History (HIST)

HIST 1310. History of the United States to 1877.

This course examines the historical development of the United States from pre-contact societies through Reconstruction, ending in 1877. Students will analyze interactions among Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans; evaluate the formation of colonial societies; and explore the political, social, and economic transformations leading to the United States. Topics include, but are not limited to, the American Revolution, constitutional debates, sectionalism, slavery, westward expansion, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Emphasis is placed on interpreting primary and secondary sources to understand continuity and change over time.

HIST 1320. History of the United States, 1877 to Date.

This course examines U.S. history from the end of Reconstruction to the present, analyzing political, social, and economic transformations across this period. Students will evaluate industrialization, constitutional change, and the nation’s evolving role in global affairs. Topics include, but are not limited to, the impacts of the rise of Industrialization, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, the implementation of racial segregation and voter suppression, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression and New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and developments since 1989. Emphasis is placed on interpreting historical evidence and assessing patterns of continuity and change.

HIST 2310. History of Western Societies to the Early Modern Era.

This course surveys the history of European societies from ancient times through to the early modern era. Students will examine major political, social, cultural, and religious developments that shaped Europe and the Mediterranean world. Topics may include, but are not limited to, early civilizations, classical antiquity, the medieval period, and early modern transformations. The course emphasizes chronological and thematic analysis to help students understand continuity and change over time. Instruction focuses on descriptive, evidence‑based historical inquiry, providing students with a foundation for analyzing institutions, ideas, and historical processes.

HIST 2311. History of World Civilizations to the Early Modern Period.

This course examines major developments in human societies from the Paleolithic era to the seventeenth century. Students analyze political, social, cultural, and religious interactions that shaped world civilizations, drawing on thematic and chronological approaches. Topics may include but are not limited to early states, environmental conditions, technological change, warfare, trade networks, and long‑distance cultural exchange. Using primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates how historians interpret continuity and transformation over time. Readings, lectures, and discussions guide students in assessing evidence and comparing interpretive frameworks related to global historical processes.

HIST 2312. History of World Civilizations from the Early Modern Era to the Present.

This course examines major developments in world civilizations from the seventeenth century to the present. Students analyze political, economic, social, and cultural interactions that shaped global systems, including long‑distance commerce, the development of racial slavery and the Atlantic World, colonial expansion in the long nineteenth century, the emergence of Communist political systems, and processes associated with twentieth‑century globalization. Using primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates how historians interpret continuity and change across regions. Readings, lectures, and discussions guide students in assessing evidence and comparing analytical frameworks in modern world history.

HIST 2320. History of Western Societies from the Early Modern Era to the Present.

This course surveys the history of Western societies from the early modern era to the present. Students will examine major political, economic, social, and cultural developments that shaped Western states and societies and their global interactions over time. The course introduces key historical events, ideas, and institutional changes, situating them within their broader historical contexts. Emphasis is placed on understanding continuity and change across the early modern and modern periods through descriptive and analytical approaches. Instruction focuses on historical interpretation grounded in evidence.

HIST 2327. History of Mexican America to 1865.

This course examines the economic, social, political, intellectual, and cultural history of Mexican Americans to 1865. Students will analyze colonial structures, cultural interactions, and the development of Mexico’s northern frontier. Topics include, but are not limited to, conquest and mestizaje, the rise and decline of racial slavery, global economic connections, independence movements, mission secularization, Texas independence, the U.S.-Mexico War, U.S. expansion, and the U.S. Civil War. The course emphasizes historical inquiry and source analysis to evaluate how power relations, gender, and regional dynamics influenced identities and institutions in early Mexican American history.

HIST 2328. History of Mexican America from 1865.

This course examines the economic, social, political, intellectual, and cultural history of Mexican Americans from 1865 to the present. Students analyze the formation of borders and borderlands, the historical impact of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and the role of gender in shaping migration, citizenship, and displacement. Topics include nineteenth-century activism, industrialization and transnational labor, the Mexican Revolution, urbanization, World War II, the Chicano Movement, and historical contexts of globalization and immigration. Emphasis is placed on evaluating primary and secondary historical sources to interpret patterns of continuity and change in Mexican American history.

HIST 2381. African American History to 1877.

This course is a survey of the social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual history of people of African descent in the formation and development of the United States to the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Topics include the study of African origins and legacy, trans-Atlantic slave trade and the experiences of African Americans during the Colonial, Revolutionary, Early National, Antebellum, and the Civil War/Reconstruction Era. Emphasis is placed on interpreting primary and secondary historical sources and evaluating patterns of continuity and change, situating African American history within the broader context of U.S. history.

HIST 2382. African American History from 1877.

This course is a survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of people of African descent in the United States from the end of the Reconstruction period to the present. Topics examined in African American History since 1877 include segregation, disenfranchisement, civil rights, migrations, industrialization, world wars, the Harlem Renaissance, and the conditions of African Americans in the Great Depression, Cold War, and post-Cold War eras. Emphasis is placed on interpreting historical evidence and evaluating patterns of continuity and change, situating African American history within the broader context of U.S. history.

HIST 3301. Podcasting European History.

This course examines methods used to research and interpret European history by introducing students to podcasting and collaborative podcast production as a medium for historical analysis and communication. Students work with primary and secondary sources, evaluate narrative framing, and complete inquiry-based and collaborative projects to produce podcast episodes that translate scholarly interpretation into scripted audio formats for wide audiences. The course emphasizes methodological rigor, technical skills, and approaches to communicating historical research to the public.

HIST 3302. Youth Culture and Archives.

This course examines the emergence and development of youth cultures in cities across varied historical periods and regions. Students analyze how aesthetic styles, economic conditions, political contexts, and social environments shaped distinct forms of youth expression. Course materials include written sources, visual media, and material culture. Students also evaluate existing digital archives and practice constructing their own curated collections to support historical inquiry. Through these activities, the course emphasizes critical analysis of cultural change, and the methodological tools historians use to study youth experience.

HIST 3310. History of Europe, 1815-1919.

This course examines European history during the long nineteenth century, from the Napoleonic wars to World War One. Students investigate national histories across Britain, France, and Germany, the Hapsburg Empire, Italy, and Eastern and Northern Europe, while evaluating major themes, such as industrialization, urbanization, nationalism, imperial expansion, socialist thought, and gender as a historical category. Working with a range of primary and secondary sources, students assess historical arguments, interpret evidence, and situate regional experiences within broader continental transformations.

HIST 3311. History of Europe Since 1919.

This course examines European history since the end of World War I and the factors that shaped the rise of Communism, Fascism, Nazism, Liberalism, and Socialism. Primary themes covered include nationalism and its construction; conflicts between ideals of liberal capitalism and those of planned economies; conflicts between democratic ideals vs. political control of the few; legacies of European empire; and questions about European identities. Students analyze the conditions that contributed to the outbreak of World War II and evaluate various approaches historians use to interpret these developments. Students analyze post-war reconstruction, shifting international institutions, and emerging geopolitical challenges. Through readings, discussion, and comparative analysis, students develop tools for interpreting major ideological movements and state systems within their historical contexts.

HIST 3312. Renaissance and Reformation.

This course examines the cultural, political, intellectual, and economic developments that shaped European societies from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. Students analyze the interplay between religious reform, state formation, philosophical inquiry, artistic expression and innovation, and emerging humanist thought. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, learners critically evaluate how historians interpret major transformations in social structures and belief systems. The course emphasizes comparative inquiry and critical evaluation of historical change during this period.

HIST 3314. Revolutionary Europe, 1760-1815.

This course examines major political, social, intellectual, and economic developments that shaped revolutionary transformations in France and across Europe from the Seven Years War, through the French Revolution of 1789 and the rise and fall of Napoleon and ending with European Revolutions of 1848. Students analyze changing state structures, shifting social hierarchies, and emerging ideological movements using comparative and primary source–based approaches. By evaluating multiple historical interpretations, the course encourages students to develop evidence driven analyses of how different regions experienced upheaval and reform during this period.

HIST 3315. History of England to 1603.

This course explores key developments in English history from prehistoric communities to the conclusion of the Tudor era in 1603. Students analyze archaeological materials, chronicles, legal documents, and secondary scholarship to understand shifting political systems, religious transformations, demographic patterns, and cultural exchanges. Methodological attention is given to evaluating evidence, identifying historiographical debates, and distinguishing between narrative and interpretation. The course investigates how historians frame questions about state formation, identity, and social change. Students learn to formulate evidence based arguments and assess the strengths and limits of different analytical approaches to early English history.

HIST 3316. History of England Since 1603.

This course analyzes the evolution of England and the British Empire from the early Stuart period through contemporary times. Through engagement with primary documents and scholarly debates, students investigate political transitions, imperial administration, cultural encounters, and economic systems. The course emphasizes methods for interpreting diverse source types and assessing historical arguments related to colonialism, globalization, and national development. Students practice evaluating competing historiographical approaches and constructing evidence‑based interpretations of major developments in British and imperial history.

HIST 3317. U.S. Women's History to 1877.

This course surveys women's experiences in the United States from the colonial era to 1877. Students analyze social, economic, political, and intellectual realms of women's lives in both public and private contexts. Topics may include interactions between indigenous and European gender systems, the development of African slavery, religious interpretations of gender, sex and reproduction, women’s activism, women’s work, the abolitionist and women’s rights movements, women and slavery, and/or women’s roles in the Civil War. Using historical documents and scholarly interpretations, students evaluate how gender norms developed over time and influenced broader patterns of American society.

HIST 3318. U.S. Women's History since 1877.

This course examines the varied experiences of women in the United States from 1877 to the present through historical analysis and interdisciplinary inquiry. Students investigate how social, economic, political, and intellectual developments shaped women’s lives across different regions, communities, and identities. Using primary sources, scholarly interpretations, and case studies, the course analyzes how women engaged with changing public and private spheres. Students evaluate shifts in labor, education, citizenship, family structures, and cultural expectations, developing skills in interpreting evidence and assessing how historians construct narratives about gender in U.S. history.

HIST 3319. History of Brazil.

This course examines the history of Brazil from pre‑Columbian societies to the present, analyzing the political, social, and cultural forces that shaped the region over time. Students will study topics that may include, but are not limited to, indigenous civilizations, colonial structures, slavery, independence movements, and modern state formation through a range of primary and secondary sources. The course investigates how diverse communities contributed to evolving cultural expressions and how historians interpret questions of identity, regional variation, and national integration. Students will develop skills in evaluating evidence, comparing scholarly arguments, and assessing long‑term patterns in Brazil’s historical development.

HIST 3320. History of Mexico.

This course examines Mexican history from the independence movements to the present, analyzing political, social, economic, and cultural developments that shaped the modern Mexican state. Students investigate processes of state formation, regional diversity, demographic change, and evolving political institutions using both primary sources and scholarly interpretations. The course evaluates major conflicts, reforms, and long‑term patterns of continuity and transformation across different periods. Students develop evidence‑based approaches to interpreting how Mexico’s institutions, social structures, and cultural expressions changed over time.

HIST 3322. Colonial History of Latin America to 1828.

This course examines the colonial history of Latin America from late pre‑Hispanic societies through the Iberian conquests and the independence movements of the early nineteenth century, with analytical attention to Indigenous perspectives. Students investigate political, economic, and cultural developments across diverse regions and populations, assessing how Indigenous, European, and African communities shaped and responded to colonial institutions. Using primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates methods historians use to interpret cross‑cultural encounters and reconstruct Indigenous viewpoints within colonial archives. Readings, lectures, and discussions guide students in analyzing evidence, comparing interpretations, and understanding the complexity of colonial Latin American societies.

HIST 3324. Latin America from Independence to Present.

This course examines the history of Latin America from independence to the present. Students explore the struggles for independence, the formation and consolidation of new nations, and economic and political developments shaping the region, including the rise of Liberalism, Populism, reform, and revolution. The course considers the international forces that have shaped modern Latin America and the opportunities and challenges of the present. Students develop evidence-based approaches to interpreting how Latin American governing institutions, cultural expressions and society changed over time.

