History
Ann Le Bar, PhD, Director
program web page
Faculty
Larry Cebula, John Collins, Michael F. Conlin, Robert D. Dean, Ann LeBar, Joseph U. Lenti, Nydia Martinez, Edward R. Jr. Slack, Jacki Tyler, J. William T. Youngs, Liping Zhu.
Degrees
Required courses in these programs of study may have prerequisites. Reference the course description section for clarification.
Undergraduate Programs
Studying History equips students with a broad skill set that prepares them for employment in the jobs of today and the careers of the future. History majors take courses in a range of geographic and thematic fields while developing their expertise in writing, oral presentation, research, and analysis. EWU History majors have opportunities to study abroad (often with a History faculty member), to join the history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, and to get professional experience through internships in the greater Spokane region and beyond. All History majors explore their areas of interest using the extensive paper and digital archive facilities on the EWU campus. No major offers broader career training than History does. Here is what some recent EWU History graduates are doing now: Archives and Records Management; Community-College Teaching; Historic Preservation; Journalism; Military Service; Librarianship; Public-interest Law; Public School Teaching; Video-game design.
Program Options
The History Program offers a Minor (20 credits), a Major with Minor (55 credits), and a stand-alone Major (70 credits). In the History major, students take broad survey courses on Geographic regions (U.S., Europe, World), before concentrating their upper-division coursework in two or more Thematic areas (Empires and Colonialism; Public and Digital History; Culture, Race and Gender; Science, Technology and the Environment; Global Economies, Exchange, and Conflict). All History majors take a corner-stone course HIST 290, complete a hands-on experiential learning requirement, and finish with a capstone course HIST 490.
Students interested in studying History should consult with the History Undergraduate Advisor as soon as possible.
Grade Requirements
Courses used to fulfill the History Program requirements for the BA (55 and 70 credit options) and the History Minor (20 credits) require a minimum grade ≥C+ in each course and a minimum GPA ≥2.5 for all courses counted toward the major.
Graduate Program
Larry Cebula, Graduate Advisor
Ella Kerr, Program Coordinator
NOTE: The MA in History is only offered online.
General Overview
The Master of Arts in History program is designed to prepare students for pursuits requiring a historical background. All students take the same nine courses, designed to provide students with a broad understanding of human history and advanced skills in historical research and writing.
NOTE: These accelerated, six-week courses are rigorous. The program can be completed in 8 months by completing two courses at EVERY six-week session, but it is not recommended.
Requirements for Admission
- Bachelor’s degree
- Cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Official transcript from degree-granting university
- Applicants with degrees in history, political science, English, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, social studies, or secondary education with a GPA of at least 3.0 are admitted automatically.
- Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in other disciplines or with a GPA less than 3.0 must submit a short statement of purpose describing how they are prepared for the rigors of a graduate degree in history.
- Professional CV or resume
Registration Deadline
The deadline to register for an online accelerated course is the Wednesday prior to the start of the session at 11:30 pm. If a student misses that deadline, they will not be eligible to register for that session. If you could not register for class in-time due to a provable university systems error, please email your program with a screenshot and/or email proving you were unable to register by the deadline. If the late registration is due to student error, the request will unfortunately be denied.
Drop for Non-Payment
Online accelerated students must pay their full balance for the session by the third day of the session at 11:30 pm PST. Students are only responsible for the balance of the current session. If you do not zero out your balance, regardless of funding source (financial aid, third party, etc.) by the deadline, you will be dropped from your courses. You will not be readmitted until the following session.
Program Requirements for Completion
After admission to the graduate program, candidates will complete nine required courses and at least 45 credits of coursework. HIST 501 should be taken as early in the program as possible, preferably as the first course. HIST 603 should be taken as late in the program as possible, preferably as the last course. You must successfully complete at least six courses (30 credits) including HIST 501, HIST 512, and HIST 532 before you can register for HIST 603. Remaining courses may be taken in any order. All courses are accelerated, six-week courses.
