History

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history is designed to produce graduates who have knowledge of U.S., world, and regional history. The degree provides students with skills in research, writing, communication, interpretation, and analysis and prepares them for employment in public history, government and politics, international relations, business, and the media, including journalism and editing.  Students are also prepared to pursue graduate degrees in a number of fields, including history, philosophy, law, and the social sciences.  

IMPORTANT:  Effective Fall 2014, all students who are majoring or minoring in history will be required to take HIST 3000: The Study of History either as a prerequisite or as a co-requisite for all 3000- and 4000-level history courses.  Non-majors are permitted to enroll in 3000- and 4000-level history courses as electives without having to satisfy this requirement. 

Program Course Requirements

Click here to view Core IMPACTS General Education Curriculum requirements.

Program Advice (can share with CORE curriculum):
Grade of C or better required in U.S. History
HIST 2111United States History to 1877 *3
or HIST 2112 United States Hist since 1877

Click here to view Core IMPACTS General Education Curriculum requirements.

Core IMPACTS General Education Curriculum requirements42
NOTE: Core IMPACTS courses can also satisfy requirements in your Program of Study. Please review the requirements for your major to prevent taking extra courses. The USG Core IMPACTS curriculum is designed to ensure that students acquire essential knowledge in foundational academic areas and develop career-ready competencies. There are seven Core IMPACTS areas. Students at all USG institutions must meet the Core IMPACTS requirements in all specified areas.
Field of Study: Major Related 18
Choose three of the following History Electives:
World Civilization to 1500 CE *
World Civilization since 1500 *
United States History to 1877 *
United States Hist since 1877 *
Choose zero to two of the following education electives**
Investig Critical/Contem Issue
Topics in Education
Expl Socio-Cultural Perspect
Exploring Learning/Teaching
Choose zero to two of the following foreign language electives***
Elementary French I
Elementary French II
Intermediate French I
Intermediate French II
Elementary German I
Elementary German II
Elementary Spanish I
Elementary Spanish II
Accelerated Elementary Spanish
Intermediate Spanish I
Intermediate Spanish II
Choose one to three of the following social science electives****
Intro to Anthropology
Intro to Cultural Anthropology
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Geography
Intro to Human Geography
Intro to Physical Geography
Intro to World Religions
Intro to Philosophical Issues
Logic and Critical Thinking
Intro to Political Science
State and Local Government
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to Sociology
Social Problems
Major Field Courses
HIST 3000The Study of History3
Research Seminars
HIST 4900Senior Seminar in History3
U.S. History
Five of the following courses: 15
History of Appalachia
American History and Film
Amer Indian History to 1840
Amer Indian History since 1840
Religion in America to 1860
Colonial America
Revolutionary America
Jeffersonian/Jacksonian Amer
Civil War & Reconstruction
American Foreign Policy
Gilded Age/Progres Era America
America from WWI to WWII
Cold War America
The American Presidency
Civil Rights Movement
African-Amer Religions to 1860
The Old South
The New South
African-American Hist to 1877
African-Amer Hist since 1877
U.S. Women's History to 1877
U.S. Women's Hist since 1877
History of Georgia
Special Topics in US History (may be taken twice when topics differ)
History Internship
Non-U.S. History
Five of the following courses: 15
Colonial Latin America
Modern Latin America
History of Africa
The African Diaspora
Traditional China
Modern China
English History to 1485
Tudor-Stuart England
The British Empire
Europe in the Middle Ages
Renaissance and Reformation
Modern Europe
World War I Era
World War II Era
France: 1660-1815
Modern Russia
The Holocaust
Special Topics World History (may be taken twice when topics differ)
History Internship
Upper Level Electives
Three of the following electives:9
Three history courses numbered 3000 or higher.
General Electives
Choose any School of Liberal Arts 15-credit-minor OR any English, Communication, Social Science, or History offerings at 2000-level or higher, with no more than 6 credits at the 2000 level. EDUC 2110, 2120, 2130, or 2150 can also be used toward the 6 hours of 2000-level credits.15
Total Hours120
*

 Grades of C or better required for HIST 1111, 1112, 2111, and 2112

**

Secondary education students must complete all three-course 2000-level education courses prior to entering the Professional Education Sequence comprised of the required 3000- and 4000- level education courses. Students may count two of those courses toward their Field of Study Requirements. 

***

Non-secondary education students are encouraged to complete a foreign language sequence, but not required to do so. They have the option to take up to 6 credits of foreign language, or they have the option to take up to 6 additional credits from the social science electives.