HIST 3328. Militarism in Latin America.

This course explores the rise and evolution of military governments in Latin America and the processes through which democratic institutions later emerged. Students examine the characteristics of various military regimes, including those in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, and analyze political, social, and economic factors that influenced patterns of authority and regime transition. Using comparative frameworks and diverse sources, the course evaluates scholarly interpretations of military rule, political liberalization, and institutional redesign. Students develop skills in evaluating evidence and interpreting how historical actors shaped trajectories of governance and political transformation across the region.

HIST 3329. The Spanish Borderlands of North America, 1513-1821.

This course examines the roles played by Hispanic and Indigenous subjects and allies of the Spanish Crown who explored, claimed, settled, and inhabited parts of North America between the earliest explorations in the 1500s and the conclusion of Spanish rule in 1821. Through lectures, discussions, and assignments, students analyze sociocultural, political, economic, and environmental processes and developments that shaped the Spanish frontier and its Indigenous hinterlands, with an examination of interethnic relations. Using primary and secondary sources, students develop skills in historical inquiry, argumentation, and critical assessment of competing interpretations.

HIST 3332. Rebels and Power in Renaissance Spain, 1492-1700.

This course examines the history of Spain and its transoceanic empire from the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon, in the late fifteenth century to the Dutch Republic’s independence from Spain. Students analyze political, social, economic, and religious developments that shaped imperial expansion and governance across multiple regions. Through engagement with primary documents and scholarly interpretations, the course evaluates how historians investigate nation-state formation, regional and urban development, diplomacy, and imperial administration. Students develop skills in interpreting evidence, assessing competing arguments, and explaining the dynamics of early modern imperial systems.

HIST 3333. Dictatorships and Democracy in Modern Spain, 1808 to Present.

This course examines more than two centuries of Spanish history, beginning in Europe’s revolutionary era and continuing through the rise of a fascist regime, the transition to democracy, and Spain’s eventual integration into the European Union. Students analyze political, social, and cultural developments using a range of primary and secondary sources. The course evaluates how factors such as religion, race, gender, sexuality, nationalism, and class shaped historical change across different periods. Through comparative inquiry and evidence‑based discussion, students develop skills in interpreting historical arguments and assessing competing explanations for major transformations in modern Spain.

HIST 3335. Spain of the Three Religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Premodern Iberia.

This course examines the history of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Iberian Peninsula from the Islamic conquests of the early eighth century to the expulsions of Jewish and Muslim communities in the late-fifteenth and early-seventeenth centuries. Students analyze how religious communities interacted, coexisted, and competed across different political and social settings. The course evaluates themes such as conversion practices, gendered dimensions of interreligious contact, intellectual exchange, and the relationship between rulership and religious authority. Through engagement with primary sources and scholarly interpretations, students develop skills in interpreting evidence and assessing explanations of long-term historical change.

HIST 3336. Britain and the World.

This course examines the history of Britain from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the present, emphasizing its global connections and influence. Students analyze political, social, and economic developments within Britain and their impact on imperial expansion, trade, and cultural exchange. Through lectures, readings, and discussion of primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates how Britain’s role in global networks shaped domestic institutions and international relations. Attention is given to interpretive debates about empire, industrialization, and Britain’s changing position in the modern world.

HIST 3337. History of U.S. Foreign Policy Making in the Middle East.

This course investigates U.S. foreign policy‑making in the Middle East during the twentieth century through historically grounded inquiry. Students examine key episodes involving U.S. interactions with governments and societies in predominantly Muslim regions, using case studies to analyze policy formation, implementation, and outcomes. The course incorporates archival materials, diplomatic correspondence, and secondary scholarship to evaluate how strategic interests, ideological frameworks, and global conditions influenced U.S. decision‑making. Students assess multiple historiographical interpretations and develop the ability to evaluate how differing sources construct narratives about U.S. involvement in the region.

HIST 3338. History of Religion in India.

This course examines the historical development of major religious traditions in the Indian subcontinent, including Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, Christian, Islamic, and Sikh traditions. Students analyze how these traditions emerged, evolved, and interacted within shifting political, social, and cultural contexts. The course investigates patterns of continuity and change, considering how diverse communities expressed religious ideas and practices over time. By evaluating primary and secondary sources, students explore multiple interpretations of historical developments without advancing theological claims, emphasizing evidence‑based inquiry into the region’s religious history.

HIST 3339. Scottish History from the Wars of Independence to the Present.

This course examines the history of Scotland from the wars of independence to the present day, analyzing political, social, and cultural transformations. Students investigate the development of Scottish nationalism, the wars of independence in the 13th and 14th centuries, Scotland’s role within the British Empire, and historical movements advocating independence in the post–World War II era. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates historical interpretations of sovereignty, union, and identity, emphasizing the factors that shaped Scotland’s political trajectory over time.

HIST 3340. History of the United States, 1877-1914.

This course examines United States history from the end of Reconstruction to the outbreak of World War I by analyzing major political, economic, and social developments during this period. Students evaluate themes that include, but are not limited to, industrialization, urbanization, migration, and reform movements that shaped national debates and regional transformations. The course investigates how historians have interpreted events such as the rise of corporate capitalism, shifting labor relations, and expanding federal authority. By engaging with a range of scholarly works, students assess competing interpretations of late nineteenth- and early twentieth‑century U.S. history through evidence‑based inquiry.

HIST 3341. History of the United States, 1914-1945.

This course investigates U.S. history from World War I through World War II by examining major developments that reshaped the United States during the early twentieth century. Students analyze political decisions, economic transformations, social changes, and cultural debates, considering how these forces interacted during wartime and in the years between conflicts. The course evaluates a wide array of historical scholarship to explore how historians have interpreted events such as economic recovery efforts, diplomatic tensions, and shifting ideas about national identity. By engaging critically with primary and secondary sources, students assess competing explanations for historical change and develop an evidence‑based understanding of the period.

HIST 3342. Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States, 1607-1865.

This course investigates the history of American culture from the colonial era through the Civil War by examining the formation and evolution of religious, political, social, and philosophical ideas. Students analyze how intellectual movements, public debates, and everyday cultural practices contributed to, and were shaped by historical change. The course evaluates a variety of historical and cultural sources to understand how different groups interpreted events and articulated their beliefs. By engaging with contrasting scholarly interpretations, students explore competing explanations for cultural change and assess how historians reconstruct intellectual and social developments.

HIST 3343. Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States Since 1865.

This course examines the development of U.S. culture after 1865 by analyzing major social, political, economic, aesthetic, and philosophical trends shaping life in the modern era. Students investigate how historical conditions after the Civil War influenced public institutions, cultural expression, and evolving interpretations of U.S. identities. Emphasis is placed on evaluating evidence drawn from diverse primary and secondary sources to understand patterns of continuity and change. Through inquiry‑based study, students assess how various ideas emerged, interacted, and informed broader developments in American society. The course provides a foundation for interpreting historical arguments and methodological approaches.

HIST 3346. U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction.

This course examines the history of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 through the election of 1876, analyzing the political, social, and economic developments during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students investigate the escalating sectional conflicts, shifting national policies, and evolving debates over federal authority and expansion. The course evaluates topics that may include, but are not limited to, the influence of wartime and postwar conditions on governance, labor systems, and constitutional change. Through the study of primary documents and scholarly interpretations, students assess major historical questions surrounding this period. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in evidence‑based analysis and understanding how historians interpret change over time.

HIST 3348. Law and Society in Early America.

This course examines the relationship between law and society in American history from European settlement through Reconstruction. Students analyze changing systems of governance and legal authority and evaluate how individuals interacted with and influenced legal frameworks. The course engages major scholarly debates and interpretive approaches in legal and social history. Topics include settlement law, family regulation, legal regimes of race and slavery, economic and commercial disputes, crime and punishment, and the legal dimensions of the Revolution and Civil War. Emphasis is placed on historical evidence and critical analysis.

HIST 3349. The Constitution of the United States.

This course examines the origin and development of the Constitution of the United States through analysis of the political debates, legal frameworks, and historical contexts that shaped its creation. Students study the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification process, evaluating how competing interests and interpretive arguments influenced the document’s structure. The course also investigates early constitutional controversies, amendments, and the emergence of judicial review. Using primary and secondary sources, students assess how historians explain constitutional change over time. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based inquiry and understanding the methodological approaches used to interpret foundational legal and political developments.

HIST 3352. The History of the West in the United States.

This course analyzes the North American West from 1803 to the present through study of cultural, economic, political, and social developments. Students explore topics that may include, but are not limited to, the ways that expansion, governance, land policies, and demographic shifts shaped the region’s diverse historical trajectories. The course emphasizes evaluating evidence related to frontier interactions, institutional growth, and regional adaptation to economic, social, and environmental change. Using primary documents and scholarly research, students compare interpretations of how the West functioned within broader national and transnational contexts. Emphasis is placed on methodological approaches that support clear, analytical reasoning about regional development and long‑term historical processes.

HIST 3353. The U.S. - Mexico Border and Borderlands.

This course examines the historical developments of the region encompassing Texas, California, the Great Basin, the Southern Rockies, and northern Mexico since the beginning of Mexican Independence in 1810. Students analyze cultural, economic, political, and environmental themes that shaped change across diverse communities and different regions. The course investigates topics that may include, but are not limited to, the ways shifting borders, migration patterns, environmental constraints, resource extraction and other factors influenced economic growth, conflict, national identities and community formations. Through extensive use of primary and peer-reviewed secondary sources, students evaluate competing interpretations of regional history and assess how local developments intersected with national and transnational processes. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based analysis and understanding methodological approaches to studying broad, multi‑state regions.

HIST 3359. African American History, 1619-Present.

This course examines African American history from 1619 to the present through analysis of cultural, political, social, and economic developments across multiple eras. Students investigate topics that may include, but are not limited to, interactions between people of African and European backgrounds, the evolution of hemispheric slavery, and the institutions and experiences that shaped early America. The course investigates the antislavery movement, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the shifting social structures that followed. Students also analyze twentieth‑century cultural expression, political activism, and legal change, including the Civil Rights movement. Using primary and secondary sources, the course emphasizes evidence‑based interpretation and the diverse historical forces that influenced African American life over four centuries.

HIST 3362. The History of U.S. and Caribbean Relations.

This course examines relations between the United States and the Caribbean from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, focusing on major political, economic, military, and cultural developments. Students will study independence movements, periods of U.S. military involvement, and patterns of economic and cultural exchange that shaped interactions across the region. The course analyzes how diplomatic priorities, strategic interests, and regional events influenced shifts in policy and relations over time. It also considers periods of heightened tension in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based analysis of historical change.

HIST 3363. Colonial North America to 1763.

This course examines selected topics in the history of North America to 1763, focusing on processes of settlement, expansion, and institutional development from the seventeenth century through the emergence of the American colonies. Students analyze social, economic, and political structures that shaped colonial communities and evaluate how regional variations influenced patterns of governance, labor, and culture. The course explores interactions among settlers, Indigenous peoples, and imperial authorities to understand the complexities of colonial formation. Through engagement with primary sources and scholarly interpretations, students develop skills in historical inquiry, evidence‑based argumentation, and the assessment of competing explanations for early American development.

HIST 3365. U.S. Early Republic, 1788-1828.

This course examines the history of the early national era from 1788 to 1828, analyzing political, social, and economic developments that shaped the new republic. Students investigate topics that may include, but are not limited to, the formation of the first party system, key debates over governance, and the regional tensions that influenced policymaking, as well as issues such as the expansion of southern slavery, the emergence of market networks, and patterns of westward migration. Through primary and secondary sources, students assess competing interpretations of early American political culture and institutional growth. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based reasoning and understanding how historians explain continuity and change during the nation’s formative decades.