Grade Requirements
Graduate students must maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all courses completed since admission to a graduate program at EWU. Students who fall below a cumulative 3.0 GPA will be placed on probation. One quarter is allowed to restore the cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.0. Only two courses in a student’s degree program may be below a grade of B-. Additionally, students who earn less than a C+ may repeat a course one time.
| Concentrations List | ||
Note: see your history advisor. | ||
| Culture, Race and Gender | ||
| HIST/AAST 215 | EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: ANCIENT AFRICA TO THE END OF THE RECONSTRUCTION 1877 | 5 |
| HIST/CHST 218 | CHICANO HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 220 & AAST 220 | AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: POST CIVIL WAR TO PRESENT and AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: POST CIVIL WAR TO PRESENT | 10 |
| HIST 313 | ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST/IDST 316 | AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY I | 5 |
| HIST/IDST 317 | AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY II | 5 |
| HIST 318 | MODERN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 319 | THE HISTORY OF SOCCER-FOOTBALL-FUTBOL | 5 |
| HIST 321 | DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA | 5 |
| HIST/GERM 332 | 20TH CENTURY GERMANY: FROM WORLD WARS TO COLD WAR | 5 |
| HIST 353 | DARWIN AND THE EVOLUTION-CREATION CONTROVERSY | 5 |
| HIST 361 | COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA | 5 |
| HIST 371 | THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION AND HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 380 | THE U.S. CIVIL WAR | 5 |
| HIST 381 | RACE & CULTURE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | 5 |
| HIST 383 | WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 418 | CULTURAL HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA | 5 |
| HIST 420 | TUDOR ENGLAND | 5 |
| HIST 422 | CITIES AND THE MAKING OF MODERN GERMANY | 5 |
| HIST 442 | WOMEN IN THE WEST | 5 |
| HIST 443 | NEARBY HISTORY: EXPLORING THE PAST AROUND YOU | 5 |
| HIST 462 | HISTORY OF MEXICO | 5 |
| HIST 472 | RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION EUROPE | 5 |
| HIST 474 | BRITISH EMPIRE SINCE 1783 | 5 |
| HIST 476 | MODERN BRITAIN SINCE 1870 | 5 |
| HIST 477 | ANGLO-AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONALISM | 5 |
| HIST 484 | COLONIAL AMERICAN HISTORY, 1607-1763 | 5 |
| HIST 485 | AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1763-1824 | 5 |
| HIST 488 | U.S. HISTORY SINCE 1945 | 5 |
| Empires and Colonialism | ||
| HIST 301 | HISTORY OF THE PRESENT: WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1945 | 5 |
| HIST 302 | WORLD WARS | 5 |
| HIST 310 | IMPERIAL CHINA | 5 |
| HIST 311 | COLONIALISM AND NATIONALISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA | 5 |
| HIST 313 | ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST/AAST 315 | AFRICAN HISTORY: ANCIENT AFRICA TO MANDELA | 5 |
| HIST 330 | HISTORY OF MODERN IRELAND | 5 |
| HIST 361 | COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA | 5 |
| HIST 372 | FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON | 5 |
| HIST 374 | IMPERIAL RUSSIA | 5 |
| HIST 410 | CHINA IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES | 5 |
| HIST 416 | MODERN JAPAN | 5 |
| HIST 424 | HISTORY OF SPAIN | 5 |
| HIST 442 | WOMEN IN THE WEST | 5 |
| HIST 444 | HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | 5 |
| HIST 474 | BRITISH EMPIRE SINCE 1783 | 5 |
| HIST 477 | ANGLO-AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONALISM | 5 |
| HIST 484 | COLONIAL AMERICAN HISTORY, 1607-1763 | 5 |
| HIST 486 | AMERICAN EMPIRE SINCE 1898 | 5 |
| HIST 489 | VIETNAM WARS, 1945-1975 | 5 |
| Global Economies, Exchange, and Conflict | ||
| HIST 301 | HISTORY OF THE PRESENT: WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1945 | 5 |
| HIST 302 | WORLD WARS | 5 |
| HIST 318 | MODERN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 319 | THE HISTORY OF SOCCER-FOOTBALL-FUTBOL | 5 |
| HIST 330 | HISTORY OF MODERN IRELAND | 5 |
| HIST/GERM 332 | 20TH CENTURY GERMANY: FROM WORLD WARS TO COLD WAR | 5 |
| HIST 371 | THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION AND HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 375 | 20TH CENTURY RUSSIA | 5 |
| HIST 380 | THE U.S. CIVIL WAR | 5 |
| HIST 410 | CHINA IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES | 5 |
| HIST 416 | MODERN JAPAN | 5 |
| HIST 420 | TUDOR ENGLAND | 5 |
| HIST 422 | CITIES AND THE MAKING OF MODERN GERMANY | 5 |
| HIST 424 | HISTORY OF SPAIN | 5 |
| HIST 462 | HISTORY OF MEXICO | 5 |
| HIST 472 | RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION EUROPE | 5 |
| HIST 474 | BRITISH EMPIRE SINCE 1783 | 5 |
| HIST 476 | MODERN BRITAIN SINCE 1870 | 5 |
| HIST 485 | AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1763-1824 | 5 |
| HIST 486 | AMERICAN EMPIRE SINCE 1898 | 5 |
| HIST 487/ECON 412 | ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 5 |
| HIST 488 | U.S. HISTORY SINCE 1945 | 5 |
| HIST 489 | VIETNAM WARS, 1945-1975 | 5 |
| Public and Digital History–for non-history courses consult your departmental advisor. | ||
| HIST 381 | RACE & CULTURE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | 5 |
