History
The History department offers courses leading to the B.A. and B.S. degrees in history, the M.A. degree in history, the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the history of technology and science, and the Ph.D. degree in agricultural history and rural studies.
The department offers a variety of survey courses (200 series) for first- and second-year students as either general education courses or as introductions to advanced courses in history or other subject areas. In addition to 200-level survey courses, it offers advanced undergraduate courses in the history of Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the United States, technology and science, agriculture, and other selected topics.
Undergraduate Study
The History major. For a description of the undergraduate curriculum with a major in History see Liberal Arts and Sciences, Curriculum. History majors may earn either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. The minimum required for a major in history is 36 credits, of which at least 24 must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Students may take a maximum of 12 credits at the 200-level, a maximum of 15 credits at the 300-level, and must take a minimum of 12 credits at the 400-level or above. A minimum of 15 credits numbered 300 or above must be taken in residence at Iowa State. The department will accept a maximum of 6 credits of cross-listed courses originating in another teaching department toward the major degree. Candidates for the B.A. must complete two years of university-level study in one foreign language or the equivalent.
Objectives for History Majors
- Display the appropriate level of cognitive knowledge of historical themes and events based upon the student’s course of study
- Display an understanding of past cultures and social organizations, based on the course of study
- Develop the fundamental methodological skills of the historical craft:- The ability to contextualize and analyze primary source evidence.- Familiarity with the concepts of historical argument and interpretation, and the ability to formulate effective argumentation in written and oral forms.- Awareness of the basic historiography in selected research area.- The ability to conduct research and to write a historical essay based upon primary and secondary source research
- Display a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between past events and the present. For purposes of outcomes assessment, all History majors must complete three credits of HIST 495 Historiography and Research Writing or, if qualified and willing, one graduate level writing/research seminar.
Communication Proficiency requirement: History majors must receive a grade of C or better in each of ENGL 150 and ENGL 250 (or ENGL 250H), and HIST 495 or any graduate seminar.
For a description of the major in History as preparation for professional programs, see Preprofessional Study. Students majoring in History may also earn a second major in International Studies; see Inter-national Studies.
Majors must distribute their courses across geographic and chronological areas such that they take at least 3 credits at the 300-level or above in five of the following six areas:
- U.S. history, European history, African/Asian/Latin American history
- Ancient history (pre-500), medieval and early-modern history (ca. 500-1750), and modern history (post-1750)
Individual courses may fulfill both a geographic and a chronological area. For example, a course on nineteenth century France may count as both European history and modern history. No single course, however, may be used to fulfill more than one geographic and one chronological area. If a course stretches significantly across two or more areas, students will select which geographic and/or which chronological area they want the course to fulfill. The History Department undergraduate adviser should be consulted as to which courses fulfill what areas. HIST 495 Historiography and Research Writing may not be used to fulfill any area.
Minor
The department offers a minor in History, which may be earned with 15 credits in History courses, of which at least 9 must be in courses numbered 300 or above, excluding HIST 490 Independent Study. A minimum of 9 credits numbered 300 or above must be taken at Iowa State. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires students to earn a C or higher in at least 6 of the required 300-level credits. A student may count a maximum of 3 hours of cross-listed courses originating in another teaching department toward the minor in History. The History minor is most frequently chosen by students majoring in Political Science, English, Journalism, Computer Science, and Business.
Graduate Study
Graduate students may take any 400-level history course except 490 and 495 for graduate credit. There is a maximum of 12 credits of 400-level courses for a graduate degree in history. Additional work is required for graduate credit in 400-level courses.
Most history graduate courses are either proseminars or seminars. Proseminars acquaint students with the historical literature of a field and prepare them for careers in teaching and research. Seminars require students to conduct original historical research and to write research papers reporting the results.
The M.A. in history includes three optionsSee the departmental website on the M.A. in History for a full discussion of the options and requirements. An M.A. in History serves as the basis for continued study in history, as well as preparation for careers in law, education, business, and government service. For international students, a TOEFL score of 600 is required at the time of admission.
The M.A. and Ph.D. in history of technology and science examines the role of technology and science in the formation of modern societies and their attitudes toward people and the world. For a thorough description of the program requirements, see the department’s website on the history of technology and science program. In addition to appropriate coursework, students will take preliminary examinations in four areas of specialization, complete a dissertation, and defend it orally in the Ph.D. final examination.
The Ph.D. in agricultural history and rural studies is designed as a Ph.D. program, but students without an M.A. in history will be expected to qualify for the departmental M.A. in history while progressing toward the doctorate. In some cases, the M.A. may be recommended as the terminal degree. Thirty semester hours of graduate credit are required for the M.A. and 72 for the Ph.D. Students who continue beyond the M.A. are expected to pass preliminary examinations in four areas of specialization, complete a dissertation, and defend it orally in the Ph.D. final examination. See the departmental website on the program for a full description of requirements.