HIST 3366. Introduction to Public History.

This course examines the work of public historians who interpret the past in settings such as museums, historic sites, archives, and national parks. Students analyze methods used to preserve historic structures, manage material collections, and develop interpretive programs. The course evaluates how public historians use narrative strategies and digital tools to present historical information to diverse audiences. It also investigates how practitioners identify, negotiate, and contextualize popular memory and historically persistent narratives. Through case studies and applied exercises, students explore the methodological, ethical, and interpretive questions that shape historical work conducted outside traditional academic environments.

HIST 3372. Texas History.

This course surveys the history of Texas from prehistory through the twentieth century, analyzing political, economic, social, and cultural developments that shaped the region. Students investigate Indigenous societies, European exploration and colonization, the Texas Republic, incorporation into the United States, and the state of Texas's position in national and global affairs since the 19th century. The course evaluates major transformations related to migration, labor, land use, governance, and regional identity. Using primary and secondary sources, students assess differing interpretations of key events and long‑term patterns in Texas history. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based inquiry and understanding how historical processes influenced the development of communities, institutions, and economic systems across the state.

HIST 3376. American Religious History.

This course examines the historical development of religious beliefs and practices in what is now the United States from pre‑European encounters to the present. Students analyze belief systems alongside the social and political contexts that shaped them, investigating how diverse communities adapted and interpreted religious traditions over time. The course explores major patterns in religious life, including institutional formation, cultural exchange, and responses to demographic and political change. Using primary and secondary sources, students evaluate differing scholarly interpretations and practice evidence‑based reasoning. Emphasis is placed on understanding how historians interpret continuity and change in religious thought, practice, and community organization.

HIST 3377. History of Country Music.

This course examines the historical development of country music and its relationship to broader social, cultural, economic, political, and demographic changes in the United States. Students analyze how musical forms, industry structures, and audience communities emerged and adapted over time. The course investigates regional influences, technological shifts, and patterns of migration that shaped the genre, as well as the ways artists and listeners responded to historical events. Using primary sources, recordings, and scholarly interpretations, students evaluate competing explanations for continuity and change within country music. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based inquiry and understanding how cultural expression interacts with wider historical processes.

HIST 3378. History of the Blues.

This course examines the historical development of the blues and related African American musical traditions within the broader context of United States history. Students analyze how musical forms, performance practices, and industry structures emerged and changed over time. The course investigates connections between musical expression and social, cultural, economic, and political conditions shaping communities across regions. Attention is given to the ways blues traditions influenced later genres, including the development of rock and roll. Through engagement with recordings, historical documents, and scholarly interpretations, students evaluate competing explanations for continuity and change in African American music and its role in American cultural history.

HIST 3379. History of Rock and Roll.

This course examines the historical development of rock and roll and its relationship to broad social, cultural, political, economic, ethnic, and demographic forces in society. Students analyze how musical forms emerged from earlier traditions, how regional communities contributed to stylistic change, and how technological and commercial developments shaped production and consumption. The course evaluates multiple interpretations of how artists, audiences, and industries interacted within shifting historical contexts. Using recordings, primary materials, and scholarly research, students practice evidence‑based analysis to understand how historical conditions influenced musical innovation and how rock and roll both reflected and responded to societal change.

HIST 3380. The Desegregation of the South from 1930-1970.

This course examines the history and historiography of desegregation in the American South from 1930 to 1970, analyzing the legal, political, social, and cultural developments that shaped this transformative period. Students investigate topics that may include, but are not limited to, court rulings, grassroots activism, institutional responses, and regional variations in the dismantling of segregation. The course evaluates how historians have interpreted these events, comparing methodological approaches and debates within the field. Through analysis of primary documents and scholarly writings, students assess competing explanations for historical development of desegregation. Emphasis is placed on evidence‑based inquiry, historical argumentation, and understanding how interpretations of the past change over time.

HIST 3381. The History of Democracy and Education in the U.S..

This course examines the interactions between democratic thought and public education in the United States from the Enlightenment through the late twentieth century. Students analyze how political ideals, social change, and economic conditions shaped debates about schooling across different eras. Topics include constitutional developments, emancipation, industrialization, immigration, and demographic change, with attention to how these forces influenced competing visions of educational purpose and governance. The course evaluates local, state, and federal initiatives alongside public debates about citizenship, authority, and access. Using primary documents and scholarly interpretations, students assess differing explanations for the historical relationship between democracy and education.

HIST 3382. Immigration and US History.

This course examines the history of immigration to the United States from the colonial era to the present. Students investigate the economic, political, social, and cultural conditions that influenced migration decisions, as well as the varied experiences of immigrant communities across different regions and periods. The course evaluates how group identities developed, how immigrants navigated labor markets and community formation, and how governmental and public responses to immigration changed over time. Using primary and secondary sources, students assess competing interpretations of immigration history and develop skills in evidence‑based historical analysis.

HIST 3384. History and Culture of Modern India.

This course examines the history of South Asia from the Mughal period (1526-1857) to the present, analyzing political, social, cultural, and economic developments that shaped modern India. Students investigate the administrative and cultural structures of the Mughal Empire, the influences of British colonial rule, and the emergence of nationalist movements, including the leadership of Gandhi. The course evaluates the partition of the subcontinent and the formation of India and Pakistan, as well as post‑independence political and historical developments. Using primary and secondary sources, students assess competing interpretations and develop skills in evidence‑based analysis of major historical transformations in the region.

HIST 3385. Modern Revolutions in Latin American History.

This course explores the historical contexts and causes of revolution and regime change in Latin America. Students investigate how structural conditions, leadership, ideology, and international influences influence political transformations. Using comparative case studies, the course analyzes historical independence movements, twentieth-century revolutions, and transitions to authoritarian or democratic regimes. Through lectures, readings, and critical discussion, students evaluate historical evidence and interpret scholarly debates about the nature and consequences of political change in the region.

HIST 3392. Governance, Power, and Institutions in the Modern U.S..

This course examines transformations in U.S. political culture, public policy, and administrative organization from the 1870s to the present. Students will explore how interest groups, professional experts, legislators, and bureaucratic actors contributed to the expansion of governmental responsibilities and institutions over time. The course analyzes changing debates about national authority, administrative capacity, and policy development, situating these shifts within broader social and economic contexts. Attention is given to how governmental structures evolved from a relatively limited administrative system to one with a wider set of regulatory, service, and coordination functions.

HIST 3393. The History of Cities and Urban Life in the U.S..

This course investigates the evolution of urban society in the United States, emphasizing shifts in urban functions, population patterns, economic systems, and institutional structures. Students study how changing demographics, environmental conditions, and public and private organizations influenced everyday life and contributed to the development of urban political systems. The course evaluates various explanations for conflict, cooperation, and political debate within cities, analyzing how historians interpret relationships between social change and political expression. Through engagement with primary and secondary sources, students assess differing interpretations of urban development and build skills in evidence‑based reasoning and historical analysis.

HIST 3394. History of Mexican American Music in the Southwest.

This course offers a historical and contextual study of Mexican American music as it developed across the American Southwest. Beginning with a regional historical overview, the course introduces students to the conditions and influences that informed musical expression over time. It examines musical languages, stylistic features, and cross-cultural interactions, including early influences from Islamic Spain and later developments in the modern Southwest. Students analyze how different musical elements emerged, converged, and transformed across periods. The course emphasizes evidence-based inquiry to support understanding of musical and historical processes.

HIST 4304. Ancient Rome and the Mediterranean 500 B.C. to 500 A.D..

This course examines Roman history from the Republican period through the fall of the Western Empire, analyzing political, social, economic, and cultural developments across the Mediterranean world. Students evaluate primary and secondary sources to understand how Rome expanded, governed, and adapted to Mediterranean societies. The course investigates major institutions, patterns of conflict, and regional diversity within Roman influence. Through readings, lectures, and discussions, students assess scholarly interpretations and develop analytical approaches for interpreting long‑term change across the Roman Mediterranean.

HIST 4307. The Medieval Mediterranean, 500-1500.

This course examines major political, social, and cultural developments of the medieval millennium across Christian, Islamic, and Jewish societies in the Mediterranean world. Students analyze interactions among neighboring regions, focusing on networks of trade, communication, and intellectual exchange. Using a range of primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates how historians interpret the transmission of ideas, technologies, and artistic traditions during this period. Readings, lectures, and discussions guide students in assessing evidence, comparing historical interpretations, and understanding the broader patterns that shaped the medieval Mediterranean.

HIST 4308. The Crusades: Islamic and Christian Rulers of the Mediterranean.

This course examines a range of medieval political systems across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe to analyze how authority was defined and exercised in diverse contexts. Students investigate rulership structures associated with queens, caliphs, emperors, and monarchs, drawing on case studies such as the ʿAbbasid Caliphate, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crown of Castile, the Holy Roman Empire, Byzantium, and the Solomonic Ethiopian dynasty. Through comparative analysis of political institutions, succession practices, and legitimizing narratives, the course evaluates how different societies organized governance and articulated claims to power during the Middle Ages.

HIST 4310. History Behind the Headlines: Current Debates in a Historical Perspective.

This course explores the historical foundations of contemporary political and policy debates from multiple perspectives. Topics change each semester to reflect current issues examined through historical analysis. Students engage with primary sources and scholarly interpretations to investigate how past events and ideas shape present-day challenges. The course emphasizes methodological approaches to historical inquiry, including source evaluation and contextual analysis. By situating modern debates within their historical antecedents, students analyze patterns of continuity and change in political and social thought.

HIST 4313. Health and Illness in America.

This course explores how ideas about health and illness have influenced American social, political, and cultural developments over two centuries. Students analyze primary and secondary sources to evaluate the impact of material conditions, epidemics, public policies, ailments, scientific trends, policy structures, and reform movements in health and illness in America. Through thematic case studies, students investigate the interplay between material conditions and intellectual frameworks shaping health discourse in the United States.

HIST 4314. History of Women’s Health in the United States.

This course examines the history of women’s health and healthcare in the United States from the colonial era to the present. Students analyze medical practices, institutional policies, and cultural debates surrounding gender and healthcare. Topics may include midwifery, abortion, reproductive health, prenatal and postpartum care, mental health, obstetrics and gynecology, birth control, cancer treatment, and changing perceptions of women’s health. Using primary and secondary sources, the course evaluates how healthcare institutions influenced access to sex-specific care, how reform movements addressed medical practices, and how patients and practitioners developed approaches to healthcare delivery.

HIST 4315. History of American Sexualities.

This course examines the history of sexuality in the United States from the colonial era through the twentieth century. Students analyze how cultural, legal, and social frameworks influenced sexual norms and practices over time. Topics include patterns of sexual behavior, historical conceptions of sexuality, and systems of regulation in different periods. Using primary sources and scholarly interpretations, the course evaluates how sexuality intersected with race, class, and gender, and how these intersections influenced broader social and political developments.

HIST 4316. Roman and Medieval Britain.

This course examines the history of Britain from the Roman arrival to 1603, analyzing major political, social, religious, economic, and cultural developments. Students evaluate primary and secondary sources through readings, discussions, and virtual excursions to develop an evidence‑based understanding of Roman and medieval Britain. The course investigates key institutions, governance structures, and historical actors while assessing long-term patterns of continuity and change. By engaging with diverse historical methodologies, students analyze how scholarship constructs interpretations of Britain’s past and gain practice in evaluating historical arguments using disciplinary methods.

HIST 4317. Tudor-Stuart England, 1485-1689.

This course examines England’s constitutional, social, political, and religious developments during the Tudor and Stuart dynasties from 1485 to 1689. Students analyze primary and secondary sources to investigate how monarchs, institutions, and social groups shaped transformations in governance, belief, and society. Through readings, discussions, and guided inquiry into major events and debates, the course evaluates patterns of continuity and change across the Reformation, civil conflict, and evolving constitutional frameworks. Students develop skills in historical interpretation by assessing competing scholarly explanations for developments in early modern England.