| HIST 383 | WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 389 | PUBLIC HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 443 | NEARBY HISTORY: EXPLORING THE PAST AROUND YOU | 5 |
| HIST 444 | HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | 5 |
| HIST 451 | DIGITAL HUMANITIES | 5 |
| HIST 452 | THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL PARKS | 5 |
| HIST 453 | AMERICAN WILDERNESS | 5 |
| Science, Technology and the Environment | ||
| HIST 353 | DARWIN AND THE EVOLUTION-CREATION CONTROVERSY | 5 |
| HIST 354 | ANCIENT ALIEN AND ALTERNATIVE HISTORY THEORIES | 5 |
| HIST 389 | PUBLIC HISTORY | 5 |
| HIST 418 | CULTURAL HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA | 5 |
| HIST 451 | DIGITAL HUMANITIES | 5 |
| HIST 452 | THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL PARKS | 5 |
| HIST 453 | AMERICAN WILDERNESS | 5 |
| HIST 487/ECON 412 | ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 5 |
History Courses
HIST 102. WORLD HISTORY TO 1500. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for humanities and arts.
This course surveys the major trends in human history beginning with the rise of civilizations in the fourth millennia BCE and continuing to 1500 CE. The geographical gaze of this course spans the globe, and the narratives and historical contributions of distinct world civilizations will be assessed through the lenses of culture, religion, politics, gender, and the environment. Through source analysis, discussion, and other media students will gain a historical knowledge of past civilizations.
HIST 103. WORLD HISTORY FROM 1500. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for humanities and arts.
This course surveys the major trends in human history from 1500 to present. A primary emphasis will be on the expansion of Europeans around the globe since 1492, and how this event continues to transform and affect non-European societies. By creating a global web of relations through maritime shipping, the movement of people, cargo and communications over long distances has accelerated exponentially. The focus is on how cultures have clashed with or negotiated the process of Westernization.
HIST 105. EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION TO 1500. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for humanities and arts.
This course presents the cultural, religious, military and political development of the near East and Europe from the classical period through the middle ages and renaissance. In particular, students will learn about the religious contexts in which monotheisms emerged, the evolution of ancient city-states and empires, feudalism, and the emergence of monarchical states.
HIST 106. EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION, 1500 TO PRESENT. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for social sciences.
This course presents the political, social, cultural and economic developments of European civilization since the Protestant Reformation. In particular, students will learn about the industrial revolution, European imperialism, the World Wars, Globalization and the European Union project.
HIST 110. AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: A SURVEY. 5 Credits.
A broad survey of unique features of the American experience, this course examines the origins and development of the American social, economic and political heritage on the domestic and international scenes.
HIST 111. AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1877. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for humanities and arts.
This course examines the changes and continuities of early American history from the development of colonial societies to the end of Reconstruction. Following a chronological timeline, students will evaluate and discuss historical voices in national events such as the Great Awakening, American Revolution, and the Civil War. Students will examine primary and/or secondary sources to produce a research project.
HIST 112. AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1877. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a BACR for Social Sciences.
This course examines changes and continuities of modern American history from the Reconstruction era to the present day. Following a chronological timeline, students will evaluate and discuss historical voices in national events such as Progressivism, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and globalization. Students will examine secondary and/or primary sources to produce a research project.
HIST 196. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-5 Credits.
Experimental.
HIST 197. WORKSHOP, SHORT COURSE, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR. 2 Credits.
HIST 199. SPECIAL STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.
HIST 204. EAST ASIA: TRADITION AND TRANSFORMATION. 5 Credits.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course explores the diverse societies of China, Mongolia, Japan, and Korea from 1200 B.C.E. to present. The first half covers traditional beliefs, practices, political systems, concepts of justice, and the role of women. The second half examines how East Asians resisted and negotiated the post–1800 European new world order and its existential challenges: Western imperialism, capitalism, industrialization, democracy, communism, fascism, achieving a synthesis of tradition and transformation.
