HIS 300.
Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis, Writing Emphasis.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 407. History of Brazil. 3 Credits.

A general survey of Brazil from 1500 to the present. Emphasis will be placed on economic and political issues, slavery and race relations, literature, and current ecological problems relative to the Amazon Basin.

HIS 410. Independent Study in History. 1-3 Credits.

Research projects, reports, and readings in history.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 413. Nuclear War: The History of Fighting, Filming, Surviving, or Preventing One. 3 Credits.

This course examines the ethical implications of nuclear weapons; the history of the scientific, technological, social, political, and military circumstances surrounding their invention; the consequences of their use by the United States against Japan; and the ongoing ways in which their presence shapes film and literature, religion, politics, foreign affairs, ethics, and scientific research. It places particular emphasis on the United States' decision and ability to create and use the bomb, and subsequent efforts to make sense of the unfathomable power of these weapons through film, music, television, moral philosophy, and religion. The course examines how scientists, artists, and lay persons envision nuclear power as both the ultimate source of liberation and of doom, and the ethical implications of atomic diplomacy.
Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement, Interdisciplinary Requirement.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 418. Global History of Slavery. 3 Credits.

Slavery has existed in many times and places throughout history, and it continues to exist in new forms throughout the world today. This class tackles the difficult problem of defining, recognizing, and resisting slavery on a broad geographic and temporal scale. It also seeks to unpack the moral and ethical problems posed by global slavery: what exactly makes slavery wrong, and how could so many people throughout history have condoned this institution?.
Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 421. History Of England To 1688. 3 Credits.

The British people and their mores, institutions, and achievements from the earliest times to the Glorious Revolution.

HIS 422. History Of England Since 1688. 3 Credits.

England as a world leader during the Commercial and Industrial revolutions, the evolution of the democratic process, and the emergency of liberalism followed by the democratic welfare state.

HIS 423. Modern Germany. 3 Credits.

Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries: Napoleonic era, rise of Prussia, nationalism and unification, imperialism and World War I, National Socialism, World War II, and divided Germany.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Germany Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 424. World of Communism. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of communism. It traces the origins and development of Marxist theories of inequality as well as sometimes tragic efforts to put Marxist theory into practice in, among other places, Russia, China, and Cuba. Particular attention is paid to choices and commitments of individual communists. What vision of a new world motivated communists? What solutions to class, gender, and racial inequalities did they propose? Why was their idealism so often twisted into carnage?.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 425. Twentieth-Century Russia. 3 Credits.

Its rise and fall in light of traditional Russian patterns and the communist experiment.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Russia & Eastern Europe Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 427. Modern France: 1789 To Present. 3 Credits.

A survey of modern France from the Revolutionary era through the turbulent 19th century to the post-World War II recovery. Major themes include the social cultural political, and economic aspects of modern and contemporary France.
Gen Ed Attribute: Foreign Language Culture Cluster, France & Francophone Area Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 434. 19th Century Europe. 3 Credits.

This course will explore the major issues pertaining to developments in Europe in the "long 19th century", roughly from 1789 to 1918. Topics include the impact of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars on European life, the industrial and political revolutions of the century, and the advent of liberalism, socialism, nationalism, feminism, and imperialism.

HIS 440. American Jewish History. 3 Credits.

This course traces the history of the Jews in the United States from the earliest communities of the 17th century to the present. Topics will include Jews in the American colonies, Jewish immigration in the 19th century, anti-Semitism, Zionism, Jewish labor movements, the growth of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism, and the impact of the Holocaust and Israel.

HIS 444. History of American Education. 3 Credits.

This course offers an historical examination of the complex historical, political, social, economic, and cultural influences that have contributed to the current state of education in America.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 450. Internship In History. 1-3 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.
Repeatable for Credit.

HIS 451. Women and Gender in American History. 3 Credits.

The course examines the way ideas about women and gender have shaped the lives of Americans, their daily routines, social roles, and search for rights and identities from the pre-colonial period to the present.
Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity Requirement, Speaking Emphasis, Writing Emphasis.
Typically offered in Fall & Spring.

HIS 458. History Of The Cold War. 3 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.

HIS 460. Field Studies In History. 3 Credits.

A fully supervised learning experience designed to expose students to the culture, artifacts, and research facilities of a given country or area.

HIS 480. Digital History. 3 Credits.

Introduction to digital tools and technologies for conducting and disseminating historical research, with an emphasis on putting digital approaches into practice through course blog and production of a class website.