HIST 4320. The History of Christianity, 300–1500.

This course examines the historical development of European Christianity from 300 to 1500, analyzing how traditions, ideas, and institutions evolved across different periods. Students study major phases such as Imperial Christianity, early medieval institutional formation, the consolidation of high medieval Christendom, and late medieval changes. Using primary sources and recent scholarship, the course evaluates themes including warfare, gender, race, and religion, devotional practices, intellectual traditions, and interactions between religious institutions and broader social structures. Students assess competing interpretations and develop analytical tools for understanding continuity and change in pre‑modern Christian history.

HIST 4321. The History of Christianity 1300-1700.

This course explores the roles of religious individuals and reform movements during a period of significant change in Western Church history. Beginning in the fourteenth century, students will study religious ideas, institutional critiques, and reform efforts that emerged prior to the sixteenth-century divisions within the Church. The course may examine themes such as changes in intellectual and philosophical trends, institutional upheaval, social transformations in approaches to marriage, the family, women, and gender, and Early Modern theorizations of social status, ethnicity, and race. The course situates these developments within their historical contexts, allowing students to analyze how religious actors responded to social, political, and theological conditions. Particular attention is given to reform movements that preceded and shaped later institutional changes, including those associated with the Protestant Reformation.

HIST 4324. A Global History of Pandemics.

This course examines global histories of epidemic and pandemic disease from late antiquity to the present, analyzing how outbreaks emerged, spread, and were documented across different societies. Students evaluate primary and secondary sources to investigate transmission pathways, demographic effects, and social, medical, and governmental responses. Case studies may include bubonic plague, smallpox within imperial administrative settings, cholera, 1918 influenza, polio, tuberculosis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and COVID‑19. Through comparative and interdisciplinary methods, students assess how historians interpret disease events and explore how scientific, cultural, and political contexts shape historical understandings of health crises.

HIST 4326. The History of the Modern Middle East.

This course examines major economic, social, political, and intellectual developments that shaped the Arab Middle East and North Africa during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It analyzes the intertwined forces of empire, reform, state formation, and shifting regional dynamics. The course also includes focused attention on Iran after World War II, allowing students to compare patterns of modernization, nationalism, and global interaction across different Middle Eastern contexts. Through engagement with primary and secondary sources, students evaluate how historians construct arguments, identify interpretive debates, and analyze evidence about modern Middle Eastern societies.

HIST 4327. History of Palestine, 1800–Present.

This course examines the history of Palestine from the late Ottoman period to the early twenty‑first century, situating regional developments within broader political and social contexts. Topics include administrative structures before 1914, the establishment of Israel in 1948, and changes in control of the West Bank and Gaza after 1967. Students study the Palestinian diaspora, political leadership, and major uprisings, analyzing how these events have been interpreted by different historians. Through the use of primary and secondary sources, the course emphasizes evidence‑based inquiry and comparative approaches to understanding the diverse historical narratives connected to the region.

HIST 4328. History of India.

This course examines major developments in the history of the Indian subcontinent from antiquity to the processes that produced modern state formations. Students analyze primary sources in translation alongside contemporary scholarship to investigate empire building, commercial expansion, technological change, and political mobilization across different periods. The course emphasizes methods of historical interpretation, encouraging students to evaluate multiple scholarly arguments and compare diverse types of evidence. Through thematic and chronological analysis, students develop tools for interpreting continuity and change in South Asian societies and for understanding how historians construct narratives about the region’s past.

HIST 4329. Empire and Identity in Central Asia.

This course examines the historical processes shaping local, ethnic, and national identities in Central Asia from the Mongol conquest to the present. Students analyze political, social, and cultural developments across successive empires and explore how historians interpret regional diversity and identity formation. The course also investigates economic, cultural, and political connections among Central Asian societies and evaluates contemporary dynamics in the five post-Soviet republics. Using primary sources, secondary scholarship, and comparative approaches, students assess multiple interpretations of continuity and change in the region’s history.

HIST 4330. Japanese Urban Life.

This course examines the historical and cultural dimensions of urban life in Japan from the Tokugawa era (1603–1868) to the present. Students analyze how political, social, and economic forces shaped urban spaces and how these spaces influenced cultural practices. Topics include the organization of cities, transitional zones, and the interaction between built environments and natural landscapes. Using interdisciplinary scholarship from history, literature, film, geography, sociology, and urban planning, the course evaluates how scholars interpret urban development and its role in shaping Japanese society.

HIST 4331. Piracy Through the Ages.

This course examines the global history of piracy from medieval seafaring to the present, analyzing how maritime raiding and seaborne violence developed across varied historical contexts. Students evaluate primary and secondary sources to investigate the relationship between piracy, commercial networks, state power, and naval regulation. Through comparative case studies that may include but are not limited to the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and East Asia, the course explores how different societies defined, responded to, and represented piracy. Students assess competing scholarly interpretations and consider how evidence shapes historical understandings of maritime activity across regions and periods.

HIST 4332. European Colonialism.

This course examines European colonial expansion from the fifteenth century onward, analyzing the formation, administration, and variation of imperial systems across global regions. Students work with primary and secondary sources to investigate economic, political, social, and cultural developments in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The course evaluates how different populations interacted within imperial structures and how historians interpret these encounters. Through comparative methods, students assess major patterns of continuity and change while gaining experience with evidence‑based historical analysis and scholarly interpretation.

HIST 4333. Russian Empire and its Peoples: Histories of Eurasia before 1917.

This course examines the historical transformations of the regions stretching from Ukraine to eastern Siberia under the rule of the tsars. Students analyze major political developments from the formation of Kyivan Rus’ through the fall of the Romanov dynasty during World War I. The course also investigates social, cultural, intellectual, and gender‑related dimensions of imperial governance and daily life. Using a range of primary and secondary sources, students evaluate how historians interpret the experiences of various populations within the empire and assess competing frameworks for understanding state expansion, regional diversity, and long‑term patterns of change.

HIST 4334. The Soviet Union and After: Histories of Eurasia Since 1917.

This course examines the historical transformations of the regions stretching from Ukraine to eastern Siberia under Soviet rule. Students analyze the rise of Bolshevik power, the development of Soviet institutions, and the political, economic, and social transitions that followed the USSR’s collapse. The course evaluates how historians interpret the experiences of various populations through social, cultural, intellectual, and gender-related approaches. By engaging primary sources and scholarly debates, students assess differing explanations for continuity and change across the Soviet and post Soviet eras, with attention to governance, ideology, and regional diversity.

HIST 4336. Germany from 1815 to Present.

This course examines political, social, economic, and cultural transformations in German history from the Napoleonic era to the present including the German Confederation, unification under Bismarck, the Second Empire, the World Wars and the rise of National Socialism, and the reconstruction of Germany after 1945. The course employs primary and secondary sources to evaluate historical interpretations and methodological approaches. Emphasis is placed on investigating how institutional changes, ideological movements, and international contexts shaped German society.

HIST 4337. Germany and National Socialism, 1918-1945.

This course examines German history from 1918 to 1945 with particular attention to the emergence and consolidation of National Socialism. Students analyze the historical conditions that led to the Weimar Republic and Hitler’s ascent to power, the practices of governance in Nazi Germany, everyday life during peace and war, and state policies culminating in the Holocaust. Engaging with primary sources, scholarly debates, and historiographical approaches, students evaluate differing interpretations of continuity, change, and agency in this period.

HIST 4341. The History of Modern Britain.

This course examines the history of imperial Britain from the early nineteenth century to the present, analyzing the cultural, political, and economic developments that informed modern British society. Students investigate industrial expansion, changes in political representation, and Britain’s evolving relationship with its empire. Using primary sources and scholarly interpretations, the course evaluates how historical actors understood imperial authority and how domestic reforms intersected with Britain’s global position. Emphasis is placed on developing analytical skills for interpreting long‑term historical change.

HIST 4342. Modern Africa.

This course examines major historical developments in Africa from the early nineteenth century to the present. Students analyze social, cultural, political, and intellectual transformations across diverse regions. Topics may include the expansion of Islam and Christianity, patterns of Atlantic and Indian Ocean trade, the dynamics of colonial rule, and the emergence of anti‑colonial nationalist movements. Through primary and secondary sources, students evaluate how African societies responded to external influences and internal changes, and they develop analytical tools for interpreting long‑term historical processes and their relevance to contemporary Africa.

HIST 4343. Modern China, 1600 to the Present.

This course examines political, social, economic, and intellectual developments in China from 1600 to the present. Students analyze major features of the late imperial and modern eras, including administrative reforms, internal conflicts, and China’s interactions with foreign powers. The course evaluates nineteenth and twentieth-century transformations such as state restructuring, revolutionary movements, social change, and economic shifts. Students also assess competing interpretations of continuity and change while developing methodological tools for interpreting political institutions, cultural dynamics, and long-term historical processes.

HIST 4344. Modern Japan, 1600-Present.

This course examines major political, social, economic, and cultural developments in Japan from 1600 to the present. Students analyze significant transformations in governance, social structure, cultural identity, and economic organization from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries, and evaluate how these changes shaped Japan’s modern institutions and global relationships. The course incorporates primary sources, historiographical debates, and comparative approaches to assess long‑term patterns of continuity and change. Through critical examination of diverse scholarly interpretations, students develop analytical skills for understanding Japan’s historical trajectory and its evolving role in regional and international contexts.

HIST 4345. Postwar Japan.

This course examines Japan’s political, social, economic, and cultural development from the 1940s to the present. Students analyze continuities and changes between the wartime and postwar eras, investigate the role of U.S.–Japan relations in shaping policy debates after the occupation, and evaluate scholarly interpretations of wartime legacies in contemporary culture and society. The course also considers the historical consequences of rapid economic growth in the late twentieth century. Through engagement with primary sources and historiographical scholarship, students assess multiple explanations for Japan’s evolving institutions, identities, and international relationships.

HIST 4346. Modern Korea.

This course examines major political, social, economic, and intellectual developments in modern Korea from the late nineteenth century to the present. Students analyze Korea’s interactions with foreign powers between 1876 and 1910, evaluate the structures and policies of Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, and investigate the formation of two Korean states in 1948. The course explores subsequent North–South political, socioeconomic, and cultural trajectories. Students also assess contrasting interpretations of state formation, colonialism, modernization, and regional dynamics while developing methodological tools for historical inquiry.

HIST 4347. History of Hong Kong.

This course examines Hong Kong’s political, economic, social, and cultural history from 1842 to the present. Students analyze the establishment of British colonial rule, major institutional and policy developments, and the historical and diplomatic processes that culminated in the 1997 Handover. The course investigates contemporary governance and socioeconomic conditions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Students also assess differing interpretations of colonial legacy and regional identity while developing analytical tools for evaluating long-term patterns of continuity and change.

HIST 4348. Gandhi and the History of Nonviolent Resistance.

This course examines the political and historical contexts in which Gandhi emerged as a central figure in India’s anticolonial movements. Students analyze the development of nonviolent noncooperation as a political strategy and evaluate how historians interpret its application within India and in later twentieth-century movements around the world. Through primary documents, scholarly debates, and comparative case studies, the course investigates how different actors and institutions responded to these strategies. Students assess multiple interpretations of political mobilization, state responses, and the broader significance of nonviolent methods in modern history.

HIST 4349. History of Drugs.

This course examines the historical roles of psychoactive substances from antiquity to the present. Students analyze how the production, distribution, and consumption of drugs intersected with broader social, political, and economic developments. The course investigates connections between psychoactive substances and patterns of global trade, state regulation, and shifting medical and cultural understandings. Using primary sources and recent scholarship, students evaluate differing interpretations of how stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens have influenced human communities. Emphasis is placed on comparing regional case studies and assessing methodological approaches in the history of drugs.

HIST 4351. Slavery and Emancipation in the Americas.