HIST 215. EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: ANCIENT AFRICA TO THE END OF THE RECONSTRUCTION 1877. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: AAST 215.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
An examination of the history of African Americans from African civilizations in the 10th century A.D. through American slavery to the end of the Reconstruction era in the U.S. Major attention will be given to the social, political, and economic evolution of African Americans as a whole as well as the individual lives and work of famous black leaders.
HIST 218. CHICANO HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: CHST 218.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
This course offers a study of Chicano history from the time of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, to the present. Specific themes discussed include the Mexican American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, the economic, political and social conditions after the Anglo-American conquest of the southwest, Mexican immigration to the U.S., Chicano labor history, the Chicano movement and other Chicano themes.
HIST 220. AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: POST CIVIL WAR TO PRESENT. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: AAST 220.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
An examination of the history of African Americans from the end of the Reconstruction era to contemporary issues of today. Major attention will be given to the social political, and economic evolution of African Americans as a whole as well as the individual lives and work of famous black leaders and grassroots movements.
HIST 290. HISTORY TODAY: ISSUES AND PRACTICES. 5 Credits.
This is the cornerstone course for the major, introducing professional preparation, orientation to careers in History, and orientation to the experiential learning major requirement. It is strongly recommended that students take this course prior to their Experiential Learning course.
HIST 296. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-10 Credits.
HIST 299. SPECIAL STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Subjects studied vary according to faculty and student interest.
HIST 300. SPECIAL TOPICS IN HISTORY. 1-5 Credits.
A series of specialized studies of different areas of history, such as conservation, urban history, science, and technology. The topics are announced each quarter and may or may not be offered each year.
HIST 301. HISTORY OF THE PRESENT: WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1945. 5 Credits.
Notes: HIST 302 is the recommended background for this course. Topics vary with changes in the world situation. This course is repeatable for credit.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course will provide the historical background of contemporary geo-political problems and events, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nuclear proliferation, and resource wars. It begins with the end of World War II/the beginning of the Cold War and concludes with issues ripped from today’s newspaper headlines.
HIST 302. WORLD WARS. 5 Credits.
Notes: intended for both majors and non-majors.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course covers some of the most dramatic moments of the first half of the 20th century and their enduring impact on our own times. Topics covered include the origins and fighting of World War I, the failure of the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of fascism in Europe, the unleashing of World War II, the Holocaust, and the post-World War II settlement.
HIST 305. PATHS TO THE AMERICAN PRESENT. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: junior or senior class standing.
An advanced course emphasizing the historical roots of the reform tradition, the political system, the American role in world affairs, and the evolution of the American social structure.
HIST 306. MODERN EUROPE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
A study of political, social, cultural, diplomatic, economic, and other issues in Europe of the 19th and 20th centuries.
HIST 308. CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Was the Civil War fought over slavery or state’s rights? This course will answer that question. Along the way, it will cover the rise of slavery, the political conflict over slavery, the secession and rebellion of 11 Southern states, the military suppression of the rebellion, the military occupation of the South, and the political reconciliation of Southern whites with Northern whites at the expense of Southern African Americans.
HIST 310. IMPERIAL CHINA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This class surveys the imperial era of Chinese history from the Qin dynasty to the mid-Qing (221 BC-1800 AD).
HIST 311. COLONIALISM AND NATIONALISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This is a comparative study of the diverse societies in Southeast Asia, focusing on the period 1600 to 2000. Early influences in S.E. Asia include China, India and the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. The nationalist/independence movements of the 19th and 20th centuries varied from traditional to Western-influenced. The Cold War and Islamic Extremism have similarly impacted nations in the region. Students will examine processes that shape Southeast Asia to the present day.
HIST 313. ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
This course provides a general survey of the experience of eastern Asian immigrants and their descendants in the U.S. from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. The study focuses on the following groups: Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Korean, Asian Indian, and Vietnamese and their collective history within the broad context of American history.
HIST 315. AFRICAN HISTORY: ANCIENT AFRICA TO MANDELA. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: AAST 315.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 101 or equivalent.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course will examine the historical unfolding of Africa both domestically and internationally. The major topics will include such themes as traditional institutions, political development, European colonialism, African nationalism along with the struggle for independence and the entry into the global free market and world affairs.
HIST 316. AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY I. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: IDST 316.
This course introduces students to an overview of American Indian history through major themes which include impact and response to European contact, conquest and colonization, empire building, removal and dispossession from traditional lands, treaty making and the origins of Federal Indian Policy.
HIST 317. AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY II. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: IDST 317.