Courses primarily for undergraduate students
HIST 201. Introduction to Western Civilization I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Western civilization from ancient Mediterranean world to 1500. Social and cultural developments; economic and political ideas and institutions; problems of historical change and continuity.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 202. Introduction to Western Civilization II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Western civilization from 1500 to present. Social and cultural developments; economic and political ideas and institutions; problems of historical change and continuity.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 207. Chinese Civilization.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Origins, development, decline and transformation of China from earliest times to present.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 221. Survey of United States History I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Colonial foundations: revolution, confederation, and constitution; nationalism and democracy; sectional disunity, Civil War, and reunion.
HIST 222. Survey of United States History II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Industrialization; emergence as a great power; boom and depression; war, internationalism and Cold War; modern industrial society.
HIST 240. Latina/o History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Historical and cultural heritage of Latinas/os in the United States. The histories of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and other Latin American peoples in the U.S. emphasizing political and cultural convergence and congruencies.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 280. Introduction to History of Science I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Ideas of nature from ancient Greece to the seventeenth-century scientific revolution.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 281. Introduction to History of Science II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Science from seventeenth-century scientific revolution to Darwin and Einstein.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 284. Wonders of the World, Ancient to Early Modern.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
F.
Starting from the classical "Seven Wonders of the World," examines machines, structures, buildings, innovations, and technologies from Sumer, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, through China, Latin America, and the Islamic world, up to Europe's Industrial Revolution. Topics include developments in warfare and weaponry, architecture, agriculture, printing, religious ceremony, entertainment, and major engineering achievements.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 285. Modern Wonders of the World.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Examines machines, structures, buildings, innovations, and technologies from the Industrial Revolution to the twenty-first century, including the US, Europe, Asia, and Middle East. Topics include developments in manufacturing, communication, electrification, automobiles, airplanes, warfare, computers, the atom bomb, and major engineering achievements.
HIST 304. Cultural Heritage of the Ancient World.
(Cross-listed with CL ST). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Historical examination of art, literature, thought, and religious beliefs of major civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean countries until the end of the 8th century.
HIST 307. American Popular Culture.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Social practices, beliefs and material traits of everyday life in America from the mid-19th century to the present. Includes literature, music, theater and other entertainments. Dime novels, vaudeville, rock and roll music, Hollywood and establishment of professional athletic leagues are among the cultural artifacts and phenomena considered.
HIST 316. History of Medieval Europe, 300-1500.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Survey of political, social, and cultural developments in western Europe for the entire medieval period, 300-1500.
HIST 318. History of Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Survey of major themes in the social, political, cultural, and religious history of early modern European history, including agriculture and lordship, riot and rebellion, Reformation, overseas discovery, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment.
HIST 321. History of the Mediterranean World.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification.
Southern Europe and North Africa, sixth century to the present: political, social, and cultural developments, including economic development, trade, and interaction of cultures, with focus on the rise and decline of early modern Mediterranean states.
HIST 323. Science and Religion.
(Cross-listed with RELIG). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of changing interplay of science and religion in our understanding nature, from the trial of Galileo to the reception of Darwin.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 325. Society and Politics in England, 1525-1700.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Social, cultural, demographic, and economic experiences. Religious Reformation. Growth of the State (and Empire) and political institutions.
HIST 336. History of Modern China I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
China from 1644 to 1912; internal and external stimuli on traditional structure leading to reform and revolution.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 337. History of Modern China II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
China from 1912 to present; search for a new order and continuing Chinese revolution.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 338. Modern Japanese History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Japan 1600 to the present; emphasis on transformation of feudal Japan into a post-industrial society.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 339. US-Asian Relations.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
A survey of US-East Asian (Japan, China, Korea) relations from the late 18th century to the end of the Cold War.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 340. History of Latin America I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Colonial Latin America from European discovery and colonization to wars for independence.
HIST 341. History of Latin America II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Modern Latin America national origins from 1800 to present.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 353. History of African Americans I.
(Cross-listed with AF AM). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Examines African roots of black culture and the African American experience in the United States from the colonial period through the Civil War. Topics include Atlantic Slave Trade, slavery and American identity, abolition, the emergence of Black Nationalism, and black participation in the Civil War.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 354. History of African Americans II.
