Curriculum
In addition in intensive examination of a wide range of historical periods and subjects, the history majors allow room for students to pursue other studies. For example, some take a second major, and many complete minors, in areas from English, foreign languages, economics, and journalism to communication, business, and politics. Students are also required to seek experiental learning, either through study abroad or through an internship experience.
For more details on the curriculum requirements and the types of courses you would be taking as a
History Major, visit our
Online Course Catalog or take a look at the printable
History Major Brochure.
(Course catalog and major brochure include PDF files. Click here for the Adobe® PDF Reader®)
Core Requirements:
| HIS 141: US Survey to 1865 |
3 |
| HIS 142: US Survey since 1865 |
3 |
HIS 101: Western Civilization: Bronze Age to 1500 or
HIS 102: Western Civilization: 1500 to Present |
3 |
HIS 171: World Civilizations: Bronze Age to 1500 or
HIS 172: World Civilizations: 1500 to Present |
3 |
| HIS 258: Historical Methods (Sophomore Seminar) |
3 |
| One 300-Level US History Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level Pre-Modern European History Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level Modern European History Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level Non-Western History Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level History Elective Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level History Elective Course |
3 |
| One 300-Level History Elective Course |
3 |
| HIS 401: Historiography & Philosophy of History (Senior Seminar) |
3 |
| Experiential Learning Component* |
0-4 |
| TOTAL CREDITS FOR HISTORY MAJOR |
39-43 |
Experiential Learning Component
Option 1--Participation in one of the following off-campus study programs, with at least one history course in the semester's curriculum. The history course(s) will count toward either the core requirements or the elective requirements, and therefore will result in no net increase in credits required for the major:
BCA Semester Abroad (China, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, India, Spain)
American Studies Program (CCCU)*
China Studies Program (CCCU)
Daystar University (Kenya)
Jerusalem University College
Latin American Studies Program (CCCU)*
Middle East Studies Program (CCCU)
Oxford Honors Programme (CCCU)
Oxford Summer Programme (CCCU)
Philadelphia Campus [with history courses at Temple University]
Russian Studies Program (CCCU)
Temple Overseas Program
*[An historical reflection paper is required, since there are no history courses in these programs]
Option 2--An approved historical internship (INT 394/5) of up to nine credits during the academic year or during the summer in one of these areas:
Archives
Museums
Historical Libraries and Societies
Historical Preservation
Historical Research
Public History
Richmond University Internships in London
History majors may use their three 300-level elective history courses to pursue a Concentration in one of the following areas: Classical History (pre-modern Europe), Modern European History, American History, Non-Western History, Public History.
Those History majors who are seeking careers as History and Social Studies teachers in the secondary school setting will use their general elective credits to complete the state credentialing program in conjunction with the Education Department. An additional 43 credits are needed beyond the History major to earn the credential, as indicated below.
**It is essential that History-Social Studies Certification students familiarize themselves with the certification requirements required of the Messiah Education Department and the State of Pennsylvania. It is thus imperative that you consult the Messiah College Teacher Education Website in order to learn more about required courses (particularly literature and math), Praxis exams, FBI clearances, and entrance into the Messiah Teacher Education program and Professional Semester (Student teaching semester).