This course introduces students to an overview to American Indian history from 1887 to the present. Major themes covered in this course include but not limited to questions regarding history as a discipline, origins of indigenous peoples, impacts and responses to colonization and genocide, beginning from assimilationist policies, self-determination, termination and relocation, Red Power movement, gender, sovereignty, identity, land, environment and current issues facing American Indian peoples and communities today.
HIST 318. MODERN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course surveys the principal economic, social, religious, environmental, and political transformations in Latin America from the Wars of Independence (1810s) to the present in order to understand the roots of contemporary structures. Students will evaluate histories of race, culture, and Latin America within a global context, as well participate in discussions, in-class activities, readings, films and other media, and complete short-writing assignments.
HIST 319. THE HISTORY OF SOCCER-FOOTBALL-FUTBOL. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This course explains how a game devised to toughen elite English schoolboys in the late 19th century became a worldwide phenomenon today played in diverse settings from favelas in Brazil, or refugee camps in Jordan, to artificial turf (aka plastic pitch) in Iceland. Examining the history of soccer/football/fútbol provides an opportunity to look at nationalism, decolonization, wealth inequality, immigration, sectarian conflict, racism, sexism, neoliberal economics, etc. across the globe.
HIST 321. DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
Western nations criticize Asian countries for failing to respect human rights. This course elucidates the challenges of using Western standards and practices for judging East and Southeast Asian governments in the 21st century. Traditional views on government, crime and punishment, women’s roles, and relations between rulers and their subjects are compared to current practices in Asian nations. Students understand the complexities of state-society relations from Western and Asian perspectives.
HIST 330. HISTORY OF MODERN IRELAND. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course is intended for both non-majors and majors. It examines the major political, religious, and cultural moments in Irish history from c. 1500-present. The course also examines Irish history in pop culture as well as Irish-American traditions in Spokane.
HIST 332. 20TH CENTURY GERMANY: FROM WORLD WARS TO COLD WAR. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: GERM 332.
Notes: GERM 383 is a companion course.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
This interdisciplinary course introduces students to central problems in German history and culture during the 20th century. Topics addressed include: the impact of World War I on German National Identity; Avant-garde culture in the Weimar Republic; the rise of Fascism and daily life in Nazi Germany; the Holocaust; and cultural and political divides between East and West Germany.
HIST 351. GENDER AND WAR IN THE 20TH CENTURY. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: GWSS 351.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course explores the relationship between social constructions of gender and the history of war in the 20th century. Topics include how gender is used to justify war and the use of gender ideologies in pacifist movements. The course also looks at ways that individual men and women experienced war and war’s effects on the social, sexual, psychological, political and economic aspects of individuals’ lives.
HIST 353. DARWIN AND THE EVOLUTION-CREATION CONTROVERSY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
Where did we (humans) come from? How do we distinguish between science and pseudoscience? What does being part of a racial group really mean? Who determines what a religious text really means? This course answers those questions and introduces students to the Evolution-Creation controversy. The course begins with precursors to evolution and ends with current understandings of human origins. Particular emphasis will be placed on changing scientific understandings of speciation.
HIST 354. ANCIENT ALIEN AND ALTERNATIVE HISTORY THEORIES. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course examines a variety of megalithic structures through three lenses: the orthodox, the extreme alternatives and a middle ground between the two. The course is an intellectual exercise challenging students to think critically about how our knowledge of the remote human past is neither fixed nor stagnant.
HIST 361. COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Latin American indigenous societies existed for more than 10,000 years prior to European contact. This course focuses on the highly structured pre-Colombian societies of the Maya and the Mexica in central Mexico as well as the Andean Inca Empire and its subject polities. We will first examine these pre-Columbian civilizations and then look at how Europeans and native peoples interacted with one another following Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the Caribbean in 1492.
HIST 371. THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION AND HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course will teach students the history of the English Civil War as a way into great historiographical debates that have dominated the historical profession for the past 100 years. For Revolutions generate more historical controversy and create more historiographical schools than any other historical phenomenon. Students will learn about whiggish, Marxist, materialist, empiricist historiographical schools as the “religious turns,” “cultural turns,” and “Atlantic turns” in historical thought.
HIST 372. FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
The history of the French Revolution and Napoleon, from the development of conditions leading to the Revolution through the Congress of Vienna. Emphasizes political, military and diplomatic developments.
HIST 374. IMPERIAL RUSSIA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Imperial Russia: Russian history from 1700 to 1905. Major themes include: efforts at reform by Russian tsars, intellectuals and peasants; the development of the revolutionary movement; and the social and political life of the Russian people.
