History course description at Saint Olaf College
Friday, February 27th, 2009101 Ancient Warfare
This seminar examines the social and political role of warfare in ancient Greek and Roman history. Students investigate the concepts of war and peace by considering the role of the soldier within society, details of tactics and logistics, and the impact of warfare on both combatants and non-combatants alike. The seminar uses primary sources to examine these themes. Offered annually.
111 Viking and Medieval Scandinavia
A survey of Nordic history from the time of the Viking expansion to the period of the Kalmar Union. Topics include Viking expansion and conquest; Nordic cultural and religious life; the coming of Christianity; the sagas and other literary sources; later medieval developments. Offered most years.
121 The Making of Modern Russia
This course explores the origins of the modern Russian empire. Using primary sources including chronicles, folktales, legal codes, letters, and religious icons, students consider Russia’s development from a loose collection of princedoms into a powerful, multi-ethnic empire spanning 11 time zones. Topics include the impact of geography and climate, the Orthodox religion, Mongol rule, gender roles, the rise of autocracy, and social rebellion.
122 Europe and the Great War
Focusing on social and cultural history, students use literature, film, and propaganda to examine total war and its impact on gender, state, and society. How did the 19th century prepare Europeans for war? How did different experiences in the trenches and on the home front contribute to gender anxieties? Was the war an agent of progress or midwife to the brutality of the 20th century? Offered most years.
125 The Maya, Colonial Times to the Present
This course examines the history of the Maya peoples from the colonial to the present. Drawing upon missionary accounts, archeological sources and historical and anthropological works, students explore how the Maya — despite the multiple traumas of conquest, demographic collapse, and state repression — have managed to survive as a people. Specific topics include: Maya religious beliefs, the impact of Spanish conquest, changing sources of ethnic identity, and the emerging Pan-Maya movement of recent years. Offered periodically.
135 Nationalism and Revolution in Vietnam
This seminar examines the Vietnam War in the larger context of Vietnamese history and focusing on the Vietnamese side of history. Themes include the heritage of Vietnamese civilization, French conquest and colonial rule, nationalism and its relationship to Communism, the emergence of two Vietnamese states, and the causes and consequences of the Vietnam War. This course also addresses questions about ideology, the role of the United States in Asia, and the historical processes of nationalism and Communism. Offered during Interim.
150 Life History of African Women
This course offers an introduction to personal narrative as a form of historical expression. Reading includes several published life histories of African women, along with examples of African women’s autobiography. Students learn about the lives of African women through their own stories, and they examine the process through which these stories are made available to us.
162 American Revolution
This course focuses upon the American Revolution as a crucible of cultural change. Students work with primary documents and secondary sources that address significant topics: social change in 18th-century North America; the politics of resistance and revolution; war and American culture; the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; the emergence of American democracy; and “outsiders” such as loyalists, Native Americans, women, and African-Americans. Offered periodically.
165 Slavery in the Americas
This seminar, using only eyewitness accounts, examines African slavery in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Typical readings include the narrative of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography, and the writings of slave-holders like Mary Chesnut. Topics include the slave trade, the origins of African-American culture, women and slavery, and the origins of the Civil War. The course concludes with an examination of the process of emancipation. Offered periodically.
167 Trail of Tears
This course examines the origin and lasting effects of the Indian Removals of the 1830s. Topics covered include the culture and history of the Native peoples of the Eastern woodlands, U.S.-Indian policy, frontier life in the early U.S. Republic, and the life and personal involvement of Andrew Jackson. Students read from a wide variety of secondary literature and primary source material, and have the opportunity to conduct their own research. Offered periodically.
168 Rølvaag’s America
On the basis of selected works of O.E. Rølvaag, including Giants in the Earth, this course considers the literature and history of Norwegian America in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. For the sake of comparison students also read selections from other Norwegian and Norwegian-American authors. Topics for consideration include ecology, family, gender, agriculture, economics, technology, urbanization, religion, immigration, ethnicity, and American pluralism. Offered periodically.
169 The Norwegian-American Experience
Students examine Norwegians in the U.S., 1820s to the 1990s, focusing upon the interplay of a transplanted set of values and cultural expressions with the demands of American life. Topics include mass emigration, adaptation to the new land, geographic patterns of settlement, political participation, religious life, education, the press, and literature. Comparisons are drawn to other ethnic groups in the U.S. Offered during Interim.