This course examines the development of slavery in the Atlantic world and the Americas from the early modern era through emancipation. Students analyze how the transatlantic slave trade was structured within imperial and colonial institutions, how plantation economies evolved across regions, and how legal systems governing slavery emerged. The course evaluates historical processes leading to emancipation and investigates post-emancipation labor systems involving Indigenous and migrant workers. Through primary sources and recent scholarship, students assess differing interpretations of slavery’s economic, political, and social dimensions and develop analytical tools for understanding long-term historical change.

HIST 4352. Black Women and Protest in U.S. History.

This course examines the historical roles of Black women in major political and social movements in the United States from the era of slavery to the present. Students analyze how Black women participated in and shaped movements associated with abolition, Reconstruction, civil rights campaigns, and currents of Black nationalism. Drawing on primary sources, biographical materials, and recent scholarship, the course evaluates differing interpretations of leadership, activism, and community organizing. Students develop analytical skills for assessing how historians interpret Black women’s contributions within broader struggles for political, economic, and social change.

HIST 4354. The History of Labor and Working-Class Life in the U.S..

This course examines the history of labor in the United States from slavery through contemporary forms of wage labor, analyzing how different labor systems shaped economic, social, and political life. Students investigate the varied ways workers responded to changing labor demands by studying movements, protests, political organizations, and ideologies from slave resistance to industrial unionism and modern labor activism. The course also evaluates how race, gender, and sexuality shaped working‑class experiences and opportunities across time. Using primary and secondary sources, students compare competing interpretations of labor history and develop skills in evidence‑based analysis of long‑term structural change.

HIST 4360. History of the United States, 1945 to 1968.

This course examines the economic, social, political, and cultural developments that shaped the United States from the end of World War II through the 1968 presidential election. Students analyze how historians interpret major transformations in governance, public policy, demographic patterns, and cultural expression during this period. Drawing on primary documents and secondary scholarship, the course evaluates competing arguments about the significance of these decades and the factors contributing to national change. Students develop analytical skills for assessing evidence and interpreting historical debates about the postwar United States.

HIST 4361. History of the United States, 1968 to the Present.

This course examines major economic, social, political, and cultural developments in the United States from 1968 to the present, analyzing how scholars interpret the forces that shaped American life during this period. Students investigate the effects of political realignment, economic restructuring, demographic change, cultural expression, and social movements on local, regional, national, and international experiences. The course evaluates multiple interpretations of events such as deindustrialization, shifting party coalitions, civil and human rights activism, and technological and media transformation. Through analysis of primary sources and scholarly debates, students develop skills in evidence‑based reasoning and assess competing explanations for continuity and change in modern American society.

HIST 4362. Peace and Nonviolence Movements.

This course examines the historical and religious contexts of peace movements that employed nonviolent strategies in the twentieth century. Students analyze theoretical perspectives on activism and direct action through global case studies. Topics include Gandhi’s Indian Independence Movement, the Danish Resistance during World War II, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, Chile’s No Campaign, Poland’s Solidarity Movement, and South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Movement. Using scholarly analysis, films, and primary sources, the course evaluates how cultural, political, and religious frameworks influenced these movements and their approaches to social and political change.

HIST 4364. Military History of the United States.

This course examines U.S. military history from 1789 to the present, analyzing changes in military policy, strategy, and institutional organization. Students investigate how military developments interacted with political, economic, and social institutions within both domestic and international contexts. Through the study of primary documents, secondary scholarship, and historiographical debates, the course emphasizes methods for evaluating historical arguments about military decision‑making and national governance. Students assess multiple interpretations of how armed forces shaped—and were shaped by—broader historical processes, developing analytical tools for interpreting continuity and change in U.S. military institutions.

HIST 4365. Age of Revolution in North America, 1763-1789.

This course examines the origins, progression, and consequences of the American Revolution from early imperial tensions to the drafting and ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Students analyze political debates, social developments, regional contexts, and intellectual traditions that shaped the era. Through engagement with primary documents and recent scholarship, the course evaluates how historians interpret the actions and experiences of various groups during the Revolution. Students develop analytical skills for assessing competing explanations of constitutional formation and understanding broader patterns of continuity and change in eighteenth-century North America.

HIST 4367. Freedom and Slavery in the United States before the Civil War, 1812-1861.

This course examines major political, economic, and constitutional debates in the United States from the early nineteenth century to the Civil War. Students analyze disputes over federal authority, economic development, territorial expansion, and the institution of slavery, evaluating how contemporaries understood these issues within a democratic framework. Using primary documents and recent scholarship, the course investigates how competing interpretations shaped national discourse and contributed to sectional division. Students assess differing historical arguments and develop analytical skills for interpreting conflict, governance, and long‑term structural change.

HIST 4368. War and Society.

This course examines the historical relationship between war and society from the eighteenth century to the present. Students analyze how conflicts intersected with political institutions, economic structures, social dynamics, and cultural expression in different periods. Drawing on primary documents and scholarly interpretations, the course evaluates how historians investigate the reciprocal influences between military activity and civilian life. Through comparative and thematic approaches, students assess multiple explanations for continuity and change in the ways societies mobilized for, experienced, and remembered war, developing tools for interpreting the broader significance of military conflict in history.

HIST 4371. American Indian History.

This course examines the roles played by the Native peoples of North America in the history of the continent with an emphasis on scholarly interpretations of Indigenous agency and perspectives. Through lectures, discussions, and assignments, students analyze sociocultural, political, and economic processes and developments from the 16th century to the present. Through close engagement with primary and secondary sources, students assess how scholars interpret the Indigenous past within broader historical contexts and evaluate long term patterns of continuity and change in North American history.

HIST 4372. Latina/o/x Histories.

This course examines the political, economic, social, and cultural experiences of Latinas/os in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. Students analyze how state and federal policies, migration, labor, social movements, cultural productions, urban trajectories, community formations and other factors helped shape the experiences of Latina/os and others across different regions. Students develop analytical tools for comparing regional experiences, interpreting historical debates, understanding national processes, and assessing the varied impacts of Latina/o contributions to U.S. society. Regions usually covered may include but are not limited to Texas, California, Puerto Rico, New York, Florida, and the Midwest.

HIST 4376. The History of Texas Music.

This course examines the historical development of music in Texas and the American Southwest, analyzing how scholars interpret musical traditions within broader social, political, and economic contexts. Students investigate how regional musical forms emerged, evolved, and interacted with patterns of migration, community formation, and cultural exchange. Using recordings, archival materials, and secondary scholarship, the course evaluates interpretations of ethnic identity and regional diversity in shaping musical practices. Students develop analytical tools for assessing how music reflects and responds to historical change across different communities and time periods.

HIST 4377. Protest, Reform, and Social Change in U.S. History.

This course examines major movements for political, social, and economic change and justice in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. Students analyze how individuals, organizations, and communities mobilized to shape public policy and social institutions. Using primary sources, scholarly studies, and comparative case analyses, the course evaluates movements such as the Black Freedom Movement, the Chicano Movement, and the Indigenous Peoples Movement, voting rights, labor mobilizations, and student protest. Students assess how historians interpret these movements’ strategies, goals, and outcomes while developing skills in evaluating evidence, identifying patterns of collective action, and understanding the broader dynamics of reform in U.S. history.

HIST 4378A. Public History in Practice: Historic Architecture Field School in Texas and London.

This field-based course introduces students to the methods and practices of public history and historic preservation through the study of historic architecture in Texas and London. Combining classroom seminars with on-site investigation, it focuses on documentation techniques, interpretive strategies, and preservation policy in comparative U.S. and U.K. contexts. Emphasis is placed on hands-on fieldwork, critical analysis of historic sites, and the design of public history projects that communicate the historical significance of sites to diverse audiences.

HIST 4379. Internship in Public History.

This course examines how historical methods are applied in professional settings through faculty‑supervised work in archives, museums, libraries, or similar institutions. Students analyze organizational procedures, evaluate research workflows, and study how evidence is collected, arranged, and interpreted within institutional frameworks. The course emphasizes methodological reflection, allowing students to investigate how different environments shape historical inquiry. Activities may include observing curatorial processes, reviewing archival systems, or assessing interpretive strategies.

HIST 4382. History of U.S. Feminisms, 1960 - 2020.

This course analyzes the development of feminist activism in the United States between 1960 and 2020, focusing on the historical conditions that shaped various movements and their approaches. Students investigate major campaigns, policy debates, and forms of collective action using archival materials, historical scholarship, and comparative frameworks. The course evaluates how activists responded to changing social, economic, and political environments and explores diverse interpretations within feminist thought. By studying contrasting strategies and perspectives, students gain tools for assessing how historians construct narratives about activism and social change.

HIST 4383. The History of Rural Women in the United States.

This course examines the history of rural women in the United States from the nation’s founding to the present. Students study women’s roles within the agricultural economy, their participation in community and agrarian organizations, and changing relationships between rural populations and government services. The course situates these topics within regional, national, and global contexts to highlight variations over time and place. Emphasis is placed on historical description and analysis, allowing students to assess how economic structures, social institutions, and public policies shaped rural women’s experiences.

HIST 4384. Gender in Latin American History.

This course examines the role of gender in Latin American history from the pre-conquest period to the present. The course analyzes Latin American politics, culture, and economics, and gives particular attention to processes through which social norms were constructed, maintained, and contested. Students engage in discussion and writing to develop analytical approaches to these historical subjects. Using primary sources, secondary scholarship, and comparative perspectives, students assess multiple interpretations of continuity and change in the region’s history.

HIST 4387. The Historian's Craft: Methods and Research.

This course analyzes the methodological and conceptual approaches that structure historical inquiry. Students explore research design, source evaluation, note‑taking systems, and interpretive models used to investigate the past. The course evaluates how historians use primary documents, material evidence, and scholarly debates to build and critique arguments. Instruction focuses on developing skills in analytical reading, structured writing, and the clear communication of evidence‑based conclusions. Through practical assignments, students investigate how methodological frameworks guide the creation and revision of historical interpretations.

HIST 4388. Independent Study.

This course enables students to investigate specialized topics through individualized study arranged with the department. Students examine relevant scholarship, interpret sources, and construct analytical frameworks appropriate to their chosen subject. Under faculty guidance, students design a research plan, develop written analyses, and evaluate methodological approaches used within the discipline. The course supports sustained inquiry and iterative revision through one-on-one instruction and feedback. Given its individualized structure and variable subject matter, the course may be repeated for credit with approval from the department chair when the area of study substantially differs. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

HIST 4399. Senior Seminar.

This course introduces students to the practices historians use to interpret the past. Students examine primary and secondary sources, evaluate different methodological approaches, and practice techniques central to historical research and writing. Emphasis is placed on identifying research questions, assessing evidence, and constructing analytical arguments. Through historiographical discussions, source analysis, and a term paper, students develop proficiency in applying historical methods to specific topics. This course is required for History majors. Prerequisite: 24 semester credit hours in History with a grade point average of at least 2.25 in those hours.

HIST 5199B. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in second or subsequent semesters of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. Enrollment continues each term until the final thesis is prepared for submission in accordance with program requirements.

HIST 5299B. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in second or subsequent semesters of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. Enrollment continues each term until the final thesis is prepared for submission in accordance with program requirements.

HIST 5301. Instructional Methods Practicum for Graduate Assistants.

This course provides structured professional development for graduate teaching and instructional assistants by examining effective instructional practices and departmental expectations. Students participate in regular in-service activities and periodic evaluations designed to support the performance of their teaching responsibilities. Topics include classroom management, grading and communication strategies, and procedures relevant to instructional assistants. Enrollment is required for individuals employed in these roles for the first time, and the course does not apply toward graduate degree credit.

HIST 5304. Women’s and Gender History.