****

All history students must take at least one social science elective as part of the Field of Study.

Courses

HIST 1050. Appalachian Hist-Special Topic. 1-0-1 Unit.

Provides a topical survey of the social, economic, and political history of the Appalachian Region from the colonial period to the present. This course examines patterns of culture, economy, politics, land use, and social structure. Topics may vary each term.(Offered occasionally)
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 1051. Sports Hist & Amer Character. 1-0-1 Unit.

Surveys American sports history from 1900 to present to demonstrate the impact of sports on the unique American character. The course will emphasize the relationships of sports, players, and spectators to American society. Through the connection of sports history with politics, sociology, and business, students will analyze how sporting activities reflect the development of American society during the twentieth century.
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 1111. World Civilization to 1500 CE. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of civilization from its beginnings through the ancient, classic, and medieval eras to 1650 C.E. Although Western civilization and its antecedents in the Mediterranean basin receive the most intense study, Indian, Far Eastern, and Islamic civilizations are also given extensive consideration.
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 1112. World Civilization since 1500. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of civilization in the modern era from 1650 C.E. to the present. While the perspective of the course is global, the development of Western ideals and institutions and their expansion on a world-wide scale serve as the basic organizing principles of the course. A continuation of HIST 1111 but may be taken independently.
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 2111. United States History to 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of colonial America and the United States from the first European encounters with the New World through the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 2112. United States Hist since 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys United States history from the Reconstruction era to the present. A continuation of HIST 2111 but may be taken independently.
Prerequisites: English 0999 unless exempt.

HIST 3000. The Study of History. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an introduction to the historian's craft. Includes an examination of the philosophies, methodologies, and techniques of historical research and writing. History majors must take this course at the beginning of their junior year.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112.

HIST 3100. History of Latin America. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores Amerindian, Iberoamerican, and Caribbean history from pre-encounter times to the present. Topics will include European intrusion and settlement, plantation societies, slavery, and slave rebellions, 19th and 20th century political and economic developments and U.S. policy.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3110. Colonial Latin America. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores Amerindian, Iberoamerican, and Caribbean history from pre-encounter times to the end of the colonial period in the late 18th century. Topics will include European intrusion and settlement, systems of colonial governance, plantation societies, and slavery.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3120. Modern Latin America. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the establishment of government and new social structures in society after the wars for independence as well as the major developments during the 19th and 20th centuries. This course covers the contributions of indigenous peoples and those of African descent to Latin American culture and emphasizes major trends and developments in the various Latin American countries rather than the details of each of the present republics.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3150. History of Africa. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the history of Africa from the origins of agriculture, the rise of complex societies, the spread of Islam, the rise of the Atlantic slave trade and Diaspora. Topics will also include European conquest and colonization, anti-colonial wars, independence and post-colonial politics.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3160. The African Diaspora. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the history of the dispersed Africans covering the period from its beginnings in the fifteenth-century until the early twentieth century, including contacts between Africa and the rest of the world, the development of African Diasporas in the Americas, revolutions and abolitionism, and “back to Africa” movements.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112,; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3200. Traditional China. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of Chinese civilization from ancient times to the mid-nineteenth century. Emphasis is placed on political, social, economic, and cultural development. Topics include Chinese philosophy, foreign relations, and governmental structures.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3210. Modern China. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of China from the nineteenth century to the present. Emphasis is placed on political, social, economic, and cultural developments.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3300. English History to 1485. 3-0-3 Units.

Traces the development of England from ancient times until 1485. Special attention will be given to the political, religious, and social developments within England. The Romand and Anglo-Saxon periods and the dynasties established after the Norman Conquest will all be examined.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and pre- or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3310. Tudor-Stuart England. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the religious, political, and cultural upheavals in England under the Tudor and Stuart monarchs of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112 a; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3340. The British Empire. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the British Empire from the first expansion in the 16th century to the period of decolonization in the 20th century. The ways the British built and then maintained the empire will be explained. Emphasis will be on Australia, Canada, South Africa and India, but imperial holdings across the globe will also be considered.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3350. History of Appalachia. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the history of the Appalachian region from the colonial period to the present. The course will emphasize the social, economic, and political history of the region. This study of Appalachian history will shed light on the national experience as well.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3440. Europe in the Middle Ages. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys Medieval Europe from 476 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The rise of the Catholic Church to its dominant position in the 13th century and the struggles of the monarchs and their feudal values will be discussed along with such topics as the Black Death and the Inquisition.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3460. Renaissance and Reformation. 3-0-3 Units.