175 American Consumer Culture
The Mall of America is the result of more than 150 years of American history. This seminar traces the history of American consumer culture from Victorianism to Victoria’s Secret. Students explore the histories of advertising, work and play, individualism and changing conceptions of the self, the economy, gender roles and changing sexual mores, and developing representations of class and race to see how they affect the buying and selling of goods and conceptions of the good life in places like the Mall of America. Offered periodically.
176 U.S. Culture, Ethnicity, and Immigration
The immigration of people from around the globe has been central to the making of the United States. The course examines how this experience has shaped ethnic and racial identities, neighborhoods and cities, workplaces, politics, and culture. Students focus especially on the dawn of the 20th and 21st centuries, as the immigrants’ point of origin has shifted increasingly from Europe to Latin America and Asia. Offered periodically.
181 Civil Rights Revolution
Students examine the overthrow of American segregation through several decades of agitation for civil rights. This seminar focuses primarily on the South, though students also discuss northern race relations. Primary accounts from the era constitute the assigned readings. Among the topics covered are the segregated South, Martin Luther King and his critics, the Black Power movement, and the rise of white backlash politics. Offered periodically.
182 America Since World War II
This seminar examines American society since 1945, with particular emphasis on the years between 1945 and 1975. The main focus is social history. Topics include the impact of the Cold War, migration to the suburbs, post-industrial society, the culture of the 1950s, civil rights, the Vietnam War, the student movement, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. Sources include novels, essays, magazine stories, films, and documentaries. Offered most years.
183 Cynicism and Hope in Modern America
Cynicism has shaped American politics and society in the last decades of the 20th century. Concerns about public distrust, alienation, and civic decline reflect long-standing anxieties about American democracy. This course examines the history of cynicism and democratic hope, exploring how politics, public life, and citizenship have been understood, practiced, and contested in the 19th and 20th centuries. Offered periodically.
188 Topical Seminar
Selected topics in historical studies, depending on instructor.
189 Topical Seminar
Selected topics in historical studies, depending on instructor.
FOUNDATIONAL SURVEYS
History 190-191, 194-195, 198-199 are offered as foundational surveys in European, global, and American history. These courses are open to all students seeking broad historical introductions to Western and non-Western societies. Foundational surveys provide both extensive historical coverage and opportunities for integrative learning. They carry general education credit, as appropriate, in Historical Studies in Western Culture and in Multicultural Studies. They are particularly appropriate for majors seeking background in each world area.
190 Europe from the Ancients to the Renaissance
This course surveys Western history and culture from its origins in the Ancient Near East to the Italian Renaissance. Topics include the ancient world, the beginnings of Christianity, the emergence and disintegration of Rome as a unifying power, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Through original texts and historical studies, students will explore relationships among religions, states, and societies and views of natural environments, family life, and gender roles. Offered most years.
191 Europe from the Reformation to Modern Times
This course surveys European history and culture since the Reformation. Topics include the impact of Protestantism, the development of nation states, the Enlightenment, revolutionary ideas and experiences, the Napoleonic era, imperialism, mass political movements, and global warfare. Through original texts, historical studies, and literature, students explore relations among religions, states and societies and understandings of liberty and reason, natural environments, family life, and gender roles. Offered most years.
194 Global Histories from Ancient Times to 1500
Students use original texts, historical studies, and literature to examine, comparatively and chronologically, the evolution of selected cultures and societies before 1500. They explore topics such as political, cultural, and economic exchange, religious practices, human interaction with the environment, forms of political authority, family life, and gender roles. Offered most years.
195 Global Histories from 1500 to the Present
This course takes a comparative and chronological approach to studying the diverse cultures of the modern world. Through original texts, historical studies, and literary sources, students examine such themes as the rise of American imperialism and its impact on the native peoples of the Americas, Asia, and Africa; the emergence of the nation state and new ideologies; the spread of American influence in the world; human interaction with the environment; challenges to religion and traditional life-styles; and innovation in family and gender structures. Offered most years.