| Completion of the History Major |
39 |
| HIS 141: US Survey to 1865 |
3 |
| HIS 142: US Survey since 1865 |
3 |
HIS 101: Western Civilization: Bronze Age to 1500 or
HIS 102: Western Civilization: 1500 to Present |
3 |
HIS 171: World Civilization: Bronze Age to 1500 or
HIS 172: World Civilization: 1500 to Present |
3 |
| HIS 258: Historical Methods (Sophomore Seminar) |
3 |
| One 300-level American History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level Pre-Modern European History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level Modern European History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level Non-Western History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level History Elective Course |
3 |
| One 300-level History Elective Course |
3 |
| HIS 407: Secondary Social Studies Curriculum & Design |
3 |
| HIS 401: Historiography & Philosophy of History (Senior Seminar) |
3 |
| Social Studies Requirements |
18 |
| GEOG 103: Regional Geography of the World |
3 |
| POS 113: American Government |
3 |
POS 212: International Politics or
POS 213: Comparative Politics |
3 |
| ECO 210: Contemporary Economics |
3 |
| SOC 101: Principles of Sociology |
3 |
| MAT/CSC/STA 1xx Additional Mathematics Course |
3 |
| Education Requirements |
25 |
| EDU 120: The Teaching Profession |
1 |
| EDU 201: Education in American Society |
3 |
| EDU 203: Educational Psychology |
3 |
| EDU 318: Field Experience for Secondary Education |
1 |
| EDU 331: Instructional Design and Assessment |
3 |
| Professional Semester: |
|
| HIS 407: Secondary Social Studies Curriculum & Design |
History Elective Above |
| PSY/FAM 311: Adolescent Development |
3 |
| EDU 420: Professional Issues in Education |
2 |
| EDU 435: Secondary Student Teaching (Meets the History Major Experiential Learning Component) |
9 |
| Total Credits Required to Meet both the History Major and the Teaching Certificate, including General Education Courses |
130 |
| Fifteen Credits in History |
15 |
| HIS 401: Historiography and Philosophy of History |
3 |
| Required Supporting Major Courses |
|
| Six Credits in Art or Music |
6 |
| Six Credits in Literature |
6 |
| Six Credits in Philosophy |
6 |
| TOTAL CREDITS FOR MAJOR |
36 |
* This cross-disciplinary major is offered with the cooperation of the Department of Language, Literature & Communication and Biblical Studies, Religion and Philosophy. No more than a one-course overlap with General Education requirements is allowed for the completion of major requirements. At least eighteen credits of major requirements must be upper-division courses.
HIS 101: US Survey to 1865 or
HIS 102: US Survey since 1865 |
3 |
| HIS 258: Historical Methods |
3 |
| One 300-level American History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level European History Course |
3 |
| One 300-level non-Western History Course |
3 |
| One HIS Elective Course |
3 |
| Total Credits for Minor |
18 |
HIS 141 United States History Survey to 1865 (3)
A survey stressing political, economic, diplomatic, and social themes. Begins with discussion of pre-Columbian America and end with the Civil War. Meets General Education's U.S. History requirement.
HIS 142 United States History Survey Since 1865 (3)
A survey stressing political, economic, diplomatic, and social themes. Begins with Reconstruction and continues through the present day. Meets General Education U.S. History requirement.
HIS 101 Western Civilization: Bronze Age to 1500 (3)
A survey of Western Civilization from pre-history to 1500. Major themes include the fundamental nature of human civilization, the Judeo-Christian tradition and its place among the civilizations of human history, and the nature of various cultural world views that emerged in pre-modern Western civilization. Meets General Education European History requirement.
HIS 102 Western Civilization: 1500 to Present (3)
A survey of the social, economic, political, religious, and cultural developments in Western Civilization from 1500 to the present. Major themes include the emergence of a modern Western world view, how European nations came to dominate the other world civilizations, and how the traumas of the twentieth century caused a profound questioning of this modern world model. Meets General Education European History requirement.
HIS 151 The Wild, Wild West: Battles Over the American West and the Western Image (3)
A study of the history and mythology of the American West, including the effects of the Western image on Americans as a whole. Meets General Education U.S. History requirement. (J-Term)
HIS 132 European Missionary Travels and Writing (3)
This course focuses on one of the most significant developments of European history--the interaction of European peoples with the rest of the world after Columbus "discovered" the Americas in 1492. In particular, it examines the European missionary movement in Africa. This movement led to one of the most important legacies of Western interaction with Africa--African Christianity. Meets. General Education European History requirement (J-Term)
HIS 154 Vietnam War America (3)
A study of the Vietnam war including its colonial roots, its military component, and its enduring influence on American society. Meets General Education U. S. History requirement. (J-Term)
HIS 156 Social Movements in Twentieth-Century America (3)
An examination of organized social movements (e.g., Progressivism, women's suffrage/rights, the Civil Rights movement and the Christian Right) that sought to transform some aspect of twentieth-century American society. Placing these movements into their historical contexts, this course examines their goals, methods, outcomes and their opponents to better understand the nature of American society. Meets General Education U. S. History requirement. (J-Term)
HIS 171 World Civilizations: Bronze Age to 1500 (3)
A comparative survey of the social, cultural, political, religious, and economic developments in civilizations outside the western tradition from pre-history to 1500. Major themes include the fundamental nature of human civilization, the classical traditions of civilizations which emerged in Asia, Africa, the Near East, and the pre-Columbian Americas, and the growing interactions between these civilizations in pre-modern world history. Meets General Education Non-Western History requirement.
