History

Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
546 Park Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4130
(716) 645-2181
Fax: (716) 645-5954
Web: History
E-mail: ubhistor@acsu.buffalo.edu
Richard E. Ellis, Chair
Gail Radford, Director of Undergraduate Studies

The Program
History is an exploration of how people have lived, thought, and tried to make sense of their worlds. It is cross-cultural and multidimensional, addressing the breadth of human experience and uncovering patterns that are essential in situating ourselves in the present and in preparing ourselves for the future. History deals with both continuity and change, examining, for example, what is novel and what is recurrent in human efforts to deal with such enduring matters as religion, ethnicity, class, and gender. The history department offers a wide array of courses, and stresses the development of research and communication skills vital for many different careers. History graduates work in such fields as business, law, government, and journalism, as well as in librarianship, archival and museum management, and teaching at all levels-wherever critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and clear writing are recognized assets.

For more information, including current course descriptions, please drop by the office of the director of undergraduate studies at 540 Park Hall, visit us on the web at wings.buffalo.edu/history, call us at (716) 645-2181, ext. 540, or e-mail us at ubhistor@acsu.buffalo.edu. This office handles all advising of undergraduate students.

Transfer Policy
Transfer students majoring in history may receive credit for up to five history courses (15 credit hours) but must take five upper-level history courses, including the two 400-level seminars, at UB. Whenever possible, transfer courses will be articulated with existing UB history courses. Acceptance criteria and all other requirements remain the same as for regular majors.

Honors
Majors who complete at least four history courses with a minimum GPA of 3.33 (B+) are eligible to apply for admission into the department's honors program. Participants complete all the requirements of a regular major but take nine (instead of five) courses at the upper level (200/300/400), including HIS498, a six credit-hour, two-semester course to prepare a thesis of about thirty to forty pages under the direction of a faculty member. Honors students may, at the discretion of their mentors and upon the approval of the directors of undergraduate and graduate studies, participate in a relevant graduate seminar or seminars. Honors students who attain an average of at least 3.33 in their history courses, including the thesis, will graduate with honors in history. In addition to being intellectually challenging and personally rewarding, successful completion of the honors program-indicated on the transcript and in letters of recommendation-prepares the graduate well for employment or further study.

Questions about the honors program should be directed to the director of undergraduate studies at (716) 645-2181, ext. 540, or ubhistor@acsu.buffalo.edu.

Scholarship Opportunities
Thanks to a generous benefactor, the department offers Milton Plesur Scholarships to majors who have compiled an outstanding record in history and who have shown a serious interest in history as a discipline and as a possible career. Awards have ranged in size from about $1,500 to $3,000. Each year, the department also awards the John Horton Prize for the best essay written in history that year by an undergraduate student.

History (HIS)
Note: The department distributes detailed descriptions and schedules of courses in the semester prior to that in which they are offered.

111 Latin America: Culture and History (3)
Explores the history of the colonial South and Central America, from social, cultural, and political perspectives. LEC

142 British History (3)
Introduces the political, economic, and social development of Britain. LEC

151 Western Civilization I (3)
Western civilization from its beginnings to 1715. LEC

152 Western Civilization II (3)
Western civilization from 1715 through the twentieth century. LEC

161 United States History I (3)
U.S. history from the planting of the first colonies to the end of the Civil War. LEC

162 United States History II (3)
U.S. history from Reconstruction to the present. LEC

182 Asian Civilization II (3)
The civilizations of China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia in interaction with the rest of the world since 1500. LEC

200 Movies and Modern American Society (3)
Examines the political and social context out of which some notable American films emerged. LEC

209 The American Civil War (3)
Explores the transformation that the Civil War wrought on American society, politics, and culture. LEC

213 Introduction to African History, 1800-Present (3)
Social, economic, and political change throughout the African continent after 1800. LEC

215 Death in America (3)
Examines death in America from before Columbus until today. LEC

216 Crime and Punishment in America (3)
Explores the changing nature, definition, and prosecution of crime in America from the colonial period to the present. LEC