198 American History to 1865
This course examines the development of American culture and society from the Columbian encounter through the Civil War. Topics include the interaction of Europeans, Africans, and indigenous peoples in early America; the social development of the British colonies; the evolution of American slavery; the Revolution and the Constitution; industrialization, expansion, and reform in the 19th century; and the Civil War. Offered most years.
199 American History Since 1965
As they study the development of American institutions and society from the Civil War to the present, students examine economic, social, and political themes with a special emphasis on changing interpretations. Major topics are Reconstruction, urbanization, populism, progressivism, depression, New Deal, foreign relations, civil rights, social reform, equality for women, and other recent trends. Offered most years.
LEVEL II: PERIOD AND NATIONAL HISTORIES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
201 Major Seminar: Ancient History
This course explores topics in Ancient History, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing. Primarily for History majors - others by consent of instructor.
202 Ancient: Near East
This course is a history of Western civilization’s earliest cultures, the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Hebraic Kingdoms, and the great Empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Offered occasionally.
203 Ancient: Greece
This course is a history of Western civilization’s primary cultures, Ancient Greece from the Bronze Age through the “Golden Age” of classical Greece and the empire of Alexander the Great. Offered most years.
204 Ancient: Rome
This course is a survey of Mediterranean civilization from the early history of Italy through the Roman Republic and Empire. Offered most years.
PERIOD, NATIONAL AND THEMATIC HISTORIES OF EUROPE
210 Major Seminar: European History
This course explores topics in European History, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing. Offered most years. Primarily for History majors - others by consent of instructor.
211 The Early Middle Ages
This course examines European history during the period of about 300 to 1000. Topics include the culture of late antiquity, the foundation of Christian institutions, the age of migrations, the Byzantine Empire and its relationship with the West, the emergence of Islam, the Carolingian revival, the manorial system, and the development of feudalism, with attention given to women’s roles in medieval society throughout the course. Prerequisite: History 190 recommended. Offered every second year.
212 The High and Late Middle Ages
This course covers European history in the period of about 1000 to 1500. Topics include the medieval papacy, the Crusades and reconquest of Spain, towns and commercial life, the medieval monarchy, scholasticism in the setting of the universities, late medieval spirituality, and the crises of plague and warfare in the late Middle Ages, with attention given to women’s roles in medieval society throughout the course. Prerequisite: History 190 recommended. Offered every second year.
217 Age of the Renaissance
Students examine intellectual, political, social, and spiritual currents, 1300 to 1550, particularly in the city of Florence, but also in broader Italian and European Renaissance contexts. Topics include humanism, the political life of the northern Italian city states, changes in spirituality and in the life of the church, the status of women, and the development of political theory. Readings include Petrarch, Machiavelli, and Erasmus. Offered most years.
218 Reformation Europe
Students study Protestant and Catholic religious movements, Luther and other Reformers, political and social institutions, the Protestant family, intellectual traditions, and popular culture and beliefs in this interdisciplinary approach to Reformation Europe. Students also investigate the rise of nation states, theological debates, the wars of religion, science and learning, printing and communication, and capitalism. Offered most years.
219 Reformation England
Students survey politics, religion, and society from the Reformation through the era of the Glorious Revolution. Using both contemporary authors and historical writings, students examine the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the introduction of Protestantism, the Anglican Church and its puritan critics, the conflict between the Stuart kings and parliament, the revolutions of the 17th century, and the establishment of liberty for conscience. Offered periodically.
220 Modern Britain
How did Britain emerge as the world’s first “super power”? Students examine British history from the Revolution of 1688 through the era of World War II. Topics include the aristocracy, the impact of the Industrial and French Revolutions, liberalism and capitalism, Victorian culture, the working class and political reform, the women’s movement, the imperial achievement, the issue of Ireland, and the challenge of the world wars. Offered periodically.
222 Modern Scandinavia
This course offers a survey of modern Scandinavian history from the period of the Protestant Reformation to the present with special attention to recent developments. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in Norwegian. Offered most years.
224 Modern Germany
This course provides a survey of the history of Germany with emphasis on the period from 1700 to the present. Through primary sources, literature, and historical accounts, students examine Germany’s development from a collection of independent states to a great power, focusing on the social, cultural, and political impact of national unification, rapid industrialization, world wars, and European union.