(Cross-listed with AF AM). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Explores African American political thought and political action from Reconstruction to the present. Topics include rise of Jim Crow segregation, urban migration, Garvey movement, Harlem Renaissance, Depression and world wars, Pan-Africanism, civil rights, Black Power, and black feminism.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 355. Slavery and the Crisis of Union.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Examines causes and primary events of the sectional crisis over slavery leading up to the Civil War. Missouri Crisis through Presidential Election of 1860.
HIST 356. U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Political, military, and social aspects of the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction. Secession crisis through Reunion.
HIST 360. U.S. 1900 to 1945.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
America in transition and crisis: Progressivism, World War I, the twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II.
HIST 361. U.S. 1945 to the Present.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
From the Cold War to the Baby Boom to the liberal swing of the 1960s, back to the conservative counter-swing thereafter.
HIST 365. History of American Agriculture I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
American agricultural development from colonial times: European background, colonial period to 1865.
HIST 366. History of American Agriculture II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
American agricultural development from 1865 to present.
HIST 367. Topics in American Agriculture.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Thematic approach to the development of the American agricultural system. Topics vary; examples include food and agriculture, animals in agriculture, and systems of production.
HIST 374. Women and Men in the Ancient Mediterranean World.
(Cross-listed with CL ST, W S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
S.
Prereq: Any one course in Cl St, W S, Latin, or Greek
Chronological and topical survey of the status of women and men, focusing on sex/gender issues in the Ancient Mediterranean world; study of constructs of the female and the feminine. Readings from ancient and modern sources. Emphasis on ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 380. History of Women in Science, Technology, and Medicine.
(Cross-listed with W S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of women's relationship to the fields of science, technology, and medicine, as students and professionals, consumers, subjects and patients, family members, workers and citizens. Concentrates especially on 19th and 20th century United States, concluding with an examination of current issues of special interest to women in science, technology, and medicine.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 383. Technology, Public Science, and European Culture, 1715-Present.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
A survey from the Age of Enlightenment to the end of the twentieth century of the relationship between science, technology, and public or popular culture in a comparative European context (including Russia and the former Soviet Union).
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 386. History of Women in America.
(Cross-listed with W S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
A survey of social, economic, and political aspects of women's role from colonial era to present; emphasis on employment, education, concepts of sexuality, and changing nature of the home.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 388. History of Modern Astronomy.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Changing conception of the universe from Galileo to Edwin Hubble and beyond.
HIST 389. American Military History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
American military history from the colonial wars to the present, including Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, First and Second World Wars, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Gulf Wars.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 390. World Military History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Covers military history from the Napoleonic era through the mid- and late-19th century wars, the First and Second World Wars, and wars of national liberation and regional conflicts since 1945.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 391. American Diplomatic History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
A study of US foreign relations during the twentieth century, including the rise to global power, the First World War, diplomacy during prosperity and depression, the Second World War, the Cold War, relations with Latin America, East and South Asia, and Africa, the search for markets, and the perceptions of American foreign policy held by the US, its allies and adversaries, and others.
HIST 396. Topics in History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification or permission of instructor
Specialized topics in history; topics vary each time offered.
A. Europe
B. U.S. and North America
C. Global
HIST 402. Greek Civilization.
(Cross-listed with CL ST). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period; evolution of the Greek polis and its cultural contributions, with a particular emphasis on the writings of Herodotus and Thucydides.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 403. Roman Civilization.
(Cross-listed with CL ST). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Ancient Rome from the Regal Period to the fall of the Western Empire; evolution of Roman institutions and Rome's cultural contributions studied through original sources.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 404. Roman Social History.
(Cross-listed with CL ST). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Examines major topics in Roman social history during the late Republic and early Empire, such as class, family, slavery, religion, and the economy.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 405. History of the Early Middle Ages.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
General coverage of political, economic, social, and cultural developments in early medieval Europe, 300-1000; in depth coverage of particular issues and topics.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 406. History of the High Middle Ages.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
General coverage of political, economic, social, and cultural developments in high medieval Europe, 1000-1300; in-depth coverage of particular issues and topics.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 407. History of the Late Middle Ages.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification.
General coverage of political, social, and cultural developments of high medieval Europe, 1300-1500; in-depth coverage of particular issues and topics including the medieval origins of Renaissance and Reformation.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 408. Europe, 1500-1648.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Northern Renaissance; Church and Luther; Protestant reform and Roman-Catholic counter-reform; social, cultural, and economic changes; Spain in triumph and decline; religious wars and emergence of France.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 411. European Economic History, 1450-1789.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification.