HIST 375. 20TH CENTURY RUSSIA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
20th Century Russia: Russia in a century of unrest. The course will explore the intent and results of revolution, including the “Marxist victory” in the 1917 “Revolution from above.”
HIST 380. THE U.S. CIVIL WAR. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Was the Civil War fought over slavery or state’s rights? This course will answer that question, addressing the rise of slavery, the political conflict over slavery, the secession and rebellion of 11 Southern states, the military suppression of the rebellion and occupation of the South, and the political reconciliation of Southern whites with Northern whites at the expense of Southern African Americans. Particular emphasis will be placed on differing historical interpretations of these events.
HIST 381. RACE & CULTURE IN THE AMERICAN WEST. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
This course is a brief survey of the American West that evaluates its diverse histories of race and culture from the inception of the United States to the present. Through a historiographical evaluation of the trans-Mississippi West, students will examine evolving and contradictory narratives, including focuses on gender, race, class, labor, and sexuality, to better understand the multitude of experiences that have and continue to shape the history of the West.
HIST 383. WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: GWSS 383.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
Students will study women’s experiences in American history from pre-colonial society to the 21st century. Students will reconsider traditional timelines and motivations in the development of the United States, while analyzing how women’s experiences have been shaped not just by their gender identity, but also by their racial, ethnic, sexual, cultural and class identities. Students will evaluate the distinct and unique roles of women in national events and major transitions in American society.
HIST 389. PUBLIC HISTORY. 5 Credits.
Notes: required of students in public history field.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Public History prepares students for careers public history in museums, archives, historic preservation, and government employment. This hands-on course will work with community partners to research and produce engaging historical interpretation for a public audience.
HIST 390. HISTORIAN AS DETECTIVE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: HIST 290 or HIST 389 and junior standing; or permission of instructor.
This seminar is designed to help advanced history students develop the skills needed to conduct primary-source research and write successful papers. This course prepares students for work in other advanced history courses, in the history capstone course, writing papers for academic conferences and for graduate study in history and related fields.
HIST 395. HISTORY INTERNSHIP. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
An opportunity for history students to work with historical agencies. Individual learning and career development contact is coordinated through the EWU Center for Extended Learning.
HIST 396. EXPERIMENTAL. 1-5 Credits.
HIST 398. SEMINAR. 1-5 Credits.
HIST 399. DIRECTED STUDY. 1-10 Credits.
HIST 410. CHINA IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
A political, economic, and diplomatic consideration of China from the late Qing Dynasty, with particular emphasis on the rise of Chinese nationalism and communism as an aftermath of Western and Japanese imperialism in China.
HIST 416. MODERN JAPAN. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–global studies.
History of Japan as traditionalism is modified and the modern nation emerges, from the 17th century to the present.
HIST 418. CULTURAL HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course considers the role culture played in writing the history of Latin America since that region was “born” following the contact between Old and New World peoples in 1492. The history of the region is understood as the product of cultural clashes and the blending of religious, culinary, musical, and sporting traditions. In addition to presentations, and exams, students will locate primary documents and demonstrate how they reveal the rich tapestries of culture in modern Latin America.
HIST 420. TUDOR ENGLAND. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Tudor England is a research-intensive course based on the Tudor age. Students will learn about the Protestant Reformation, the age of exploration, and the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I, while also learning how to craft a research project with the resources available at JFK Library. By the end of the course, students will have a sufficient grasp of Tudor history and will be able to execute a research project.
HIST 422. CITIES AND THE MAKING OF MODERN GERMANY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course presents a thematic over-view of German urban history from the Renaissance to the end of the 20th century, including influential historical interpretations of urbanism and urban life. Topics covered include economic developments from city-based crafts guilds through industrialization; urban society and class structure; urban art and architecture; and the role of Berlin as capital of Prussia, united Germany, Nazi Germany, and Cold War.
HIST 424. HISTORY OF SPAIN. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
A history of Spain from pre-Roman times to the present, with special emphasis on the Imperial Hapsburg years, the Bourbon Enlightenment, and the Napoleonic era. Implicit inclusion of the concurrent developments of Western civilization.
HIST 442. WOMEN IN THE WEST. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: GWSS 442.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Students will study the history of women in the American West from pre-colonial society to the 21st century. Students will reconsider traditional timelines and motivations in western expansion while analyzing how women’s experiences have been shaped not just by their gender identity, but also by their racial, ethnic, sexual, cultural, and class identities. Students will evaluate the distinct and unique roles of women in both regional and national events.