HIS 172 World Civilizations: 1500 to Present (3)
A comparative survey of the social, cultural, political, religious, and economic developments in civilizations outside the western tradition from 1500 to the present. Major themes include the effects of Western imperialism on these civilizations, their responses to modernization, globalization, and westernization, and the post-colonial transformations of civilizations during the twentieth century. Meets General Education Non-Western Studies requirement.
HIS 258 Historical Methods (3)
An introduction to the "doing" of history including techniques, procedures, and skills of the working historian. The course will concentrate on research methodology, analytical and synthetic thinking skills, and the ability to organize and report research findings in both written and oral form. This course is designed specifically for sophomore History majors and minors, History-Social Studies majors, and Humanities-History Concentration majors. (every Fall semester)
HIS 261 Public History (3)
A study of how history is presented in the public sphere including museums, commemorations, documentaries, community histories, and public memory. Addresses a variety of activities and careers for historians outside of academia. May include or be taken in conjunction with an internship. (Alternate years)
HIS 301 Greco-Roman Society and Culture (3)
A comparative survey of the societies and cultures of Classical Greece and Rome, upon which much of our own Western Civilization is based. Major themes include the nature and effects of empire building, the social realities of republican and imperial political orders, the cultural contributions of this era, and the religious world of the Classical and Hellenistic Mediterranean. (Alternate years)
HIS 302 Medieval Europe (3)
A survey of the cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments in Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to around 1400. Major themes include the emergence of medieval social and cultural institutions and modes of thought, as well as pre-Reformation Christian spirituality and religious reform movements. (Alternate years.)
HIS 303 Renaissance and Reformation Europe (3)
A survey of the social, cultural, intellectual, political, economic, and religious developments in Europe from the Later Middle Ages to 1648. Major themes include the Italian and Northern Renaissances, the Continental, English, and Catholic Reformations, and religious wars such as the Thirty Years War. Special attention will be given to the relationship between social change and shifts in European intellectual life and spirituality. Meets General Education European History requirement (Tier Two). (Alternate years)
HIS 304 Tudor-Stuart England: 1400-1700 (3)
An introduction to the history of England from the Later Middle Ages through the Tudor-Stuart era. Major themes include social, economic, and religious change and the ways in which those changes influenced politics and culture from the Wars of the Roses through the Elizabethan Age and the English Civil War. (Alternate Years)
HIS 321 The Age of Monarchy: 17th- and 18th-Century Europe (3)
A study of European society, politics, and culture in the early modern period, from the age of Religious Wars through the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Topics include the rise of modern nation-states, absolute monarchs, constitutional governments, the spread of printing, the Enlightenment and its critics, changing patterns and practices of daily life, traditional religion in an emerging scientific culture, and Europe's colonial settlements. (Alternate years)
HIS 322 Modern Europe: 1799-1918 (3)
A study of European society, politics, and culture from the Age of Napoleon through the First World War. Topics include the development of modern western ideologies such as nationalism, romanticism, liberalism, capitalism, socialism, and imperialism; political revolutions and reforms; industrialization, urbanization, and the new commodity culture; changing class, family, and gender relations; the cult of progress; and the status of religion in an age of doubt. (Alternate years)
HIS 323 Europe in the 20th Century (3)
A study of European society, politics, and culture from the Russian Revolution to the present day. Topics include the World Wars and the Holocaust; the disintegration of Europe's overseas empires; women's, students' and labor movements; changing family structures and social reforms; communism, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union; European unification and the spread of democracy; ongoing ethnic and religious conflicts; and visions for the new millennium. (Alternate years)
HIS 331 Modern Britain (3)
A survey of British society, politics, and culture from the 18th century to the present day. Beginning with the unification of England, Wales, and Scotland in 1707, we shall examine how an island nation smaller than the state of Texas became the world's richest power and claimed dominion over one fifth of the world's population, and then began its 20th-century industrial decline. (Alternate years)