218 African History to 1800 (3)
Transformations in community, livelihood, and culture in Africa from the earliest human societies to the era of the Atlantic slave trade. LEC

227 Twentieth-Century Europe and the World (3)
History of Europe combined with an account of the changing relationships between Europe and the rest of the world from the heyday of imperialism to the present. LEC

228 Colonialism (3)
Analysis of European imperialism in the New World, Asia, and Africa. LEC

240 United States since 1945 (3)
Surveys significant political, economic, and social developments in the United States since 1945. LEC

250 History of Ireland (3)
Surveys Irish history from the 1600s to the present. LEC

255 Nationalism and Democracy (3)
Cultural, political, and social transformation of Europe from the French Revolution to the first World War. LEC

275 Vietnam and the Vietnam War (3)
Treats the Vietnam War as the major event shaping an important era in modern history. Also considers the Asian origins of the war. LEC

289 Pearl Harbor: Japan Goes to War (3)
Examines the circumstances in the 1920s and 1930s that eventuated in Japan's violent confrontation with the U.S. and other nations, the Pacific War, and Japan's postwar adjustment to defeat. LEC

299 The Holocaust and History (3)
Places the Holocaust in the broad context of European history. LEC

303 U.S. Constitution: Its Origins and Early Development (3)
American constitutional development before the Civil War. LEC

309 Great Decisions I (3)
U.S. foreign policy in historical perspective. LEC

311 The Age of Jefferson (3)
U.S. history 1801-1829; the era of the Jeffersonian administrations. LEC

312 The United States in the Age of Jackson, 1815-1837 (3)
Developments in America between 1815 and 1837: political, social, and economic. LEC

315 German Culture and Society, 1789-1989 (3)
German history from Bismarck to the unified Germany of today. LEC

316 Early Modern Europe (3)
Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe: absolutism, the Enlightenment, the ancien régime. LEC

318 Stuart England (3)
England's century of revolution as seen through the eyes of the principal combatants. The winning of parliamentary initiative and popular sovereignty during a century of political revolution, economic upheaval, and religious dissent. Stresses a biographical approach. LEC

319 Great Decisions II (3)
Analyzes the role of the mass media in the making of American foreign policy in the second half of the twentieth century. LEC

320 British History, 1668-1848 (3)
The structure of aristocratic society and the impact of industrialization upon that society. LEC

321 Victorian History, 1832-1901 (3)
Political, economic, social, and intellectual aspects of a complex period, as Britain transformed its political system, achieved a position of economic primacy, and prevailed on the world stage. LEC

322 Latin America: Culture and History (3)
Twentieth-century United States-Latin American relations; also the colonial background and the nineteenth century. LEC

325 Twentieth-Century Britain, 1901-1974 (3)
Massive political, economic, social, and cultural change within democratic but structured society; wide range of reading materials including novels. LEC

326 Ancien Régime (3)
Old Regime in Europe and France; social role of ideas and values in Old Regime history. Social, political, economic, and diplomatic history, 1715-1789. LEC

330 Imperial Russia and the West (3)
Impact of Westernization on basic Russian institutions and ideas. LEC

332 Lenin, Stalin, and the Origins of Modern Russia (3)
Roles of Lenin, Stalin, and Russian past in the formation of twentieth-century Soviet Union. LEC

340 Germany's Second Reich (3)
German history from the rise of Bismarck's empire to its overthrow in the Revolution of 1918, with emphasis upon social and political movements, especially the roots of Nazism and the Federal Republic. The course concentrates more on in-depth analysis than on chronological continuity. LEC

349 American Dissenters (3)
Explores the lives of political and cultural dissenters in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through biography. LEC

354 American Transition, 1877-1901 (3)
History of the social, economic, and political transformation of the U.S. during the last decades of the nineteenth century. LEC

356 Social History of Women in the U.S., 1875-Present (3)
Lives and expectations of U.S. women from 1875 to the present; the major historical processes underlying women's lives in contemporary society. LEC