226 Modern France
This course surveys the history of France since 1774, tracing elements of stability and upheaval from Old Regime to the 5th Republic. Emphasis is on the revolutionary tradition and the development of republicanism, social history of the 19th century, de Gaulle and his legacy, and the Socialist experiment. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in French. Offered most years.
227 French Revolution and Napoleon.
Students examine seminal events, institutions, and doctrines of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras, with special attention to the 18th-century background to the Revolution, its impact on Europe in the 19th century, and its legacies in the modern world. Using primary and secondary sources, students explore the drama of the period and consider the variety of historical approaches to, and interpretations of, the Revolution. Offered most years.
230 Imperial Russia
Russia’s modern history from Peter the Great to the revolution of 1917 centers on the tsarist autocracy and popular movements to limit its power. Students assess Russia’s economy, culture, and religion against the background of the country’s westernization. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in Russian. Offered most years.
231 20th-Century Russia
This course begins with the Communist revolution of 1917 and traces the growth of the Soviet Union under Lenin, Stalin, and their successors. Students analyze the “crisis” of the Soviet system in order to explain why the last of the European empires collapsed in 1991. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in Russian. Offered most years.
232 History of Orthodox Christianity
The history of Orthodox Christianity focuses on three features of Orthodoxy as they developed over time: theology, worship (liturgy, sacred art, and architecture), and monasticism. Theology includes the early church fathers and later figures of the Byzantine era and modern Russia. Liturgy, sacred art, and architecture are examined in the context of the iconoclastic controversy (8th and 9th centuries) and its aftermath — monasticism as it developed on Mount Athos in Greece and in Russia. Offered periodically.
237 Women in Medieval Europe
Students explore the experiences of women in both religious and secular life from the period of the late Roman Empire through the 15th century. Topics include women’s roles in the early church, changes in the status of women from the late Roman Empire through the Carolingian period, women’s monasticism, marriage and the family in the feudal system, courtly love, and late medieval spirituality. Offered periodically during Interim.
238 Women in Early Modern Europe
This course introduces students to a selection of topics in women’s history during a transitional period in the West and helps them develop a sense of the methodologies of women’s history as a field. Topics include the status of women in Renaissance Italy, female rulers during the early modern period, women in the context of humanism, changing conditions for working women, women and the arts, witchcraft, and the impact of the Reformation. Offered periodically during Interim.
239 Women and Gender in Modern Europe
Students analyze women’s experience and notions of gender in Europe since 1700. Themes include the definition of domestic ideology from the Enlightenment through industrialization to the Victorian period, gendering citizenship in the nation-state, the impact of science and technology on women’s lives and bodies, the development of feminism(s), and women and gender in socialist and fascist regimes. Offered most years.
AREA COURSES ON AFRICA, ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA
240 Major Seminar: Non-Western History
This course explores topics in Non-Western history, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing. Offered most years. Primarily for History majors - others by consent of instructor.
241 HIstorical Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Latin America
This course examines issues of race and ethnicity in Latin America from colonial times to the present. Although not directly comparative, by highlighting the region’s distinctive tradition of racial mixture the course provides students with a model of race relations that contrasts sharply with that of the U.S. The course also concerns changing ideas about race in Latin America and the impact of these ideas on debates over national identity. Offered periodically.
242 Modern Latin America
An overview of the evolution of Latin American societies since 1750, this course examines the consequences of independence, 19th-century economic imperialism, and the 20th-century transitions to more urbanized, industrialized ways of life. Students examine major Latin American nations and compare their revolutionary and counter-revolutionary trajectories toward the establishment of authoritarian states. Applied Foreign Language Component available in Spanish. Offered most years.
243 20th-Century Cuba
This course examines the history of 20th-century Cuba, especially the 1959 revolution and its aftermath. Students study the transformation of Cuban political culture, the obstacles to economic and agrarian reform, education, the role of women, human rights, U.S. policies toward Cuba, and the future of Cuba after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The role of charismatic leadership in Latin America and the possibilities for revolutionary changes in the Americas are also examined. Offered periodically during Interim.
250 Chinese Civilization
This course studies Chinese civilization from its beginnings to the end of the 19th century, providing an overview of traditional Chinese thought, culture, institutions, and society. Students examine the development of philosophy and religion, achievements in art and literature, and social and economic change. This course also considers foreign conquest dynasties, Chinese expansion into Inner Asia, and China’s relations with the West. Offered most years.
