2015-2016 UNK Catalog / HIST Courses

Offered by Department of History
College of Natural and Social Sciences

HIST Courses

HIST 156 - Regional Field Study - 1-3 hours: Prereq: none
Designed to provide students with travel experiences to contribute to their understanding of the history of a particular area of the world.
HIST 176GS - Democratic Debates - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A reading and discussion oriented class focusing on democratic development and practice from ancient origins to the modern period. Special attention will be devoted to the formulation of democratic principles and to the procedures and results of the democratic process. Efforts to reform and to expand democracy over time and place will also be highlighted.
HIST 188GS - General Studies Portal - 3 hours: Prereq: freshman or sophomore standing
Students analyze critical issues confronting individuals and society in a global context as they pertain to the discipline in which the Portal course is taught. The Portal is intended to help students succeed in their university education by being mentored in process of thinking critically about important ideas and articulating their own conclusions. Students may take the Portal in any discipline, irrespective of their major or minor. Satisfies the General Studies Portal course requirement. Students may take their Portal course in any discipline. Students who transfer 24 or more hours of General Studies credit to UNK are exempt from taking a portal course.

HIST 210GS - Western Civilization - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A brief survey of ancient Near Eastern civilization, history of Greek and Roman peoples, feudalism, medieval church, crusades, Renaissance and Reformation.
HIST 211GS - Western Civilization - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The Age of Absolute Monarchy, the French Revolution and Napoleon, Age of Nationalism and the two World Wars.
HIST 212GS - Non-Western World History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A survey of the historical interaction of the specific civilizations which together comprise non-Western world civilization in their intellectual, political, economic, and religious aspects.
HIST 215GS - Introduction to Latin America - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A concise review of the history of Latin America from the Aztec and Inca to contemporary affairs. Designed to introduce the student to highlights of political, social, economic, and cultural themes which have coalesced to distinguish these societies in this important part of the Third World.
HIST 250GS - American History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
American history covering the period from 1492 to 1865.
HIST 251GS - American History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
American history covering the period from 1865 to present.
HIST 290 - Special Topics - 1-3 hours: Prereq: none
Topics are studied which are not assigned or covered in other courses in the department. The format of this course will vary depending on the topic, instructor and the needs of the students.