HIS 332 Modern Germany (3)
A survey of the emergence of the modern state of Germany from the aftermath of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) to the reunification of this nation in 1991. Major themes include the forces of nationalism, liberalism, and imperialism; the Nazi era and the subsequent rehabilitation of Germany within the Cold War and post-Cold War context. (Alternate years)
HIS 341 Colonial America (3)
A study of the political, social, and religious history of the North American colonies from 1620 to 1763. Emphases include the transformation of European and African settlers into a distinctly American people, and the often stormy relationships between Native Americans and European immigrants. (Alternate years)
HIS 342 America in an Age of Revolution (3)
An examination the development of the United States between 1765 and 1790. Emphasis is given to the political, social, economic, and cultural factors which shaped American life at the time of the American Revolution. (Alternate years)
HIS 344 Civil War America (3)
An examination of the causes, nature, and consequences of the American Civil War. Covers the period from 1848-1877 and discusses such topics as the nature of slavery, the rise of abolitionism, the collapse and reconstruction of the American political system, and the realities of war. Meets General Education U.S. History requirement (Tier Two Course). (Alternate years)
HIS 346 From Omaha to Hiroshima: U.S. History, 1890-1945 (3)
A study of the U.S. from the Populist movement through the end of World War II. Focus is on the transformation of a rural, agrarian society into an urban industrial world power. (Alternate years)
HIS 347 Modern America: U.S. History, 1945-Present (3)
A study of the U.S. from the end of World War II to the present. Special attention given to the social and cultural influences of the Cold War, changes in the political economy, and protest movements in the late 20th century. (Alternate years)
HIS 351 Native American History (3)
A survey of Native American history from before European contact to the present day. Addresses social, cultural, economic, political and military issues. Meets General Education Pluralism in Contemporary America requirement. (Alternate years)
HIS 352 African-American History Since 1865 (3)
A study of historical change in the lives, experiences, legal status, and social status of African-Americans from the abolition of slavery to the present. Special attention is given to African-American campaigns to secure political and social equality. Meets General Education Pluralism in Contemporary America requirement. (Alternate years)
HIS 353 Immigrant America (3)
A history of immigration and immigrant groups in the United States from 1830 to the present. Covers major waves of immigration and focuses on the diverse cultural heritage, social structure, and political activism of immigrants from Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Meets General Education Pluralism in Contemporary America Requirement. (Alternate years)
HIS 355 U. S. Urban History (3)
An interdisciplinary examination of American cities from the colonial era to the present. Addresses social, economic, political, and technological issues. Meets General Education Pluralism in Contemporary America requirement. (Alternate years)
HIS 362 United States Foreign Policy (3)
An examination of U.S. foreign policy with special attention given to the Cold War and its aftermath. Cross-listed with POS 315.
HIS 371 Premodern Civilizations of Asia (3)
A broad introduction to the historical transformations of government and society in Asia from the earliest times to the sixteenth century. The twin themes of order and encounters will form the thematic foundations of this course. We will explore the different ways in which Asian societies in China, Japan, and India grew in complexity as they crafted elaborate institutional arrangements for governance, and also as they became interconnected within wider circuits of exchange of ideas, commodities, and populations. Our explorations will take us down to the moment of early modern encounters with Europeans.
HIS 372 Modern Civilizations of Asia (3)
A broad introduction to the historical transformations of government and society in Asia from the sixteenth century onward. Focusing on China, Japan, India, and southeast Asia, we explore a number of inter-related themes: the cultures of these regions, the different ways in which they were brought under the influence of western powers, and the subsequent transformations and adaptations these societies underwent. We will conclude by examining the sometimes-painful emergence of new nation states in Asia. Topics such as capitalism, cross-cultural encounter, resistance, governance, gender, social inequality, institutional change, nationalism, and revolution will form the critical focus of our study.