This course investigates the central topics and scholarly debates that structure the history of women and gender. Geographic and temporal focus depends on the instructor. Students evaluate key works that analyze gender roles in political life, labor systems, social movements, community formation, and cultural production. The course emphasizes historiographical analysis, encouraging students to consider how methodological choices, source availability, and interpretive frameworks shape the writing of women’s and gender history. By examining both classic studies and recent research, students develop skills in assessing arguments, identifying gaps in the scholarship, and formulating their own evidence-based analyses of women’s historical experiences. Topics vary by semester to allow for in-depth study of different themes. This course may be repeated with new topics for up to nine credit hours.

HIST 5305. Interfaith Relations in Medieval Europe.

This course investigates the histories of Muslims, Christians, and Jews throughout Europe from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, focusing on political, legal, social, and cultural developments. Students analyze how historians interpret conversion practices, administrative structures, conflict, intellectual exchange, and demographic change across different regions. Particular attention is given to methodological challenges and debates surrounding terminology, periodization, and the study of interreligious interaction. Using primary documents and selected secondary readings, students evaluate competing analytical frameworks and assess how evidence is used to explain both continuity and transformation in Europe’s multireligious past.

HIST 5306. English History: The Age of the Stuarts.

This course examines selected topics in English history between 1603 and 1714, analyzing political, social, economic, and cultural developments from the early Stuart monarchy through the Glorious Revolution. Students investigate themes such as governance, religious conflict, social hierarchy, economic change, and intellectual life using primary sources and major historical studies. The course emphasizes evaluating different historiographical interpretations and methodological approaches to studying seventeenth-century England. Through discussion, analytical writing, and comparative inquiry, students assess how scholars interpret continuity and change across this transformative period.

HIST 5307. Medieval European History.

This course analyzes the methodological foundations of medieval historical inquiry and investigates how the historiography of the European Middle Ages has changed in recent decades. Students assess different analytical frameworks, interpretive strategies, and source types employed by historians. Through critical reading, seminar discussion, and written analysis, the course explores how shifting scholarly priorities influence research questions and historical interpretations. Emphasis is placed on evaluating arguments, identifying methodological assumptions, and understanding how evidence is selected and contextualized in medieval studies.

HIST 5310. Western European History Since 1815.

This course examines selected topics in the history of Western Europe from 1815 to the present, analyzing major political, social, cultural, and economic developments that shaped the modern era. Students evaluate scholarly monographs and historiographical debates to understand how historians interpret events such as industrialization, nationalism, democratic reform, imperialism, and European integration. The seminar emphasizes critical reading, comparative analysis, and evidence-based interpretation. Through discussion and written assignments, students assess methodological approaches and develop analytical skills applicable to modern European history. The course may be repeated with different thematic emphases-based interpretation.

HIST 5312. History of Sexualities.

This course examines the history of sexualities and their relationship to social structures, cultural practices, and normative frameworks. Students will analyze theories and methods used by historians of sexuality, with attention to topics such as reproduction, kinship, marriage, gender roles, LGBTQ+ histories, birth control, sexology, and community formation. Geographic and chronological focus varies by instructor. Using historical evidence and theoretical approaches, students evaluate patterns of continuity and change in sexual norms and identities. Repeatable for credit.

HIST 5313. Early North American History.

This course examines selected topics in the colonial, revolutionary, and early national periods of North American history. Students analyze political, social, cultural, and economic developments with attention to  primary sources, historiographical debates, and comparative methods. The seminar format encourages close reading, discussion, and evaluation of differing scholarly interpretations. Emphasis may vary by semester, allowing focused study on themes such as governance, identity formation, regional variation, social relations, or institutional change. Students assess how historians construct arguments about early America and develop their own evidence-based analyses through research, writing, and critical inquiry. This course may be repeated with different thematic emphases.

HIST 5314. Ethnohistory.

This course examines major questions, methods, and debates that shape the field of ethnohistory, a multidisciplinary approach to studying the histories of Indigenous communities through archival, ethnographic, linguistic, environmental, and archaeological evidence, incorporating Indigenous voices and perspectives. Students analyze selected ethnohistorical works to understand how researchers interpret sociocultural, political, and economic processes across diverse regions and time periods. The course emphasizes critical evaluation of methodological approaches, including the integration of multiple source types and perspectives. Through discussion and analytical writing, students assess how ethnohistorians construct arguments and develop evidence-based interpretations.

HIST 5315B. Queer History: GLBT Histories in the United States.

This course examines the histories of different sexual minorities from the colonial era to present, though the majority of the course focuses on the twentieth century, to explore the rise of the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identities, politics, and culture. (MULT).

HIST 5318D. European Imperialism.

This course analyzes European imperial expansion between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries through an evaluation of administrative systems, economic networks, and cultural interactions. Students investigate case studies of empires such as the Spanish, Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch, assessing how historians use documentary, visual, and material evidence to interpret imperial dynamics. The course emphasizes critical examination of sources to understand how empires were established, maintained, and challenged. By studying diverse regions affected by European rule, students develop analytic frameworks for evaluating long‑term patterns of global influence and exchange.

HIST 5319. English History: The Age of the Tudors.

This course examines differing scholarly interpretations of major developments in English history from approximately 1485 to 1603. Students analyze constitutional, political, governmental, social, religious, and cultural transformations using a range of primary sources and historical studies. The course evaluates how historians construct arguments about Tudor governance, religious change, social hierarchy, and cultural expression, and how interpretive frameworks have evolved over time. Through seminar discussion, extensive reading, and analytical writing, students assess methodological approaches to the period and develop skills in comparing and evaluating competing historical interpretations.

HIST 5326. Material Culture in America.

This course examines how interactions between people and material culture influence American society. Students evaluate how the creation, use, and meaning of material objects has influenced social, political, and economic change throughout American history. Methodology centers on the analysis of objects as primary sources through close descriptions and provenance research with attention to historical contexts. Students analyze material evidence to frame historical questions, assess change over time, construct arguments about the history of everyday life in America, and apply these skills in public history settings.

HIST 5327. Management & Administration of Historical Organizations.

This course provides an introduction to management, leadership, and administration issues and practices for non-profit historical organizations. Topics include organizational types and structures, funding and budgets, core documents, strategic and interpretive planning, leadership styles, professional responsibilities, and ethics. Course methodology combines practical readings on professional standards and best practices with theoretical reflections from field leaders, with each class including both discussion and project-based learning. Students apply historical methods to real work situations within cultural organizations, analyzing and synthesizing information, and evaluating sources to build professional competence in the workplace.

HIST 5328. Education Programs in Historical/Cultural Institutions.

This course studies the role of educational and interpretive outputs as primary to the missions of historical and cultural institutions. It explores how institutions create and evaluate formal and informal educational experiences and materials for a variety of audiences. The course integrates professional literature on standards and best practices with case studies and reflections from practitioners in the field, with each class including both discussion and practical instruction. Students apply educational and historical methods to real work situations within cultural organizations while analyzing and synthesizing information and evaluating relevant models and sources to build professional practice in cultural institutions.

HIST 5329. U.S. Latino/a History.

This course analyzes the cultural, social, and political processes that influence Latino/a experiences in the United States. Students investigate patterns of migration, community formation, identity, and civic participation across different time periods and regions. The course evaluates how Latino communities have interacted with institutions and how those interactions have shaped national policies, cultural practices, and public discourse. Using interdisciplinary scholarship, primary documents, and analytical writing assignments, students examine historiographical debates and assess the methodological approaches used to study Latino/a histories within a broader national context.

HIST 5331. Empire and Colonialism in Latin American History.

This graduate seminar examines major historiographical and theoretical approaches to empire and colonialism in Latin America. Students engage foundational and recent scholarship on imperial governance, legal pluralism, missionary projects, labor regimes, and racial formation, with particular attention to the experiences and intellectual contributions of African, Indigenous, and Afro Indigenous communities to the evolving structures of empire. Through seminar discussion, comparative reading, and research-based writing, students evaluate key debates in the field and assess varied responses to empire—including adaptation, negotiation, and conflict.

HIST 5333. Modern Mexico.

This course investigates Mexico’s historical trajectory from the Revolution to the present, focusing on the interplay of social, cultural, economic, and political forces. Students will analyze state-building strategies, patterns of governance, and transformations in political institutions. The seminar includes an evaluation of ideological frameworks and an analysis of their role in influencing policy and identity. Using primary documents and comparative scholarship, participants will explore how revolutionary outcomes influenced subsequent developments, including globalization and structural reforms. Students analyze continuity and change in modern Mexican history. The geographic and thematic focus varies by instructor. Repeatable for credit.

HIST 5334. Modern Latin America.

This course examines major political, social, and economic transformations in Latin America from the late colonial era to the present, with particular attention to revolutionary movements and their historical impact on regional change. Students analyze struggles for independence, state formation, economic development, cultural shifts, and modern revolutions through comparative and interdisciplinary frameworks. The course emphasizes historiographical debates and theoretical frameworks to support analysis of historical processes and their connections to contemporary Latin American dynamics, while preparing students for independent research and scholarly writing. The geographic and thematic focus varies by instructor. Repeatable for credit.

HIST 5335. Twentieth-Century Russia and the Soviet Union.

This course examines selected topics in modern Russian and Soviet history, analyzing political, social, cultural, and economic developments from the late imperial period to the post-Soviet era. Students engage with scholarly monographs and historiographical debates to evaluate how historians interpret major events such as reform efforts, revolutionary change, state-building, and societal transformation. The seminar format emphasizes critical reading, discussion, and written analysis. Students assess competing explanations for key historical developments, compare methodological approaches, and develop evidence-based interpretations of the region's modern trajectory. Topics vary by semester to allow for in-depth study of different themes.

HIST 5336. East European History.

This course examines selected topics in recent East European history, analyzing political, social, and cultural developments from the late nineteenth century to the post‑communist era. Students engage with various scholarly interpretations to evaluate how historians explain major transformations such as imperial collapse, nation‑building, state socialism, and post‑1989 transitions. The seminar emphasizes critical reading, discussion, and evidence‑based analysis. Students compare interpretive frameworks, assess the methodological approaches used in the field, and develop the capacity to situate regional case studies within broader historical debates. Topics vary by semester to allow in‑depth exploration of different themes.

HIST 5337. Modern Japan.

This course examines selected topics in the history of Japan since the opening of the 17th century. Topics may include, but are not limited to, life and livelihoods in Japan’s urban and rural areas, societal dynamics in the lead-up to the country’s first trade agreements with Euro-American powers in 1854, interactions on Japanese soil and abroad between Japanese and non-Japanese people, outside expertise and domestic innovation in Japanese industrial and military development, and popular movements in Japan from the beginning of the 17th century to the present. Students explore political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions of processes of modernization through a combination of scholarly articles and monographs, primary documents, and historiographical debates. Through discussion and analytical writing, students assess methodological approaches and develop evidence-based interpretations of Japanese history. Topics vary by semester, allowing for focused study of particular regions, themes, or chronological periods. This course is repeatable for credit.

HIST 5340. Immigration and U.S. History.

This course investigates immigration and citizenship in the United States from the colonial period to the twenty-first century, analyzing the factors that drove migration and the varied experiences of newcomers and their descendants. Students examine how historians interpret identity formation, community building, and interactions with legal and political institutions. As a graduate-level reading seminar, the course engages both foundational monographs and recent scholarly works to evaluate changing methodological and interpretive approaches within the field. Assignments focus on assessing arguments, comparing analytical frameworks, and situating historical developments within broader scholarly conversations about migration and national membership.

HIST 5343. The Progressive Era in the United States.

This course analyzes political, social, and economic developments of the Progressive Era while investigating how scholars interpret reform movements and governance in this period. Students evaluate various methodological approaches, including political history, social history, and cultural analysis, considering how each shapes interpretations of evidence. Through structured reading and discussion, students examine the arguments historians make and the evidentiary strategies they employ. Writing assignments emphasize the construction of analytical claims, weighing of alternatives, and precise use of sources. The course prepares students to produce interpretations that situate historical events within ongoing historiographical debates.

