2007-08 Academic Catalog	home FAQs request

Courses

History 

HIST 111 — United States in Perspective to 1865, 1.0 credit. E.
An interpretive study of the economic, social, political, cultural and religious movements that have shaped the multicultural societies of the United States from early American Indian communities to the Civil War.

HIST 112 — United States in Perspective since 1865, 1.0 credit. E.
An interpretive study of the economic, social, political, cultural and religious movements that have shaped the multicultural society of the United States from Reconstruction to the present.

HIST 131 — European History in Perspective to 1500, 1.0 credit. E1.
An introductory course that will examine the history of European civilization beginning with prehistory and ending with the European Renaissance. Attention will be focused on the ideas, values, institutions, great events, and personalities of the time in order to understand historically the major issues that have defined concepts of humanity and society in the Western World.

HIST 132 — European History in Perspective since 1500, 1.0 credit. E.
An introductory course that will examine the history of European civilization from the Protestant Reformation to the present. Attention will be focused on the ideas, values, institutions, great events, and personalities of the time in order to understand historically the major issues that have defined concepts of humanity and society in the Western World.

HIST 151 — World in Perspective to 1500, 1.0 credit. E2.
This course will address issues of development from pre-history to 1500. Civilizations and empires of the pre-modern world will be analyzed in comparative perspective. Special attention will be given to cross-cultural encounters and long-term developments including trade, migration, and the spread of disease. Methods of historical analysis will be introduced through a variety of readings.

HIST 152 — World in Perspective since 1500, 1.0 credit. E.
This course will address issues of historical development in the world from 1500 to the present. There will be an emphasis on the interaction between cultures and modernizing societies will be analyzed in comparative perspective. Methods of historical analysis will be introduced through a wide variety of readings.

HIST 240 – Introduction to Asian Studies, 1.0 credit. D.
This multidisciplinary course provides an introduction to the study of Asia (emphasizing China, Japan, Korea and India). In addition to a study of contemporary events featured in Asian news sources, likely topics will include: the role of the family, imperialism and nationalist revolution, economic development and environmental challenges.

HIST 250 — Pre-May Seminar, 0.5 credit. D.

HIST 300 — May Seminar, 1.0 credit. MS.

HIST 301 — Greece and the Ancient Near East, 1.0 credit. E1.
A study of the most ancient civilizations of the Near and Middle East (Mesopotamia, Greece and Egypt, in particular), emphasizing the continuity of culture. The growth of Greek civilization and its expansion until the death of Alexander are surveyed.

HIST 302 — Rome and the Medieval Transition, 1.0 credit. E2.
A study of the development of Rome from republic to empire. The course draws upon archaeological and literary evidence, as well as parallels from modern experience. The rise of the Byzantine East and the Medieval West are also considered.

HIST 311 — Religion and Philanthropy in American Culture, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the philanthropic-voluntary tradition in United States history, beginning with its formation in the colonial period, and examining its multiple expressions in associational life, charitable organizations, social movements, reform and public policy. The course considers the impact of religious ideals, organizations, and movements in shaping values and programs in the nonprofit sector, as well as in influencing currents in American culture.

HIST 312 — American Thought and Culture, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the major cultural traditions — Evangelical Christianity, Republican Enlightenment, Romantic Democracy and Scientific Naturalism — that have shaped the development of American culture from the 17th century to the 1960s.

HIST 313 — Black American History, 1.0 credit. E1.
A study and evaluation of the black community in America today, concentrating on the African background, the development and significance of bondage, the role of blacks during the Civil War and reconstruction period, the origins of segregation, the survival and rebirth of Afro-American cultural traditions, and the ideologies of various black protests and revolutionary movements in the 20th century.

HIST 314 — U.S. Foreign Policy, 1.0 credit. E1.
Analyzes geographical and economic resources, intellectual assumptions and political processes in the expression of strategy and diplomatic decision-making as the United States expands to become a global power. Includes treatment of the presidency, the relation between domestic and foreign policy initiatives, and diplomatic aspects of warfare and peacemaking.

HIST 315 — Indians of North America, 1.0 credit. E1.
A study of some of the historical experiences of American Indians in North America from the era preceding European settlement to the present. The course provides an overview of major themes and trends in Indian history, supplemented by readings that illuminate particular topics. The topics are examined from an ethnohistorical perspective that begins by assuming that American Indians were rational historical actors whose behavior can only be explained by attention to their own cultural values and norms.

HIST 316 — U.S. Women’s History, 1.0 credit. D.
A survey of women’s experience and changing ideas about gender. Themes addressed include class, racial, ethnic and religious differences among women, as well as the impact of industrialization, immigration, urbanization and war on women’s public roles, work patterns, familial obligations, and sexual practices. The course will ask students to consider ways in which using gender as a category of analysis transforms our interpretation of U.S. history.

HIST 317, SCAN 317 — Scandinavian Immigration and Settlement in America, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the social and cultural conditions of the 19th century that encouraged the “peopling of America” by Scandinavian immigrants. Major Scandinavian settlements in the United States and Canada are investigated. The influence of the immigration experience on the individual and the family, the immigrant churches, education, social and cultural organizations, and the immigrant press are also considered.

HIST 318 — The Midwest: Local, State, and Regional Histories, 1.0 credit. D.
This seminar examines Midwest history with an emphasis on Minnesota and North Dakota. Topics include: labor and work, religion, race and ethnicity, gender, politics, economics and the environment. The themes of conflict and cooperation, identity and the links between local, state, and regional history and the nation will also be addressed. Readings, discussion, and a research project will emphasize developing students’ abilities to think historically and conceptually while broadening their knowledge of the Midwest.