Survey of major themes in European economic history, including property rights, agriculture, and rural economic development; lordship and its consequences; demography and urbanization; consequences of war and fiscal policy; colonial empires and world trade; and Agricultural and First Industrial Revolutions.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 414. European Cultural and Intellectual History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
A study of the development of key themes in European thought: nature, man, God, society, history, and creativity from Rousseau to Post-Modernism.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 419. History of Modern France.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
From absolutism to revolution and the rise of modern democracy.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 420. France's Revolutionary Century, 1715-1815.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
An in-depth investigation of the French Revolution, its causes and consequences, beginning in the Ancien Regime and ending with the fall of Napoleon.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 421. History of Russia I.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Russia to 1850. Origins of Russian people; Byzantine influences; Mongol invasion; rise of Moscow; Westernization.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 422. History of Russia II.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Russia since 1850. Reform and revolution; transformation of society; USSR as a world power; recent changes.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 427. Crime and Policing in England 1550-1850.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Course examines different forms and ideas of criminality and the nature and development of law enforcement in England between 1550 and 1856. Significant issues will include the nature of criminal records and statistics, the legal system, the politics of the law and its links with social relations, policing, female crime, juvenile delinquency, organized crime, riots, "social crime," and the treatment of crime in creative literary texts.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 428. Punishment, Mentalities, and Society in England, 1550-1868.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Explores the history of punishing criminals in England and shows how interdisciplinary perspectives, ideas, and practices of punishment are related to mentalities, and socio-economic change. Issues of significance examined: violence, civility, manners, madness, public punishment, execution, imprisonment, transportation, mercy, the rise of asylums, and penal reform.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 429. "Monstrous London": London's Histories 1500-1800.
(3-1) Cr. 4.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Study of London's social, economic, cultural, political, and environmental history 1500-1800, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine contemporary and secondary sources. Course combines standard lecture and discussion format with one week of intensive study abroad for 4th hour of course credit.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 431. Modern England.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
England since 1850. Parliamentary and constitutional development; social reform and economic change; imperial Britain; welfare state.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 443. Science, Technology, and Medicine in Latin America.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Development of science, technology, and medicine in Latin America from pre-colonial times to the present. Themes include: intersection of science, medicine, and technology with colonization, impact of human populations on environments, formation of nation-states, spread of disease, and how perceptions of accepted scientific knowledge change over time.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
HIST 450. Colonial America.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Exploration, colonization, and development of political, economic, religious, and cultural institutions of North American colonies before 1754. Topics also include social history, emergence of African-American slavery, relations with American Indians.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 451. American Revolutionary Era.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Participants, ideas, and events leading to independence and the foundation of the United States, 1754 to 1789. Topics include political, military, social, cultural history, also issues of gender and race relations.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 456. American Family History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
The impact on American families from colonial times onward of agricultural change, industrialization, urbanization, and wars and depressions.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 461. The Rural South.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of the American South from colonial period to present. Emphasis on economic, social, and political change in this rural region.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 465. The American West.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of trans-Mississippi West from 1800 to present, concentrating on settlement and regional identity. Emphasis on the state, the environment, urbanization, agriculture, Native Americans, and minority communities.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 468. History of Rural America.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of rural America from the colonial period to the present. Emphasizes immigration, ethnicity, religion, social and cultural change, and agriculture in relation to rural settlement, institution building, demographic change, gender, class, and political and economic development.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 472. U. S. Environmental History.
(Cross-listed with ENV S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Survey of the interactions of human communities with the North American environment. Focus on the period from presettlement to the present, with a particular concentration on natural resources, disease, settlement patterns, land use, and conservation policies.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 473. Civil Rights and Ethnic Power.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Comparative history of the civil rights and ethnic power movements (Chicano movement, American Indian movement, Puerto Rican civil rights, Asian movement) in the U.S. from World War II to the present. Topics include institutional foundations, leadership, gender and racial dynamics, and the convergences and divergences of these differing ethnic struggles for rights.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Meets U.S. Diversity Requirement
HIST 474. Tradition and Transformation of China's Foreign Affairs.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Evolution of China's external relations from the antiquities to our own times; conceptions, practices, and relationships that characterized the inter-state relations of the so-called "Chinese world order," interactions between "Eastern" and "Western," and "revolutionary" and "conventional" modes of international behaviors.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 479. China and the Cold War.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Important events in China's Cold War involvement, connections between domestic and foreign affairs, factors and rationales in China's foreign policy making the relationship between China's Cold War experience and recent developments.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 480. Field Experience for Secondary Teaching Preparation.
Cr. 0.5-2.
Repeatable, maximum of 2 times. F.S.
Prereq: Permission of area coordinator required prior to enrollment
Observation and participation in a variety of school settings after admission to the teacher preparation program. (S/F grading may be used in some offerings of some sections.).