HIST 5345U. Dark Tourism: Interpreting Historic Sites of Domination, Death, and Disaster.

This course examines the challenges of interpreting historic sites associated with tragic historical events and practices, such as battlefields, concentration camps, massacre sites, and plantations that are open to visitors. The course evaluates effective methods of interpreting tragedy at dark tourism sites in the United States and around the world.

HIST 5346. African American History.

This course examines major themes in African American history through a graduate-level reading seminar format. Students analyze scholarship on enslavement, family and community formation, cultural expression, urban and suburban development, political activism, and the evolution of racial categories in the United States. The course evaluates methodological approaches historians use to study race, class, gender, and identity, with attention to archival practices and interpretive frameworks. Through discussion and analytical writing, students compare interpretive frameworks, evaluate evidentiary choices, and situate works within broader scholarly debates. By the end of the semester, students assess African American history as a field of study and explore how scholars construct historical narratives from diverse sources.

HIST 5347. Texas History.

This course analyzes rotating topics in Texas history, focusing on how historians interpret major developments in politics, society, culture, and regional identity. Students examine a range of primary and secondary sources to evaluate interpretive frameworks and methodological choices used in the field. Themes may include Indigenous history, Spanish and Mexican governance, frontier settlements, economic transformations, civil rights movements, and urbanization. The seminar emphasizes historiographical debates and the practice of assessing evidence, comparing scholarly arguments, and situating regional history within broader national contexts. The course may be repeated for credit when offered with different areas of emphasis.

HIST 5348. Texas Music History.

This course examines the development of musical traditions in Texas and the American Southwest from pre-Columbian times to the present, analyzing how musical forms emerged, changed, and interacted across different cultural settings. Students evaluate primary recordings, historical documents, and scholarly studies to understand how historians and ethnomusicologists interpret the relationship between music and regional history. The seminar emphasizes critical listening, contextual analysis, and attention to diverse communities and influences. Through discussion and written work, students assess interpretive frameworks, compare methodological approaches, and develop evidence-based analyses of how music has been shaped by the social, cultural, and political dynamics of the region.

HIST 5350. History of the North American West.

This course examines selected topics in the history of the North American West, analyzing how territorial expansion, regional encounters, and environmental factors shaped broader patterns of U.S. development. Students explore political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions of frontier processes through a combination of primary documents, scholarly monographs, and historiographical debates. The seminar emphasizes evaluating differing interpretations of settlement, migration, Indigenous–settler interactions, and state formation. Through discussion and analytical writing, students assess methodological approaches and develop evidence-based interpretations of western history. Topics vary by semester, allowing for focused study of particular regions, themes, or chronological periods.

HIST 5352. The History of the Postwar United States, 1945-1991.

This course examines changes and continuities in politics, economics, and social relations in the United States from the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Students analyze a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including historical studies, oral histories, and artifacts of literary, musical, and visual culture. The course emphasizes methodological challenges of researching the historical relationships between the dynamics of everyday life and changes at the national and global scale. Course readings vary by semester and include selections from primary sources as well as classic and recent historical studies.

HIST 5353. US Borderlands History.

This course examines selected topics in the history of the U.S. borderlands, analyzing the interactions among Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and American communities across shifting geopolitical frontiers. Students explore themes such as migration, trade, territorial expansion, cultural exchange, and conflict. Using primary sources, scholarly debates, and comparative regional studies, the course investigates how borderlands functioned as zones of negotiation and adaptation. Through discussion, writing, and research, students evaluate differing historiographical approaches and assess how historians interpret the complexity and variability of borderland societies over time.

HIST 5354. The History of Utopian Communities in the United States.

This course examines utopian experiments in American history from the early colonial period through the twentieth century. Beginning with John Winthrop’s 1630 “City upon a Hill,” students analyze how religious and secular communities articulated ideals of social order, governance, labor, and moral discipline. The course evaluates eighteenth and nineteenth-century communal ventures and investigates the organizational structures, economic models, and belief systems that informed them. It concludes with an examination of twentieth-century intentional communities, alternative communal movements, and separatist groups. Through readings, discussion, and analytical writing, students assess how historians interpret the aspirations and limitations of utopian projects.

HIST 5358. Sectionalism & Slavery in the United States.

This course examines major scholarly interpretations of the causes and consequences of sectional conflict in the United States before the Civil War. Students analyze works that address political, economic, social, and ideological divisions, with particular attention to how historians interpret the role of slavery in shaping sectional tensions. The seminar evaluates competing explanations for secession, the breakdown of national institutions, and the onset of war. By engaging with classic and recent historiography, students assess methodological approaches, compare interpretive frameworks, and develop the ability to situate historical arguments within broader scholarly debates. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based analysis and critical reading.

HIST 5359. Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in US Labor History.

This course examines how historians analyze race, gender, and ethnicity within the field of U.S. labor history. Students evaluate scholarly debates about class formation, labor organization, workplace relations, and workers’ everyday experiences by engaging with the interpretive literature. The course investigates methodological approaches that use race, gender, and ethnicity as analytical categories for understanding labor movements, unorganized workers, and regional variation in workers’ experiences and the politics of work. Through seminar discussion, comparative reading, and research-based writing, students assess how different frameworks shape interpretations of labor consciousness, institutional development, and social relations in diverse historical settings.

HIST 5361. Historiography and Methods.

This course examines foundational concepts and methods used in professional historical research and writing. Students analyze a range of sources to evaluate how historians construct interpretations and frame analytical questions. The course introduces approaches to archival inquiry, source criticism, historiographical debates, and the development of evidence-based arguments. Through guided discussions and structured research exercises, students practice evaluating scholarly works, refining research questions, and applying disciplinary conventions in historical writing. By the end of the course, students demonstrate the ability to assess historical methodologies and articulate informed, analytical interpretations.

HIST 5362. Military History.

This course explores rotating topics in military history, focusing on how historians analyze warfare, state formation, military institutions, and strategic decision making. Students investigate a range of primary and secondary sources to evaluate interpretations of conflict, leadership, logistics, and the societal impacts of war. The seminar introduces major historiographical debates and methodological approaches, enabling students to assess how different scholars construct arguments and use evidence. Through guided discussion and analytical writing, students practice comparing interpretive models and situating individual case studies within broader historical patterns. This course may be repeated with new topics for up to nine credit hours.

HIST 5363. U.S. Society & Culture Before the Civil War.

This course examines cultural, social, political, and economic developments in the United States during the three decades preceding the Civil War. Students analyze how factors such as community structures, labor systems, migration, reform movements, and regional identities influenced daily life for Americans from varied backgrounds. Through engagement with key scholarly works, the seminar evaluates differing interpretations of prewar society and the forces shaping it. Students compare methodological approaches, assess evidentiary choices, and develop evidence‑based analyses of how historians explain continuity and change in the antebellum period.

HIST 5367. US Era of Civil War and Reconstruction.

This course examines major historiographical interpretations of the American Civil War and Reconstruction, analyzing how scholars explain the conflict’s origins, trajectory, and long-term consequences. Students evaluate primary and secondary sources to investigate themes including slavery, political decision-making, military operations, social developments, and constitutional change. The course emphasizes comparative historiographical analysis, asking students to assess how historians frame questions, select evidence, and construct arguments. Through seminar discussions and written work, students practice evaluating competing interpretations and situating influential studies within broader scholarly contexts. The course also guides students in conducting original historical research using appropriate methods and source materials.

HIST 5369. Music and Social Movements.

This course analyzes historical scholarship on the role of music in social movements, investigating how historians and researchers explain the relationship between musical expression and political, cultural, and economic change. Students study case-based and thematic works to evaluate how music has been interpreted within movements involving civil rights, labor, religion, education, gender, and other areas of public engagement. The course emphasizes methodological analysis, encouraging students to consider the evidentiary value of recordings, oral histories, performance studies, and archival materials. Through comparative reading and seminar discussion, students assess competing interpretations and develop skills in constructing well supported historical arguments.

HIST 5371. The Practice of Public History.

This course introduces the field of Public History at the graduate level. It covers topics that range from historical methods and interpretation, historic preservation, museums, historical analysis, public relations, and controversies associated with the practice of public history. This course surveys the basic knowledge required of individuals working in the fields of museum studies, historic preservation, cultural resources management, and related fields that present history to the general public. The course also engages students in hands on public history projects.

HIST 5374. Public History Internship.

This course examines the application of public history theories and methods in professional environments by placing students in supervised positions within archives, museums, libraries, or related institutions. Students apply established approaches to historical research and interpretation while contributing to projects that support preservation, documentation, or public engagement. Throughout the internship, they analyze institutional procedures, evaluate professional standards, and practice evidence‑based skills essential to work with governmental and cultural organizations. The experience also provides opportunities to develop communication strategies and professional networks by collaborating with supervisors, stakeholders, and diverse audiences. Departmental approval is required.

HIST 5377. Public History Project.

This course examines collaborative methodologies in public history through a team-based research project. Students analyze the conceptual, interpretive, and methodological considerations involved in developing museum exhibits, historic site interpretations, and historic resource surveys. The course emphasizes project design, source evaluation, and critical assessment of interpretive frameworks. Working in research teams, students apply public history methods to a selected topic, producing analytical reports that evaluate evidence, interpretive options, and practical constraints. The course may be repeated with a different thematic or methodological focus, allowing students to explore varied approaches to public facing historical work.

HIST 5378. Oral History: Theory & Practice.

This course introduces graduate students to advanced methods in oral history research. Students examine project planning, interviewing strategies, and interpretive frameworks for analyzing oral narratives. Each student completes a series of interviews for both team-based and individual projects while applying methodological principles discussed in seminar sessions and examines theoretical debates surrounding oral history and its role in historical scholarship. Emphasis is placed on evaluating oral testimony as evidence and developing skills for organizing, analyzing, and presenting research in academic and public history settings.

HIST 5381. Chinese Communism.

This course examines the development of the Chinese Communist movement from 1919 to the present, analyzing its urban and rural dimensions and the processes through which the Chinese Communist Party established authority in 1949. Students evaluate the formation of the Party State and the implementation of socialist institutions in the People’s Republic of China. The course draws on primary documents, scholarly debates, and comparative historical studies to investigate political, social, and ideological change. Through analytical reading and writing, students assess differing interpretations of major events and consider how historians construct explanations for state formation, policy shifts, and transformations in governance.

HIST 5382. China and the Modern World.

This course examines China’s evolving relationship with the modern world from 1800 to the present, analyzing key moments of foreign conflict, diplomatic engagement, and domestic political change. Students evaluate the causes and consequences of nineteenth and early twentieth century international pressures and Chinese responses, as well as the political division between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China in 1949. The course investigates developments in mainland China and Taiwan through historiographical debates and scholarly interpretations. Students also assess competing explanations for international roles in state formation, cross Taiwan-strait interaction, and China’s shifting position within global political and economic systems.

HIST 5384. Caribbean Transnationalism and Diplomacy.

This course examines the international relations of the modern Caribbean, focusing on interactions among Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the United States, and Venezuela. Students analyze diplomatic, economic, and cultural exchanges and evaluate how international actions and responses influenced policy, governance, identity, and transnational movements. Emphasis is placed on interpreting historical evidence and applying theoretical frameworks to evaluate patterns of continuity and change in Caribbean international relations.

HIST 5385. Modern Middle East.

This course examines selected topics in the history of the Middle East during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, analyzing political, social, economic, and cultural developments across the region. Students engage with recent historiographical scholarship to evaluate how historians interpret topics such as reform movements, imperial rule, state formation, nationalism, and social change. Topics vary from semester to semester. Through seminar participation, analytical writing, and comparative inquiry, students assess differing interpretations and develop evidence based analyses of major historical questions shaping modern Middle Eastern studies.

HIST 5386. Gandhi in World History.