357 History of Medicine (3)
Social, cultural, and institutional history of medicine in the West from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Topics include medical theory and practice, the medical and health-care professions, hospitals, clinical medicine, the impact of disease, the changing meaning of illness, and the social and cultural construction of disease, sexuality, and the body. LEC

358 Renaissance (3)
Society and culture of Italy ca. 1300-1530; structure of the city-state; changing perceptions of people's existence in the state and the cosmos. LEC

359 Reformation (3)
Reformation movement, with particular attention to the man Luther and the nature of his theology. LEC

361 American Intellectual History I (3)
Introduces the major bodies of ideas and patterns of thought in the U.S. from the colonial period to the Civil War. Course largely focuses on the ways in which different groups of Americans responded to, participated in, and shaped cultural change. Readings include works by historians, as well as fiction and nonfiction. LEC

362 American Intellectual History II (3)
The major ideas and patterns of thought in the U.S. from the Civil War to the 1960s. LEC

366 History of Sexual Subcultures in America (3)
Analyzes the changing social organization and cultural meaning of same-sex relations in the United States, primarily in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. LEC

368 Modern Japan Since 1600 (3)
Japan's emergence as a modern state; leadership and unification under the imperial institution; origins of the Far East crisis and the war in the Pacific. LEC

375 U.S. and the Far East, 1898 to the Present (3)
Various sources of conflict and misunderstanding that have plagued America's relations with Asia since the American enunciation of the Open Door Policy. LEC

377 Germany's 3rd Reich I (3)
Examines establishment of the Weimar Republic to the Nazi "Seizure of Power," situations and techniques that enabled Hitler's movement to destroy German democracy in 1933. LEC

378 Germany's 3rd Reich II (3)
Examines creation of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 to the destruction of the Third Reich in World War II. HIS377 suggested for background. LEC

380 England in the Late Middle Ages (3)
Monarchical decline and revival during the era of the Black Death, Hundred Years' War, and disintegration of the medieval ideal. The search for political unity, church-state relations, England in Europe, and mentalité, the exploration of late medieval ideals and values. LEC

383 War and State: European Foundations (3)
International state system; changing nature of the state, armed forces, and warfare from medieval society to the present. LEC

388 European Women's History (3)
Examines European women and ideas about gender in European culture, politics, and society from 1789 to the present. LEC

390 The Pattern of Chinese History (3)
An interpretation stressing the autonomous development of China in its early millennia, and the influence of Buddhism and the Mongol conquest from the third to the seventeenth centuries. LEC

391 China and the World (3)
Examines the evolution of Chinese culture, politics, society, and economy in interaction with the rest of the world from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. LEC

392 The French Revolution (3)
Examines 1789-1799 in France, a major turning point in the political and social history of Europe. LEC

393 Medieval Civilization I (3)
Society and culture of Europe ca. 500-1100, with emphasis on the role of Christianity and the emergence of feudalism. LEC

394 Medieval Civilization II (3)
Society and culture of Europe ca. 1100-1450, with emphasis on changing spiritual and intellectual outlooks. LEC

401 U.S. Imperialism in Asia (3)
Deals with America's intervention in Southeast Asian affairs, either in the Philippines or in Vietnam. SEM

405 What Is History? (3)
Combines student research on topics that students choose with exploration of the nature of the study of the past. SEM

411 Tudor-Stuart Biography (3)
An intensive experience in writing the biography of King Henry VIII from primary sources, such as Letters and Papers of Henry VIII. Also complements work on other lives by use of biographical techniques. SEM

412 Topics in Women's History (3)
SEM

414 Cuban Revolution (3)
Compares Cuban and Nicaraguan Revolutions. Emphasizes historical background, causes, and the role of the United States in the revolutionary process. SEM

416 European Immigrant Lives (3)
Analyzes the writings of and about nineteenth and early twentieth century European immigrants to the United States. SEM

417 Topics in Russian History and Eastern Europe (3)
SEM

422 Topics in American Intellectual/Cultural History (3)
SEM

423 Problems in Modern European History (3)
A weekly discussion of particular books illuminating the topic chosen for the semester. Oral reports, several critical papers. SEM