251 Modern China
Students examine reform and revolution at the end of Qing dynasty; the creation and collapse of the first Republic; warlordism, cultural change, the rise of Chinese nationalism; Japanese invasion, civil war, and the Communist victory; the People’s Republic since 1949; economic and social change, Sino-Soviet conflict, the Cultural Revolution, Maoism and Mao’s legacy, and China’s recent economic and political transformation. Applied Foreign Language Component available in Chinese. Offered most years.
252 Japanese Civilization
A study of Japan from the origins of the Yamato state culture to the emergence of modern Japan, this course provides an overview of traditional Japanese thought, values, and culture. This course examines social, economic and political change, intellectual and religious history, and the development of Japanese arts and literature, as well as Japan’s relations with China, Korea, and the West. Offered most years.
253 Modern Japan
This survey of modern Japan from about 1800 to the present examines the political transformation of the Meiji Restoration, the industrial revolution and social and cultural change, the rise and fall of party government, militarism and Japanese expansionism in World War II, the American occupation, and postwar social, political, economic, and cultural developments. Offered most years.
260 South Africa
In this broad survey of the history of Southern Africa (with a major emphasis on the Republic of South Africa), students engage in readings and classroom activities focusing on the following themes: race and ethnicity, gender, environmental studies, migrant labor, and apartheid and resistance. These focal points illuminate the broader context of change in the South African past. Offered most years.
261 Landscapes and Landmarks of South Africa (Abroad)
This course introduces students to the multiple and contested histories of South Africa in the terrain that was their source and their theater. Students visit historical sites and discover their meaning through literature and lectures, theater, music, story telling, and conversation and explore how contemporary history and culture draw on old narrative, historical, musical, and artistic traditions and how the historical identities of places, spaces, and the land have changed through time and with changing interest or perspective. Offered during Interim.
267 Modern Middle East
In this survey of the modern Middle East from the 16th century to the present, students explore the changing nature of political and social institutions. Topics include: Ottoman society and institutions, the impact of the West, creation of the nation-state system, and the evolution of current conflicts in the region. Offered periodically.
PERIOD AND TOPICAL COURSES IN AMERICaN HISTORY
270 Major Seminar: American History
This course explores topics in American history, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing. Offered most years. Primarily for History majors - others by consent of instructor.
272 Women in America
This course surveys women’s experience in American life from the colonial period to the present. Students examine the changing economic, social, and legal status of women, society’s attitudes towards women, and the growth of a women’s movement. Offered most years.
275 Environmental History
By examining the interaction of people and environment on the North American continent from the 15th century to the present, this course shows how history “takes place” in ecological contexts that change over time. Students compare Native American and Euro-American religious beliefs, social values, economic aspirations, and technological developments and examine their consequences for the flora, fauna, and peoples of the continent. Offered most years.
277 African-American History
In this study of African Americans in U. S. society from African origins to the present, students explore the African heritage, the experience of slavery, segregation, and the rise of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The course pays particular attention to the issue of black nationalism as a force in American life. Offered most years.
282 Native American History
Spanning at least twelve thousand years and involving more than five hundred indigenous nations the history of Native America is complex and diverse. This course focuses on significant themes, time periods, or geographical regions, with emphasis on the peoples of modern-day continental United States. Examples include “Colonial Encounters in Native America,” “Pontiac’s America,” “Native American Women,” and “Native America through Autobiography.” Offered periodically.
288 America in the Civil War and Reconstruction Era
In studying the impact of the Civil War era on American society and politics, students focus on slavery, emancipation, and race relations. They also address the impact of industrialization on northern society, encompassing immigration and nativism, the westward movement, and the dispossession of Native Americans. The course situates the dramatic political and military events of the era in the wider evolution of American life. Offered most years.
290 Reel America: U.S. History in Film
Students examine the limitations and the enormous potential of film in depicting and interpreting past events in U.S. history. They analyze films using a variety of theoretical models and explore the connection between the present and the interpretation in film of famous past episodes in U.S. history, including, but not limited to, the American Revolution, the Civil War, Custer’s “Last Stand,” and the turbulent events of the 1960s. Required writing assignments enable students to demonstrate their analytical skills. Group projects offer the opportunity to write screenplays. Offered during Interim.