Analyzes the two great intellectual movements of early modern Europe. Details will include the religions and social context in which these movements took place and their respective influences on European society.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3470. Modern Europe. 3-0-3 Units.

This course will provide an overview of the history of Europe from the French Revolution of 1789 to the present. Major topics covered in this course will include the rise of nationalism, the Industrial Revolution, imperialism, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, and the formation of the European Union. You cannot take this class if you have taken HIST 3480 or HIST 3490.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3495. World War I Era. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the origins and conduct of World War I, as well as the Paris Peace Conference after the war and the role the conference played in the coming of World War II, twenty years later. Emphasis will be place on Germany, France, Great Britain and Russia, and their roles in the war.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3500. World War II Era. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the causes of World War II, along with the events and implications of the war. Emphasis will be placed on the period from the end of World War I to 1945, with special consideration given to the political, military, and diplomatic aspects of the war.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3520. France: 1660-1815. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys French history, including such topics as French expansion and colonization, the Enlightenment, conflicts in French society under the Old Regime, the Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112 and HIST 3000.

HIST 3540. Modern Russia. 3-0-3 Units.

Stresses the Russian Revolution, the 1917 Bolshevik takeover, Leninist-Stalinist contributions and modification culminating with Gorbachev and includes the 1991 downfall of Communism and the emergence of a new Russia.
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3560. The Holocaust. 3-0-3 Units.

This course will critically examine the events that shaped the tragic outcome of the Holocaust. In addition to providing a chronological history of major events, this course will look at the Holocaust thematically by exploring such issues as the historical memory of the Holocaust, the roles played by rescuers, bystanders, and collaborators, the attempts to resist the extermination of European Jews, and, finally, the impact of the Holocaust on survivors.(HIST 3000 is waived for non-History majors)
Prerequisites: HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3700. American History and Film. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the history of the United States through films made about various historical eras. Through a contextualization and critical analysis of these films and their subjects, students will develop an understanding of the major themes in US history.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112, prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3710. Amer Indian History to 1840. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the impact of colonization on Native Americans to 1840, focusing on the adaptations of Indians to the tremendous changes brought about by the meeting of the Old World and the New World.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3720. Amer Indian History since 1840. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores how Native Americans themselves have constructed their lives from 1840 through the 20th century. Special attention will be given to U.S. government policy toward the Indians.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3725. Religion in America to 1860. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides a broad knowledge of religion in early America, primarily from a social and cultural perspective, until 1860. Topics will include region, social class, growth of institutions, slavery, and social reform in traditions including Protestantism, West African religion, Catholicism, Native American religion, and Judaism.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3730. Colonial America. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an in-depth study of Colonial America, particularly North America, from pre-Columbian times up to the Revolutionary era.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3735. Revolutionary America. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an in-depth study of Revolutionary America from the end of the French and Indian War to the election of 1800.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3740. Jeffersonian/Jacksonian Amer. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the history of the United States from the early republic to the antebellum period. The course focuses on expansion, industry, the development of the first and second party systems, and the factors which led to the sectional crisis.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3750. Civil War & Reconstruction. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the origins and conduct of the war as well as its legacy and impact on people and institutions. Emphasis will be placed on the American South and the experiences of African Americans.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3755. American Foreign Policy. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the role of the United States in world affairs, the motivations of foreign policymakers, and the ramifications of key decisions. The primary focus will be on the period after 1890, when the United States emerged as a global power. The course will also address the foundations of the country's approach to international relations and introduce the various approaches of studying foreign relations.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3760. Gilded Age/Progres Era America. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the political, social, economic, diplomatic, and intellectual history of the United States from the 1870s to the 1910s.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3770. America from WWI to WWII. 3-0-3 Units.

Focuses on the political, social, economic, diplomatic, and intellectual history of the United States as the nation grappled with its participation in the two major world wars as well as dealt with the consequences of a worldwide depression.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3780. Cold War America. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the political, social, economic, diplomatic, and intellectual history of the United States from the end of World War II to the early 1990s.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3785. The American Presidency. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the evolution of the presidency from its creation to the present. This course explores the relationship of the presidency with other governmental institutions, interest groups, the press and the public.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3800. Civil Rights Movement. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the Civil Rights Movement from World War II to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the leaders as well as the events that helped shaped the movement.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3810. African-Amer Religions to 1860. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines African American spirituality and religion from the arrival of African slaves to the Americas until the verge of the United States Civil War. It will illustrate the variety of African spirituality through time, as well as the influence of environment, Christianity, and white-black relations on the development of these different spiritualties, with special attention being given to the institution of slavery. The development of African Christianity will be a focus, but the course will also address Islam, traditional African faiths, and Afro-Caribbean religions.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3830. The Old South. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the life and events in the American South from the colonial period to the end of the Civil War.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3835. The New South. 3-0-3 Units.