446 Topics in Diplomatic History (3)
SEM

452 Topics in Colonial America (3)
SEM

455 Sex and Empire (3)
A comparative history of European imperialism in the Americas, Africa, and Asia through the prism of gender and sexuality. SEM

456 European Underground Movements (3)
Intensive analysis of the causes and effects of European underground movements from 1796 to 1945. Common study of general aspects (psychology, organization, etc.) plus individual papers on specific movements (the Bolsheviks, the I.R.A., etc.). SEM

458 JFK's Assassination and U.S. Foreign Policy (3)
Explores the controversies surrounding the death of the president and the implications of the assassination for American foreign policy. SEM

465 Childhood Through the Ages (3)
Students write a research paper on some aspect of the history of childhood, or on some aspect of a contemporary childhood concern or attitude, or on the childhood of a famous person. SEM

475 The Great War and European Society (3)
A cultural, political, and social history of World War I. SEM

480 Topics in Early American Legal and Constitutional History (3)
Discusses the interplay among race, ethnicity, and the law during the century after the U.S. Constitution's creation. SEM

485 Twentieth-Century China Politics (3)
Examines Chinese cultural, political, social, and economic history from the reforms of 1898 through those that led to Tiananmen in 1989. SEM

491 The U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s (3)
Concentrates on changes that occurred in American society and politics in the interwar period, particularly those associated with the New Deal. SEM

493 Topics in African American History (3)
SEM

498 Senior Research (6)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Research project arranged with and carried out under the guidance of a faculty member. Required of all students in the honors program in history. TUT

499 Independent Study (1-5)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Except in special circumstances, independent study cannot be used to satisfy the department's seminar requirement. TUT

History - B.A.

Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Minimum grade of "C" in two history courses

Advising Notes
Minimum grade of "C-" required in any course to count toward graduation requirements
Maintain minimum GPA of 2.15 in history courses to graduate

Required Courses
Twelve history courses distributed in accordance with the breadth and concentration requirements described below. A minimum of five must be at the 300/400-level; two of these must be 400-level seminars

Note: There are no prerequisites for progression through the history major. History students are encouraged to take courses at the level of our curriculum most appropriate to their interests and based on their appraisal of their backgrounds in particular areas of history. Students in doubt about what courses to take are invited to consult with the director of the undergraduate program for advisement.

See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (page 254) for general education and remaining university requirements.

Recommended Sequence of Major Requirements

First Year
Fall-UGC111*, HIS161
Spring-UGC112*, HIS162

Second Year
Fall-One 100 or 200-level HIS course
Spring-One 200-level HIS course

Third Year
Fall-One 200/300-level HIS course, one 300-level HIS course
Spring-One 200/300-level HIS course, one 400-level HIS course

Fourth Year
Fall-Two 200/300-level HIS courses, one 400-level HIS course

*Up to seven history courses (including World Civilizations) may be taken at the 100/200 level for the major. Recommended courses include HIS111, 142, 151, 152, 161, 162, and 182. Can be taken in either first or second year.

Breadth
To ensure a broad knowledge of history, all history majors must take at least one course, at any level, in each of the following areas:

• Early or early modern history of any civilization to 1800


• Asian, African, or Latin American history of any period


• Modern European history since 1800


• U.S. history of any period

• Africa: 213, 218, 228


• Early Modern Europe: 151, 316, 326, 357, 411, 434


• East and Southeast Asia: 182, 289, 368, 390, 401, 485


• Latin America: 111, 228, 309, 322, 414


• Medieval/Renaissance/Reformation: 151, 317, 358, 359, 380, 394, 415


• Modern Europe: 152, 255, 325, 330, 340, 417, 423


• United States: 161, 209, 216, 240, 312, 354, 416, 452, 455


• War and Revolution: 275, 332, 383, 414, 423, 475, 485


• Women: 356, 366, 388, 412, 455, WS 240

Academic Affairs

Phone: (716) 645-6003

Fax: (716) 645-2549

Last updated: Thursday, 09-Dec-2004 15:21:18 EST