296 Medical Vocation in Historical Perspective
This course surveys the history of the medical profession in Europe and the U.S. from 1700 to the present, with attention to the legacies from earlier periods. “Vocation,” understood as a lived experience shaped by the values and expectations of practitioner, profession, and society, manifested in various ways, provide the unifying theme. Students examine scientific, cultural, institutional, ethical, and personal factors influencing the development of physicians and their practice in specific historical contexts. Offered alternate years.
GENERAL
294 Internship
298 Independent Study
299 Topics in History
This course offers selected surveys in historical studies. Topics depend on instructor. Recent topics have included “Native American History” and “Reel America.” Offered periodically. May be repeated if topics are different.
LEVEL III: SEMINARS
Please note that Level III seminars presume significant prior knowledge of the subject. Previous experience with the material is required.
European History
301 Ancient History Seminar
This seminar covers varying topics in ancient history, depending upon the instructor. Offered periodically. May be repeated if topics are different.
302 Greek Civilization
Students study the emergence and development of Greek civilization from the early Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period, concentrating on such topics as the Homeric Age, Greek colonization of the Mediterranean basin, Athens’ evolution from democratic city-state to imperialist power, the Golden Age of Athens, social and intellectual trends and Alexander. Prerequisite: History 203 or permission of instructor. May be repeated if topics are different. Offered periodically.
303 Roman Civilization
This seminar covers the emergence and development of Roman civilization from the founding of Rome to the end of the Western Empire. Students explore such topics as the Greek and Etruscan legacy, evolution from republic to autocracy, the Augustan Age, Pax Romana, social and intellectual trends, the triumph of Christianity and Rome’s final transformation. Prerequisite: History 190 or 204 or permission of instructor. May be repeated if topics are different. Offered periodically.
310 Seminar: Medieval Europe
This seminar covers various topics in the history of medieval Europe, depending upon the instructor. May be repeated if topics are different.
315 Seminar: Early Modern Europe
This seminar covers various topics in early modern European history, depending upon the instructor. May be repeated if topics are different.
320 Seminar: Modern Europe
This seminar covers various topics in modern European history, depending upon the instructor. Recent topics have included “The Holocaust and History,” “Race, Gender, and Medicine,” and “Stalin.” Offered most years. May be repeated if topics are different.
Non-Western History
340 Non-Western Seminar
This seminar covers varying topics in African, Asian, Latin American, or Middle Eastern history, depending upon the instructor. Offered periodically. May be repeated if topics are different.
345 East Asian Seminar
This seminar covers varying topics in East Asian history. Recent topics have included “World War II in East Asia and the Pacific” and “Nationalism and Communism in Southeast Asia.” Offered periodically. May be repeated if topics are different.
350 Comparative History Seminar
This seminar covers varying topics in comparative history, depending upon the instructor. Offered periodically. May be repeated if topics are different.
American History
370 American Seminar
This seminar covers varying topics in American history, depending upon the instructor. Recent topics have included “Women and Slavery,” “The American Revolution,” and “American Consumer Culture.” Offered most years. May be repeated if topics are different.
375 Problems of Contemporary America
This course examines American life, politics, and foreign policy from the Cold War to the present. Using a variety of readings, students explore some of the contradictions of modernity and the transformation of America into a post-industrial society. History 199 recommended. May be repeated if topics are different. Offered periodically.
General
394 Internship
396 Directed Undergraduate Research: “Topic Description”
This course provides a comprehensive research opportunity, including an introduction to relevant background material, technical instruction, identification of a meaningful project, and data collection. The topic is determined by the faculty member in charge of the course and may relate to his/her research interests. Prerequisite: Determined by individual instructor. Offer based on department decision.
397 Senior Thesis Seminar
This research workshop integrates independent research and collective consideration of historical issues. Students engage in discussions of significant historical themes (power, reform, gender, narrative, public history, etc.), while working individually on research projects and collectively on critiques and revisions. Although it serves all advanced majors, it is appropriate (but not required) for those writing a paper for consideration for distinction. With the consent of both instructors, students may complete a research project that satisfies the requirements of the thesis seminar and another Level III seminar.
398 Independent Research