HIS 373 History of India Before 1500 (3)
Through a combination of lectures, films and discussions this course explores the development of the Indus Valley cultures, the Vedic age, Hindu, Buddhistic, and Jaina worldviews, early kingdoms and empires, medieval state formations, Islamicate culture and Sultanic regimes. Major themes include questions of culture, exchange, state making, governance, and worldviews, which reveal the multilayered and complex character of the subcontinent's history - one that goes beyond simple labels of "Hindu" and "Muslim."
HIS 374 History of Modern India and Pakistan (3)
An examination of the broad contours of south Asian history after 1500 by considering the histories of those parts of the sub-continent covered by India and Pakistan (and by extension, Bangladesh). We will also make a brief detour through the Himalayan world by looking closely at the history Gorkha (present-day Nepal). Major themes include the Mughal Empire; European colonial interventions and indigenous responses expressed through reform, rebellion, and nationalism; the painful emergence of south Asian nations and their postcolonial predicaments. These themes will also intersect with the following concerns: Mughal state making, colonial governance and its forms of knowledge, subaltern histories, gender and caste studies, communalism, and discourses on development.
HIS 375 Gandhi's India (1869-1948) (3)
An examination of the dominant themes of Indian history that unfolded during the lifetime of one of its greatest leaders, mahatma Gandhi. Major themes include: the life, teachings and political practices of the mahatma, his allies and detractors; the growth of Indian nationalism with all its internal tensions; the colonial state and its forms of knowledge; subaltern social movements; gender relations; elite and popular cultural expressions; communalism; the Partition (1947) and formation of Pakistan; the postcolonial Indian state; environmental histories; Indian diasporas; and the subcontinent's development regimes. (Alternate Years)
HIS 379: History of the Middle East
This course introduces students to the history of the Middle East. It provides an opportunity to move beyond the headlines that appear in the media almost every day. The course surveys Arab history in the Middle East and North Africa focusing particularly on the rise of Islam, subsequent Islamic kingdoms and empires, and the interaction of the Islamic world with the West. Particular attention will also be paid to understanding the religion of Islam as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meets General Education Non-Western Studies requirement.
HIS 381: History of Africa
This course introduces students to the richness and diversity of African history from earliest times to the present. From ancient Egypt to the post-colonial states; from medieval Islamic and Christian kingdoms to the modern missionary movement; from the Atlantic slave trade to the effects of European colonialism; from the involvement of medieval Swahili city-states in the world economy to the international debt crisis of African countries today; from the nationalist movements that won independence from European rule to the struggles of black South Africans against the apartheid regime, this course examines key theme and topics in the history of the enormous continent we call Africa.
HIS 383: South Africa: Struggle for Freedom
HIS 391: Historical Study of Peace
HIS 392: Women and Gender in History
HIS 399 Topics in History (3)
Selected topics related to a specific area of historical inquiry including American history, European history, non-Western history, and historiography.
HIS 401 Historiography and Philosophy of History (3)
A study of the meaning and interpretation of history, with special attention to movements of historical thought and the historians who influenced those movements. This capstone course is designed specifically for senior History majors, History-Social Studies majors, and Humanities-History Concentration majors, and is offered every Fall semester.
HIS 407 Social Studies Curriculum and Design
A seminar emphasizing disciplinary content issues that are specific to secondary school social studies teaching. Areas of focus include curricular and instructional decision-making processes; classroom management strategies, assessment techniques, adaptations for exceptional learners; instructional technology applications; and professional development. This course is designed specifically for History-Social Studies majors during their Professional Semester.
HIS 491 Independent Study (1-3)
Independent study or research under the supervision of an instructor whose approval must precede the student's enrollment.
HIS 495 Internship in Historical Research (6-9)
Assignment under professional guidance in an archives or historical collection.
HIS 497, 498 Major Honors (6)
Independent research program for students who have strong academic records for a minimum of five previous semesters of collegiate study. History faculty approval required for enrollment.