This course examines how historians and biographers have interpreted Gandhi’s life, political activities, and historical significance. Students analyze a range of narrative strategies, evaluating how different authors construct arguments, select evidence, and frame key episodes. The course also investigates historiographical gaps by identifying aspects of Gandhi’s life that receive limited attention in certain works and assessing scholarly explanations for these omissions. Using primary sources alongside secondary scholarship, students develop skills in source criticism, comparative reading, and argument evaluation. Written assignments require students to formulate evidence-based interpretations and to situate Gandhi’s life within broader historical debates.

HIST 5387. Global Cold War.

This course examines recent historiographical approaches that interpret the Cold War as a global phenomenon, analyzing how scholars have expanded the field beyond a strictly U.S.–Soviet framework. Students evaluate key monographs and articles to assess how historians incorporate perspectives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe in explaining political, economic, and cultural dimensions of the conflict. The seminar emphasizes critical reading, comparison of interpretive frameworks, and assessment of methodological choices. Through discussion and written analysis, students explore how global Cold War scholarship reframes questions of ideology, diplomacy, and transnational interaction within broader historical debates.

HIST 5388. Comprehensive Examinations.

This course provides an individualized independent study for nonthesis master’s students preparing for written and oral comprehensive exams. Students develop a focused study plan in consultation with faculty, analyze major historiographical debates, and evaluate key scholarly works relevant to their examination fields. The independent format allows students to investigate core themes, refine analytical reasoning, and practice articulating evidence-based arguments. Structured milestones guide students as they synthesize material and prepare effectively for the comprehensive examination process.

HIST 5390. Independent Study.

This course enables graduate students to investigate specialized topics through individualized study arranged with faculty members. Students examine relevant scholarship, interpret sources, and construct analytical frameworks appropriate to their chosen thesis or comprehensive-exam subject. Under faculty guidance, students design a research plan, develop written analyses, and evaluate methodological approaches used within the discipline. The course supports sustained inquiry and iterative revision through one-on-one instruction and feedback. Given its individualized structure and variable subject matter, the course may be repeated for credit with approval from the director of graduate studies and department chair when the area of study substantially differs.

HIST 5398. General Research Seminar.

This course examines advanced research and writing practices in the discipline of history. Students formulate research questions grounded in relevant historiographical debates and investigate primary and secondary sources appropriate to their chosen subjects and questions. Through workshops, peer review, and iterative drafting, students analyze historical evidence to construct coherent written arguments and revise their work for clarity and rigor. The course emphasizes methodological evaluation, scholarly communication, and adherence to disciplinary citation standards. Students also assess peer drafts to strengthen analytical reasoning and evidence use.

HIST 5399A. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in the initial semester of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. No thesis credit is awarded until the student has completed the thesis.

HIST 5399B. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in second or subsequent semesters of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. Enrollment continues each term until the final thesis is prepared for submission in accordance with program requirements.

HIST 5588. Comprehensive Examinations.

This course provides an individualized independent study for nonthesis master’s students preparing for written and oral comprehensive exams. Students develop a focused study plan in consultation with faculty, analyze major historiographical debates, and evaluate key scholarly works relevant to their examination fields. The independent format allows students to investigate core themes, refine analytical reasoning, and practice articulating evidence-based arguments. Structured milestones guide students as they synthesize material and prepare effectively for the comprehensive examination process.

HIST 5599B. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in second or subsequent semesters of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. Enrollment continues each term until the final thesis is prepared for submission in accordance with program requirements.

HIST 5988. Comprehensive Examinations.

This course provides an individualized independent study for nonthesis master’s students preparing for written and oral comprehensive exams. Students develop a focused study plan in consultation with faculty, analyze major historiographical debates, and evaluate key scholarly works relevant to their examination fields. The independent format allows students to investigate core themes, refine analytical reasoning, and practice articulating evidence-based arguments. Structured milestones guide students as they synthesize material and prepare effectively for the comprehensive examination process.

HIST 5999B. Thesis.

This course provides structured enrollment for students engaged in second or subsequent semesters of thesis research and writing. Students formulate their research questions, evaluate relevant literature, and refine methodological approaches under faculty supervision. The course emphasizes sustained inquiry, iterative drafting, and the application of disciplinary research practices. Through regular consultation and revision, students work toward completing a thesis that demonstrates competence in scholarly argumentation and evidence-based analysis. Enrollment continues each term until the final thesis is prepared for submission in accordance with program requirements.

HIST 6305. The Practice of Museum Studies and Material Culture.

This course examines historical and contemporary issues in museums, material culture, and heritage. Museums are analyzed as institutions, including the objects and collections they hold and the professional practices that shape interpretation and display. Attention is given to collecting, classification, exhibition, and the construction of historical narratives through material culture. Ethical and institutional debates receive sustained analysis, including provenance, contested heritage, repatriation, and professional standards. Case studies draw from global contexts and include art, history, and natural history museums, heritage sites, and digital collections. Readings, discussion-based seminars, site visits, and applied projects support the integration of theory and professional practice in museum studies.

HIST 6306. Material Culture in the United States.

This course examines how interactions between people and material culture influence American society. Students evaluate how the creation, use, and meaning of material objects has influenced social, political, and economic change throughout American history. Methodology centers on the analysis of objects as primary sources through close descriptions and provenance research with attention to historical contexts. Students analyze material evidence to frame historical questions, assess change over time, construct arguments about the history of everyday life in America, and apply these skills in public history settings.

HIST 6309. Archival Management.

This course examines the history, theory, and professional practices that shape archival management. Students analyze the development of archival principles, evaluate major organizational models, and investigate how institutions acquire, preserve, describe, and provide access to records. Seminar discussions draw on case studies, professional standards, and current scholarship to assess how archival decisions influence recordkeeping systems and the role of archives in society. Through readings and applied exercises, students develop an analytical understanding of archival workflows and the methodological considerations that guide institutional decision making.

HIST 6310. Institutional Archives and Records Management.

This course examines the conceptual and methodological foundations of records management and institutional archives. Students analyze retention scheduling, legal and administrative requirements, and the criteria used to appraise records for long-term preservation. Through practical exercises and systematic evaluation, the course investigates approaches to constructing archival series, documenting institutional functions, and managing ongoing records flows. Students interpret professional standards, review the reasoning behind retention decisions, and evaluate how different appraisal methods influence the composition of archival collections. Emphasis is placed on developing the analytical skills needed to understand organizational recordkeeping practices.

HIST 6311. Heritage in Global Context.

This course examines heritage in a global context, encompassing sites, monuments, museum collections, cemeteries, landscapes, statues, and digital spaces. Heritage is explored as a social, cultural, and political process shaped by power, memory, and identity, and as both discourse and practice, tracing how it has been imagined, institutionalized, contested, and resisted across societies and historical periods. The course considers formal heritage regimes from early modern and colonial contexts and twentieth-century frameworks such as UNESCO. Comparative case studies address preservation, interpretation, governance, legal frameworks, and access across local, national, and global settings, highlighting methodological and professional strategies for heritage assessment and management.

HIST 6315. Cultural Resource Management.

This course examines the management of cultural resources, including historic buildings, archaeological sites, and other physical materials that document the human past. Students analyze approaches to identification, evaluation, preservation, and stewardship within public and private institutions. The course investigates federal and state legal frameworks, regulatory procedures, and professional standards governing cultural resource management. Through case studies and seminar discussions, students evaluate how agencies interpret legislation, implement compliance strategies, and balance preservation goals with development pressures.

HIST 6316. Historic Preservation.

This course examines the development of architectural history alongside key frameworks in preservation theory and practice in the United States and elsewhere. Students analyze major architectural periods, methodological approaches to historical interpretation, and evolving preservation standards. Through readings, comparative case studies, and class discussion, the seminar investigates how architects, historians, and preservation professionals document, interpret, and evaluate the built environment. Participants assess the analytical tools used to understand architectural form, material integrity, cultural context, and conservation strategies. The course trains students to evaluate evidence and apply theoretical models to questions surrounding historical significance and decisions about preservation.

HIST 6317. Architectural History in the United States.

This course analyzes major themes in American architectural history from 1607 onward, exploring how structures embody changing cultural, economic, social, and technological contexts. Students evaluate architectural forms, materials, and design principles while considering the ways buildings can serve as historical sources. The course incorporates visual analysis, archival research, and site-based case studies to investigate the relationship between the built environment and public history practice. Attention is given to how historic architecture is interpreted, managed, and presented by museums, preservation programs, and other public institutions.

HIST 6318. Evaluating Historic Sites.

This course examines how historic sites construct and communicate interpretations of the past, with attention to the expectations and experiences of visitors. Students analyze interpretive strategies, presentation methods, and the use of material settings to frame historical narratives. The course evaluates scholarly approaches for studying visitor engagement, including the role of affective responses in shaping perceptions of authenticity. Through readings, case studies, and analytical exercises, students investigate how public historians design interpretive programs and how audiences understand and respond to them.

HIST 6319. Local and Community History.

This course examines the methods public historians use to study, document, and interpret the histories of U.S. local communities. Students analyze approaches to researching the built environment, material culture, archival sources, and oral histories, and evaluate how communities construct, negotiate, and present public narratives about a common past. Readings and exercises introduce frameworks for assessing memory, representation, and the relationship between local and national histories. Students also engage in applied methodological work by examining historical sites and records from Central Texas to evaluate how such histories are identified, contextualized, and communicated.

HIST 6321. History and Memory.

This course examines how social groups, institutions, and communities construct and negotiate collective memories of past events. Students analyze theories of memory, the mechanisms through which narratives are formed, and the factors that shape how interpretations change over time. The course evaluates the influence of contemporary political, cultural, and social contexts on the remembrance and representation of history. Through engagement with case studies, scholarly debates, and primary materials, students assess differing explanations of why collective memories emerge, persist, or shift. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the memorialization of fascism in Europe, the sanitization of the Civil Rights Movement, controversies over the Alamo, and the development of pilgrimage sites. Assignments emphasize analytical reasoning, evidence-based interpretation, and the ability to explain how memory functions as a historical process.

HIST 6322. Digital History.

This course examines the history of print and digital media and introduces students to the practice of digital history. Students analyze a variety of digital history projects to understand how historians research, interpret, and present the past using digital tools and platforms. The course emphasizes evaluation of digital sources, project design, and methodological transparency. Students engage with different forms of digital historical work, including online archives, digital exhibits, and scholarly digital publications, and contribute to a digital project grounded in historical research.

HIST 6323. Documentary Film.

This course examines how film and video function within public history and cultural programming. Students analyze strategies for using visual media to interpret historical subjects, communicate research findings, and engage diverse audiences. Through guided instruction, students evaluate documentary conventions, investigate research methods for audiovisual storytelling, and study the relationship between archival materials and narrative construction. The course may include hands-on work with filming and editing as a means of exploring methodological choices. Students develop an evidence-based assessment of how documentary formats shape public understanding of historical topics.

HIST 7372. Practice of Museum Studies and Public History.

This course examines historical and contemporary issues in museums, material culture, and heritage. Museums are analyzed as institutions, including the objects and collections they hold and the professional practices that shape interpretation and display. Attention is given to collecting, classification, exhibition, and the construction of historical narratives through material culture. Ethical and institutional debates receive sustained analysis, including provenance, contested heritage, repatriation, and professional standards. Case studies draw from global contexts and include art, history, and natural history museums, heritage sites, and digital collections. Readings, discussion-based seminars, site visits, and applied projects support the integration of theory and professional practice in museum studies.

HIST 7373. The Practice of Historic Preservation.

This course examines the development of architectural history alongside key frameworks in preservation theory and practice in the United States and elsewhere. Students analyze major architectural periods, methodological approaches to historical interpretation, and evolving preservation standards. Through readings, comparative case studies, and class discussion, the seminar investigates how architects, historians, and preservation professionals document, interpret, and evaluate the built environment. Participants assess the analytical tools used to understand architectural form, material integrity, cultural context, and conservation strategies. The course trains students to evaluate evidence and apply theoretical models to questions surrounding historical significance and decisions about preservation.