HIST 443. NEARBY HISTORY: EXPLORING THE PAST AROUND YOU. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Clues to the past are all around us—traces of old roads, fading painted signs on brick buildings, cemetery headstones covered in moss. This course will teach you to discover the stories behind the traces, and to share them with a public audience. We’ll explore archives and historic buildings as we learn the craft of the historian.
HIST 444. HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Students will study the history of the Pacific Northwest from pre-European contact to today. Following a traditional chronology, the course will examine the PNW as both unique from and deeply connected to the national narrative during events like the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Movement. Students will evaluate issue that cover a diverse range of historiographies, including labor, the environment, race, gender, politics, and popular culture.
HIST 451. DIGITAL HUMANITIES. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
The practices of humanists are being transformed by digital tools and practices. This course offers hands-on training for historians and others, including text-mining, digital storytelling, mapping humanities information and place-based storytelling, image and audio production, digital research methodology and social media. Students will complete a digital project.
HIST 452. THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL PARKS. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
The national parks have been called "America's best idea." But the setting aside landscapes and buildings for future generations to enjoy runs counter to another American ideal: progress. This course tells the story of the slow emergence in the United States of a conviction that, in John Muir's words, "we need beauty as well as bread"–that we need ancient forests to admire rather than to exploit, flower-clad meadows to enjoy rather than plow.
HIST 453. AMERICAN WILDERNESS. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
The course explores the ways men and women have lived in and thought about their natural environment in the United States. It begins with the colonists who thought of the wilderness as a realm to conquer and concludes with the contemporary American environmentalists who seek to "preserve" the wilderness. The course makes extensive use of films and books in exploring this theme.
HIST 462. HISTORY OF MEXICO. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: CHST 462.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course addresses the history of Mexico in the national period, from the events immediately preceding the independence movement of 1810 to the present. Besides political and economic happenings, social and cultural processes will be considered through diverse prisms, including: racial friction; religion; elite and popular society; labor; art; women's and family history; environmental challenges; and urbanization. Students will also compose a substantial research paper.
HIST 472. RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION EUROPE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Renaissance and Reformation Europe presents the political and religious contexts in which major cultural figures created their works: from Machiavelli and Martin Luther to Galileo and Shakespeare. This course also looks at how religious persecution and warfare effected ordinary people and remade European society between 1350 and 1600.
HIST 474. BRITISH EMPIRE SINCE 1783. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course examines the key moments in British imperial history from the end of the war of independence to decolonization in the 20th century.
HIST 476. MODERN BRITAIN SINCE 1870. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
From Victorian England, this course includes a consideration of the 19th century background. Stress is on the transition of Great Britain from the leading European naval, imperial and commercial power to a less certain position today in relation to Europe and the world.
HIST 477. ANGLO-AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONALISM. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course introduces students to Anglo-American constitutional thought from the colonial period to the American Civil War. Students will learn about the English legal system, the formation of a federalist government, the separation of powers, due process, judicial review, and constitutional politics.
HIST 484. COLONIAL AMERICAN HISTORY, 1607-1763. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the foundations of American history including the growth of Indian relations, settler communities, religious institutions, labor and slavery, trade patterns, and political institutions. Students will learn about the many colonial wars and the events leading up to the American Revolution.
HIST 485. AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1763-1824. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
The American Revolution produced the first-ever written constitution and an emphatic endorsement of individual human rights. This course explores the workings of the revolutionary spirit during the first half century of American independence, up to 1824. The assignments are designed as a progressive series of exercises in research and writing so that students finish the quarter knowing more about American history and about "doing history."
HIST 486. AMERICAN EMPIRE SINCE 1898. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
A topical approach to the expansion of America's open-door empire from 1898 to the present, with emphasis on the patterns of U.S. intervention around the globe, the impact of World Wars, and the history of the Cold War.
HIST 487. ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: ECON 412.
Pre-requisites: junior standing.
Economic development of the United States from the early colonial period to the present: explorations, westward movement, labor, rise of great industries, world trade, and post-war economic problems.
HIST 488. U.S. HISTORY SINCE 1945. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
A consideration of United States history in recent decades. Attention is given to the United States' position as a world leader, the interplay of foreign and domestic affairs and the oscillations of U.S. policy in recent times.
HIST 489. VIETNAM WARS, 1945-1975. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
An examination of the wars of independence that convulsed Vietnam between 1945 and 1975, including their origins in French colonialism, support for "nation building" in the client state of South Vietnam after the defeat of the French, the Cold War decisions for military intervention by the United States, French, U.S., and Vietnamese strategies for fighting the wars, and the effects produced by the wars on both Vietnamese and American society.