HIST 315 - American Military History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A survey of American military history.
HIST 327 - World War I - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course examines the causes, course, and effects of World War I in Europe and the wider world. It places the conflict in the context of a rapidly industrializing continent at the beginning of the twentieth century and explains how the Great War was the disaster of the century, one that set the stage for many of the conflicts that followed.
HIST 328 - World War II - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course survey the political, ideological, economic, and military causes of World War II and discusses the political and military history of the conflict.
HIST 375 - English History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
English history to 1660.
HIST 376 - English History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
English history since 1660.
HIST 402 - Age of Alexander the Great - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will focus on the change between the Classical Age and the Hellenistic Age. The course will cover the period from the end of the Peloponnesian war to the Jewish independence of the Maccabees. This time period is crucial to Western Civilization since we witness the collapse of the independent Greek city states and the rise of the great national monarchies.
HIST 405 - The Plains Indians - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will examine the major tribes of the Great Plains from their earliest occupation on the plains to the present day. While we will examine archaeological, anthropologic, and ethnographic materials, the emphasis will be on the historical record of the late eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. We will examine Indian-White relations as well as the development of Native American societies.
HIST 406 - History and Film - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will look at history through the lens of feature films produced in the United States and abroad. Particular emphasis will be placed on how historical representation and interpretation has changed with each generation of film makers. The topics of this course will vary depending on the instructor and the needs of the students.
HIST 407 - History of Sea Power - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course seeks to introduce students to different themes in the history of the evolution of sea power.
HIST 408 - War and Society - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of military history. Students will tackle the debate on "old" vs. " new" military history. In particular students will examine the impact of social studies or the evolution of military history. A considerable portion of the course will also be spent on examining military history in a non-western setting.
HIST 409 - The High Middle Ages, 1050-1350 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course examines the cultural, political, economic, and social developments of the High Middle Ages, a period of dramatic and important change in the western world, focusing on the religious reformation of the eleventh century, the twelfth-century renaissance, and the rise of towns and urban commerce, and the growth of centralized governments.
HIST 410 - Methods and Historiography - 3 hours: Prereq: none
An examination of the historian's craft that considers philosophical and interpretive issues central to the discipline, major schools of interpretation, and the process of historical research and writing.
HIST 411 - Saints and Sinners - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course examines social organization and cultural institutions that shaped the western world between late antiquity and the Renaissance, focusing on the interaction between major institutions, such as family and religion, and the lives of medieval women and men.
HIST 412 - Society and Gender in the Middle Ages - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This class is designed to introduce students to the ways that gender and sexuality were defined, understood, and enacted in medieval society. The course examines both accepted and deviant sexual behaviors as well as notions of masculinity and femininity. Attitudes toward these ideas and behaviors are considered within the social, political, and religious contexts of the Middle Ages.
HIST 416 - History of Christianity - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A broad overview of Christian history from antiquity to the present, with special emphasis upon the complex social, economic, and political forces which have made Christianity a global religion of incredible diversity. Special attention will be given to Christianity in the non-Western world, as well as the central role of women in Christian tradition.
HIST 420 - Women in Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A history of women in Europe from prehistoric times to the present.
HIST 421 - Women in America - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A history of women in America from the colonial period to the present.
HIST 429 - Religion in America - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A historical introduction to the various religious communities of the United States from Pre-Columbian times to the present. The course gives special attention to religious influences upon social and political institutions, changing patterns of church-state relations, and the challenges posed by religious pluralism throughout American history.
HIST 431 - Colonial America, 1492-1750 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Examines the development of Colonial British America from the first English explorers to the French and Indian War.
HIST 432 - Revolutionary America, 1750-1800 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Examines the American Revolution from its origins through its culmination in the adoption and implementation of the Constitution.
HIST 433 - The National Period, 1800-1850 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Explores the expansion and development of the American nation from the Louisiana Purchase through the Mexican-American War.
HIST 439 - Pre-Hispanic and Colonial Latin America - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Political, social, economic, and cultural dynamics of Amerindian civilizations and colonial Latin America up to independence.
HIST 441 - Modern Latin America - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Examination of political, cultural, social, and economic dynamics of Latin American nations and region from independence to present.
HIST 445 - The Civil War and Reconstruction - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Causes leading to the Civil War, the war itself, and the attempt to reunify the social, economic, and political framework of America.
HIST 450 - Variable Topics in Latin American History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
In-depth study of a country or region in Latin American or an in-depth analysis of a specific topic of historical or contemporary importance in understanding Latin American history and culture.
HIST 451 - Comparative Colonialism: Asia and Africa - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will analyze the primary social, cultural, and political forces that helped create and sustain the vast colonial empires in Asia and Africa.
HIST 452 - Colonial India - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will examine the major social, cultural and political forces that helped create colonial India.
HIST 453 - Modern India - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course aims to introduce students to the complex cultural, political and economic factors that created the 'nation' of India as it is known today. The course begins in 1947 when India grained independence from Britain. It will examine in detail the major issues that have helped mold the history of contemporary India.
HIST 455 - Comparative Studies in Ethnic Conflict - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course is designed to engage students in an intense study of theories of ethnic conflict. Students will also be involved in a comparative study of the militarization of ethnic conflict in various regions of the world.
HIST 456 - Regional Field Study - 1-4 hours: Prereq: none
Designed to provide students with travel experiences to contribute to their understanding of the history of a particular area of the world.
HIST 457 - British Empire - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The rise and expansion of the British Empire from its earliest beginnings to the present.
HIST 458 - Great Plains Studies - 1-3 hours: Prereq: none
Offers the opportunity to reflect on life through the literature and other lore of the Great Plains. Through a different subject focus each offering, the course integrates literary, historical, and paleontological investigations around issues affecting the plains, with a special focus on "prairie."
HIST 459 - European Expansion and Exploration - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The motivations for European expansion and exploration overseas from 1300 until 1800 and the impact that European contact with the rest of the world had upon the societies of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