A. History/Social Sciences (Same as C I 480A)
HIST 482. Birth, Death, Medicine, and Disease.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of medicine, sickness, and public health from ancient times to the twenty-first century in the US, Europe, and around the world. Topics include changing ideas of health and illness, development of doctors and hospitals, social and ethical issues in health care, and epidemics from cholera to AIDS.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 483. Modern Science and Human Nature.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
History of the sciences of humankind since the 18th century: evolutionary natural and social science, the modern social sciences; anthropology, psychology, economics, law, psychiatry, human growth and development, political science, city planning, public administration, business administration, among others, and the uses of the human sciences in education, politics, advertising, corporate functioning, warfare, psychotherapy, childrearing, and other pursuits in modern times, as well as the impact of postmodernism on the human sciences.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 488. American Stuff, Colonial Times to the Present.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Examines inventions, machines, innovations, artifacts, and material culture in the US, from homespun cloth and the Colt revolver through the transcontinental railroad and Model T, to the Big Mac and iPod.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
HIST 490. Independent Study.
(3-0) Cr. 1-3.
Repeatable, maximum of 6 credits.
Prereq: 9 credits in history; permission of department chair
Reading and reports on problems selected in conference with each student.
No more than 6 credits of Hist 490 may be counted toward graduation with a major in History. No credits of Hist 490 may count toward a minor in History.
HIST 495. Historiography and Research Writing.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: Senior history majors with at least 12 credits of 300+ level history courses
Variable topics seminar that focuses on historiographical and research skills and writing. Required of majors.
HIST 496. Advanced Topics in History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification or permission of instructor.
Specialized topics in history, topics vary each time offered.
A. Europe
B. U.S. and North America
C. Global
HIST 498. Methods of Teaching History/Social Sciences.
(Cross-listed with C I). (3-0) Cr. 3.
F.S.
Prereq: Concurrent enrollment in 480A; Admission to teacher education and 30 credits in subject-matter field
Concurrent enrollment in 480A; Admission to teacher education and 30 credits in subject-matter field. Theories and processes of teaching and learning secondary history/social sciences. Emphasis on development and enactment of current methods, assessments, and curriculum materials for providing appropriate learning experiences.
HIST 451. American Revolutionary Era.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Sophomore classification
Participants, ideas, and events leading to independence and the foundation of the United States, 1754 to 1789. Topics include political, military, social, cultural history, also issues of gender and race relations.
Nonmajor graduate credit.
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduate students
HIST 510. Proseminar in East Asian History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Readings in East Asian history. Topics vary each time offered.
HIST 511. Proseminar in American History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Readings in American history. Topics vary each time offered.
A. Colonial Period
B. Nineteenth Century
C. Twentieth Century
D. Environment
E. Social and Cultural
HIST 512. Proseminar in European History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Readings in European history.
A. Ancient (Same as Cl St 512A)
B. Medieval and Early Modern
C. Modern
HIST 513. Proseminar in Latin American History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Readings in Latin American history. Topics vary each time offered.
HIST 530. Proseminar in Modern Russian/Soviet History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: HIST 422
Readings in modern Russian history. Topics vary each time offered.
HIST 550. Proseminar in European Rural and Agricultural History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
A. Modern European Rural Life
B. Twentieth Century Europe
HIST 552. Proseminar in American Rural and Agricultural History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
A. American Agriculture
B. Agrarian Reform Movements
C. Midwestern Rural Society
D. Women in Rural Life
HIST 575. Seminar in General History of Technology.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable, maximum of 6 credits.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
The history of technology with emphasis on the historical literature, differing interpretations of major problems, and problems identified for college-level teaching and for further scholarly research.
HIST 583. Historical Methods.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Study of evidence, theory, and methods.
A. Historical Narrative
B. Statistical Evidence and Analysis
C. Issues in Historiography
HIST 586. Proseminar in Women's History and Feminist Theory.
(Cross-listed with W S). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Feminist theory from the 1960s to the present as it relates to the writing of women's history. Analysis of interpretations of U.S. women's history from patriarchal to postmodernist perspectives.
HIST 590. Special Topics.
Cr. 1-3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
HIST 593. Seminar in American History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics vary each time offered.
A. Colonial Period
B. Nineteenth Century
C. Twentieth Century
D. Environmental
HIST 594. Seminar in European History.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics vary each time offered.
A. Ancient (Same as Cl St 594A)
B. Medieval and Early Modern
C. Modern
Courses for graduate students
HIST 610. Seminar on American Rural Life.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Emphasis varies each time offered.
HIST 699. Research.
Cr. 1-6.
Repeatable.
Graduate student thesis research.