HIST 319 — Colonial America, 1.0 credit. E2.
This course on Colonial North America focuses on Spanish, French, English, and Dutch colonizers and their struggles for dominance in North America. In this Atlantic World perspective, the histories of indigenous Americans, African slaves and women are central. Students will consider how diverse communities adapted to new circumstance and formed new group identities within these American colonies.

HIST 320 — Latin American History, 1.0 credit. D.
An interpretive examination of the multicultural societies created in the Americas under the Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires, emphasizing the 19th and 20th centuries. Major themes include the colonial heritage; race; nation building; comparative case studies of socioeconomic development following independence; political changes associated with revolutions, military-authoritarian governments, and democratization; and U.S.-Latin American relations.

HIST 331 — Imperial Russia, 1.0 credit. A1 (2008-2009).
Examines the history of Imperial Russia from 1801 to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Special attention is given to the sociopolitical movements that characterized much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as the interaction of the Russian state in world affairs.

HIST 332 — Twentieth-Century Russia, 1.0 credit. A1 (2007-2008).
This course examines the history of Russia from 1917 to the present. Particular emphasis is placed on the ideologies, issues, individuals and institutions that influenced the development of the Soviet Union following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

HIST 333 — Modern European Thought and Culture, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the development of Western humanism from the 17th-century scientific revolution to mid–20th-century French existentialism and the impact of the humanistic tradition on the history and culture of modern Europe.

HIST 335 — Modern England, 1.0 credit. D.
An interpretive study of English politics, society and ideas from the establishment of the Tudor monarchy in 1485 through World War II. Attention also will be given to England’s development and decline as an empire and a great power.

HIST 336 — The World and the West, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the process of Western expansion into the non-Western world. Special attention is given to Asia, Africa and Latin America, and to such topics as colonization, nationalism, independence, modernization and post-colonial dependence.

HIST 337, SCAN 337 — History of Scandinavia, 1.0 credit. D.
A study of the Nordic countries from earliest times to present, reviewing the common features in their history and traditions. Special emphasis is given to the 19th and 20th centuries and to such topics as the rise of social democracy, economic development and the cultural contributions of Scandinavians to the modern world.

HIST 338 — Hitler’s Germany, 1.0 credit. E2.
This course on the rise and fall of the Third Reich is designed to provide a clear, straightforward and complete history of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, both thematically and chronologically. Emphasis will be placed on the emergence of Hitler and the Third Reich within historical, social, economic and political contexts.

HIST 339 — Renaissance and Reformation History, 1.0 credit. D.
This course will examine a period of European history known as the Renaissance and the Reformation. This age — from approximately 1350 to 1650 — was a period of great change and a dynamic period of discovery, exploration and expansion not only in geography but also in politics, economics, religion, arts and science. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the thought, literature, art, faith and spirit of the people of Europe, along with the cultural, religious, political, intellectual and socioeconomic developments of the age.

HIST 341 — Foundations of East Asian Civilization, 1.0 credit. D.
This course will address the historical development of China and Japan before the 19th century. There will be special emphasis on the influence of Confucianism on political, economic and social organization. A variety of historical sources, including literary classics and material culture, will be examined and there will be a research assignment.

HIST 342 — Modern East Asian History, 1.0 credit. D.
This course will address the development of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam in the 19th and 20th centuries. Issues of modernization, industrialization, imperialism, war and revolution will be addressed. A variety of historical sources will be examined and there will be a research assignment.

HIST 344 — Women’s History in Cross-Cultural Perspective, 1.0 credit. D.
This course compares the experience of women in multiple cultures during the 19th and 20th centuries. Various ideologies, as well as different forms of political, economic and social organization, will be analyzed to discern their effect on women. A variety of historical sources will be examined and there will be a research assignment.

HIST 352 — The Rise of Modern Africa, 1.0 credit. E2.
An historical analysis of colonial and independent Africa beginning in 1850. Special attention is given to the growth of African nationalism and the struggle for independence, nation building, and the post-colonial era in modern Africa.

HIST 365, P SC 365 — Global Issues, 1.0 credit. D.
This course examines four general categories of global issues — ethnic diversity, war and peace, economic development, and ecological sustainability — and the various interpretive perspectives that offer understandings of each. Integrating the contributions of several disciplines, we examine the historical origins and future trends of these problems, their causes and consequences, and their potential solutions. In addition, students will learn a variety of transferable skills, including the ability to construct policies and negotiate differences among competing interests.

HIST 380 — Special Topics, 0.5 to 1.0 credit. D.
Courses covering various topics of interest in this particular discipline are offered regularly. Contact department or program chair for more information.

HIST 390 — Cooperative Education, 0.5 to 2.0 credits. D.

HIST 410 — Research Seminar, 1.0 credit. E.
Seminar format is used to study selected historical topics in order to teach historical methodology. A student will do original research, write a major paper, and present it to the seminar for criticism and discussion. Registration is by permission of the professor teaching 410.

HIST 480 — Independent Study, 0.25 to 1.0 credit. D.
This course provides an opportunity for individual students to conduct in-depth research of a particular topic under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Contact the department or program chair for more information.

Geography Course

GEOG 201 — World Geography, 1.0 credit. Fall 2007 and Spring 2009.
An introduction to the study of human geography in a global perspective. The course examines the interaction of demography, economic systems, the environment, and culture in creating distinctive geographies at the local, regional, national and global levels.