HIST 461 - Renaissance and Reformation - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The political, economic, religious and social development of Europe from the Crusades through the era of the European Reformation.
HIST 462 - Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
History of Europe from the Thirty Years' War to the French Revolution with special emphasis on the Enlightenment.
HIST 463 - French Revolution and Napoleon - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The causes of the French Revolution and the political, social, and intellectual impact of the Revolution upon western Europe.
HIST 464 - Introduction to Public History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will introduce students to the history, theory, and practice of public history. Public history is a catchall phrase for the ways that people produce, consume, and disseminate historical knowledge outside of the classroom. This includes how both scholars and the general public process and transmit history, apply history to real-life situations, and seek to preserve historic resources. Students will develop an understanding of non-academic forms of historical knowledge while being exposed to some of the field’s many disciplines, including museums, archives, and historic preservation.
HIST 465 - Community History & Preservation - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Students in this class will learn the basics of conducting public history projects in small communities. To do this they will develop an understanding of the concept of “community,” particularly as it relates to the formation of collective identities grounded in a real or imagined past. Although topics and projects vary by semester, students will come away from this class with a better understanding of how communities create, transmit, and contest historical knowledge as well as imprint it on the physical landscape. This class includes a community-based project with preservation and/or conservation components.
HIST 466 - Museums and Archives - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Museums and archives hold special places in contemporary society, as they are charged with protecting and preserving historical resources that contribute to understanding of local, state, and national pasts. This class includes three components. Students will develop knowledge of the history of museums and archives in the United States, coming to understand them not as static institutions but as dynamic social constructs that reflect the values and worldviews of their creators. The second portion will introduce students to key functions of museums and archives, including collections management, fundraising, and organizational structures. Finally, the course will include guidance on professional development.
HIST 471 - History of the Pacific Rim - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will examine the development of Pacific Rim nations from 1500 to the present. While the entire region will be studied, the emphasis will be on the cultural, political, and economic relations between the United States, Japan, China, and Russia as well as the colonizing powers of Spain, France, and Great Britain.
HIST 473 - American Constitutional History I - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Constitutional history of the United States to 1860.
HIST 474 - American Constitutional History II - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Continuation of History 473. Period covered is from 1860 to the present.
HIST 475 - Internship in History - 1-9 hours: Prereq: none
This course emphasizes the professional development of the student in the area of the student's professional interest. Grade will be recorded as credit/no credit.
HIST 477 - American Thought and Culture, 1620-1865 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Examines the origins and development of American social, political, and religious ideas through the Civil War.
HIST 478 - American Thought and Culture, 1865-1990 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Examines the origins and development of American social, political, and religious ideas after the Civil War.
HIST 479 - Nebraska and the Great Plains History - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will emphasize the natural environment of the plains, human attempts to settle and utilize the region's resources, and the role of Nebraska and the Great Plains in United States History. Recommended for elementary teachers.
HIST 481 - North American Frontiers, 1500-1850 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will examine the process of European frontier expansion from the 1500s to the point at which the new nations of North America had basically developed both the geographic boundaries and political structures that essentially ended territorial expansion on this continent. We will examine not only the United States' frontier, but also those of Spain, Mexico, France, Britain, and Russia in North America, providing a chance for students to compare various aspects of the frontier in different regions under different authorities. Major themes in the course will stress the interaction between Whites and Indians, as well as European efforts to utilize the continent's natural resources.
HIST 482 - The American West, 1850-present - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will examine the development of the western United States. After a very short review of western settlement prior to 1850s, the course will examine the tremendous development that occurred in the West in the later half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. The course will then examine the changes in the West that were brought about by the New Deal and World War II, and finish by looking at the particular problems that face the West since 1945. Major emphasis will be given to ethnic interaction in the West, resource exploitation/development, and the emergence in the West of new industries.
HIST 483 - The Gilded Age, 1870-1898 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
An analysis of the transformation of an agrarian America into an urban-industrial society, 1870-1898.
HIST 484 - The United States, 1898-1941 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The rise of America as a world power and the problems of reform and industrial expansion in early twentieth century America.
HIST 485 - The United States Since 1941 - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A detailed study of some of the more important aspects of the history of the period.
HIST 486 - Imperial Russia - 3 hours: Prereq: none
A general survey of the political, social, economic, diplomatic, and cultural developments of Russian civilization from 800 A.D. to 1917.
HIST 488 - Nineteenth Century Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The period from the French Revolution and Napoleon to World War I.
HIST 489 - Fascism and Communism in Twentieth Century Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
This course will explore the commonalities and divergences between fascism, communism, and nationalism and their twentieth century manifestations. After investigating the intellectual roots, social bases and key elements of these ideologies, we will examine their concrete manifestations in Europe, including Hitler's Germany, Soviet communism under Stalin, and postwar Yugoslavia.
HIST 490 - Twentieth Century Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Cultural and political aspects of the history of Europe since World War I.
HIST 492 - Soviet Russia - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The 1917 revolution and the development of the Soviet state with an emphasis on domestic policies.
HIST 493 - Modern Eastern Europe - 3 hours: Prereq: none
While we will survey the nineteenth century, the thrust of the course will be on the post World War I period. Here issues such as nationalism, big power rivalry, modernization, the peasantry, the political left and the extreme right will be closely examined for the period up to World War II. Then World War II with the crucial postwar period of Sovietization will be covered. Finally, we will consider the Revolutions of 1989 and their aftermath.
HIST 495 - Topical Studies - 3 hours: Prereq: none
Topics are studied which are not assigned or covered in other courses in the department. The format of this course will vary depending on the topic, instructor and the needs of the students.
HIST 496 - Senior Seminar in History: Variable Topics - 3 hours: Prereq: none
The purpose of this course is to allow students to explore a selected topic in depth. Topics will be selected in accordance with the research expertise of the instructor. Students will spend the first seven weeks of the course reading secondary literature on the topic. In the final eight weeks, students will design, research, and write a twenty-page original research paper. They will present their work, in oral and written form, to the seminar.
HIST 499 - Independent Study - 1-4 hours: Prereq: none
Independent readings in history for the advanced undergraduate. Readings to be selected and directed by a history faculty member. Students wishing to take this course must obtain written approval in advance from the department chair.