Encompasses the study of the life and events of the American South from the end of the Civil War to the present.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3840. African-American Hist to 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores the African-American history from its beginnings through emancipation and Reconstruction by analyzing the African origins of black Americans, the middle passage, the development of plantation slavery, and the many historical changes that shaped African-American life and culture thereafter.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3845. African-Amer Hist since 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the African-American experience from a multidisciplinary perspective from 1877 to the present, focusing on the ways in which African Americans made the transition from slavery to freedom and how the American social, economic, and political landscape was dramatically altered as the antebellum plantation system came to an end and African Americans strove to gain and protect their civil rights.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3850. U.S. Women's History to 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the experiences of women in the U.S. from the arrival of the Europeans on the continent through the Reconstruction era. Women's history will be analyzed as an integral part of American social history and within the context of larger historical changes in the United States.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3855. U.S. Women's Hist since 1877. 3-0-3 Units.

Surveys the experiences of women in the U.S. from the post-Reconstruction era to the present. Women's history will be analyzed as an integral part of American social history and within the context of larger historical changes in the United States.
Prerequisites: HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3930. History of Georgia. 3-0-3 Units.

Examines the history of the state from settlement to the present. Major themes include race, class, and modernization in the development of Georgia. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, ethnic, and regional diversity of the state.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3940. Special Topics World History. 3-0-3 Units.

Focuses on a special topic not otherwise offered in the world history curriculum. Topics, methodology, and instructors vary from semester to semester. Representative topics might include "Society and Culture in the Age of Reformation," "Society and Culture in the Medieval European City," "Medicine and Disease in Early Europe," and "Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism in Modern Europe." This course may be repeated for up to six hours of credit when topics vary.
Prerequisites: HIST 1111 and HIST 1112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 3960. Special Topics in US History. 3-0-3 Units.

Focuses on a special topic not otherwise offered in the United States history curriculum. Topics, methodology, and instructors vary from semester to semester. Representative topics might include "U.S. Foreign Policy since 1890," "World War II," "Women in the Appalachian South," and "The Cold War." This course may be repeated for up to six hours of credit when topics vary.
Prerequisites: HIST 2111 and HIST 2112; prerequisite or co-requisite: HIST 3000.

HIST 4000. History Internship. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides experience in applying history in a previously approved museum, historical society, archive, center, organization, or government setting. Application and credit arrangements should be made through the department in advance, normally by mid-semester prior to the internship. Credit will be applied toward upper-level American history or World history requirements depending on nature of the appointment. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Repeatable for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
Prerequisites: 30 semester hours and permission of instructor.

HIST 4900. Senior Seminar in History. 3-0-3 Units.

Requires students to construct a detailed analysis of a specific problem, theme, or topic in history. Instruction will include coverage of historical research methods and the ethics of the historical profession. Students will complete a major research paper based on primary and secondary sources.
Prerequisites: HIST 3000, 21 hours of Upper Level History courses.

HIST 4920. Senior Sem in European History. 3-0-3 Units.

Requires students to construct a detailed analysis of a specific problem, theme, or topic in European history. Instruction will include coverage of historical research methods and the ethics of the historical profession. Students will complete a major research paper based on primary and secondary sources.
Prerequisites: HIST 3310 or HIST 3320 or HIST 3340 or HIST 3460 or HIST 3480 or HIST 3490 or HIST 3520, 30 hours of Upper Level History courses.

HIST 4930. Senior Sem in American History. 3-0-3 Units.

Requires students to construct a detailed analysis of a specific problem, theme, or topic in American history. Instruction will include coverage of historical research, methods, and the ethics of the historical professional. Students will complete a major research paper based on primary and secondary sources.
Prerequisites: 30 hours of upper-level history courses; also HIST 3710 or HIST 3720 or HIST 3730 or HIST 3740 or HIST 3750 or HIST 3760 or HIST 3770 or HIST 3780 or HIST 3830 or HIST 3840 or HIST 3850 or HIST 3930.