HIST 490. SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: HIST 290, declared history major and senior standing.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–senior capstone.
This course includes a major history paper and end-of program assessment.
HIST 492. PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PREPARATION. 5 Credits.
Notes: A minimum of 10 credits of upper-division History coursework is highly recommended. Students are required to submit final papers for a scholarly conference presentation.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
This course guides students through the process of transforming an initial research project into a product suited for presentation in a professional setting. Skills emphasized include primary source research and interpretation; constructing a scholarly argument from historical sources; crafting an abstract; finding appropriate scholarly venues; converting a written paper into an academic talk.
HIST 493. CERTIFICATE SYNTHESIS AND ASSESSMENT. 1 Credit.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor.
Advised by the certificate coordinator, the student will compile an assessment portfolio of significant assignments completed during the relevant certificate program at EWU. The student will also produce a paper addressing her or his experiences in the certificate program as a means of guided academic and/or career planning. Taken during the term in which the student expects to complete the requirements for the certificate, this independent study course allows the student to engage in portfolio development and summative assessment of the certificate program.
HIST 495. HISTORY INTERNSHIP. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
An opportunity for history students to work with historical agencies. Individual learning and career development contact is coordinated through the EWU Distance and Extended Learning Office.
HIST 496. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-10 Credits.
HIST 497. WORKSHOP, SHORT COURSE, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR. 1-5 Credits.
HIST 498. SEMINAR. 1-5 Credits.
HIST 499. DIRECTED STUDY. 1-15 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Directed study and research projects in various fields of history. Limited to senior and graduate students.
HIST 501. INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL STUDIES. 5 Credits.
A seminar on the nature and problems of historical study with an emphasis on research methods, historiographical trends, salient current issues, and career-path options in the discipline of history.
HIST 512. BRITISH HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This is a research course on Early Modern England that emphasizes the origins and growth of the British Empire. The course discusses the Tudor, Stuart, and Hanoverian periods in British history. Students in the second half of the course develop their own research project that culminates in a final research paper.
HIST 515. INTRODUCTION TO WORLD HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This readings seminar provides an understanding of the methodological and theoretical parameters in the field of World History, with the object of expanding the student's understanding of factual material as well as interpretation and bibliography.
HIST 530. LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This readings seminar addresses problems in Latin American History from colonial times, with the object of expanding the student's understanding of factual material as well as interpretation and bibliography.
HIST 532. EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1783. 5 Credits.
This research course introduces the most vital contemporary themes and debates in the field of early American history, including borderlands, gender, race, and revolution. In addition to reading and discussing recent scholarship, students write a substantial research paper based on primary and secondary sources.
HIST 534. 19TH CENTURY U.S. HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This readings seminar introduces students to recent scholarship on nineteenth-century U.S. history, including such themes as politics, race, gender, religion, economy, and war, with the object of expanding the student's understanding of factual material as well as interpretation and bibliography.
HIST 536. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This readings seminar addresses problems in U.S. History from the twentieth century to the present day, with the object of expanding the understanding of factual material as well as interpretation and bibliography.
HIST 542. PUBLIC HISTORY. 5 Credits.
This readings seminar introduces students to issues, problems, and opportunities in public history, including historical work in museums, government, historic preservation, interpretation, local history, and other careers.
HIST 595. INTERNSHIP. 1-15 Credits.
HIST 596. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-10 Credits.
HIST 599. INDEPENDENT STUDY. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
HIST 602. EXAM PREPARATION. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: submission and approval of candidacy form; permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Directed course of reading and study under the direction of a faculty member serving on the student’s comprehensive examination committee (General Concentration).
HIST 603. PORTFOLIO AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HISTORIANS. 5 Credits.
Notes: must be taken in student's last, or next to last, term. Students should have completed at least 6 courses in the program before taking this class, including HIST 501, HIST 512, HIST 532, and HIST 542.
This capstone course helps students build a professional portfolio and reinforce vital skills they will use throughout their careers. Students polish work they have done in previous courses to make it publishable. Students also learn how to craft a curriculum vita and how to find and apply for jobs in historical fields.
HIST 694. HISTORY INTERNSHIP. 2-5 Credits.
Notes: graded Pass/No Credit.
Pre-requisites: permission of the department chair.
This program will stress application of history to potential vocational opportunities by providing supervised work experiences in cooperating agencies. Internships may be created in several fields; one such program will be a museum internship; others may be created in archives and libraries.