Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
History
Mission
The Bachelor of Arts in History prepares students to examine the decisions and actions of individuals and groups in a variety of cultures and historical eras and to develop skill in close reading and in evaluating competing interpretations of history. It offers students opportunities to express, in writing and in speech, their understanding of historical developments. This degree trains students to think analytically, to assess evidence and encourages understanding of diverse religious, social and political groups. The major in history is not aimed primarily at producing professional historians; rather, the major is aimed at training individuals who can critically evaluate the individuals, events, and movements of the past and present.
A history major is useful for students who are interested in careers in public service, business, finance, education, writing, the ministry, print and broadcast media, library and archival work; a degree in history is excellent preparation for success in law school, entrance into diplomatic or civil service, or teaching on the pre-collegiate level. A major or minor in history also complements the program of those students seeking a broad liberal arts education.
Majors may focus their studies on America, Europe, Global Studies or some combination of areas.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students in the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History program will:
- Demonstrate increased knowledge about the traditions, issues, and development of Western, World, and American History.
- Read and evaluate primary sources as windows into the past.
- Learn to express themselves effectively in writing.
- Learn to develop methodological competence in using libraries and appropriate technologies.
Special Features and Activities
History students are offered the opportunity to participate in the following activities:
- Join the History Honor Society – Phi Alpha Theta.
- Attend showings of historical films and documentaries.
- Develop history-based internship opportunities.
- Participate in cultural and educational trips to foreign countries.
- Attend faculty and student colloquia on academic topics.
- Visit historical museums, archives, and war memorials in the Southeast.
- Present research at the Convocation of Artists and Scholars.
Certificate of Museum Studies
A Certificate of Museum Studies is a professional asset for students who want to pursue a career in museum and curatorial work. Reinhardt University has an active history museum, the Funk Heritage Center. Students gain valuable experience, especially through applied learning in the museum and through internships with area institutions.
Students may apply for a Certificate of Museum Studies after successful completion of six (6) courses, a blend of required of History and Museum Studies courses, with at least a “C” grade. See page L |47 below. All certificate- seeking students must complete the admission process at Reinhardt University prior to beginning courses. Contact the History Program Coordinator for more information.
Degrees and Certificates
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History, -
History and Politics Track, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) -
History Education, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) -
Certificate of Museum Studies, Certificate -
History Minor, Minor
Courses
HIS 001: HISTORY EXIT INTERVIEW
Credits 0HIS 002: HISTORY SENIOR PORTFOLIO
Credits 0HIS 111: WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO 1650
Credits 3This course is a survey of the Western world within the context of world civilization from ancient times to 1650. Emphasis is placed on the developments that have contributed to Western civilization today. Major topics include the following: the rise and fall of ancient civilizations; Greek and Roman culture; Judaism at the birth of Jesus; the rise of Christianity and Islam; the Middle Ages; exploration, conquest and colonization; the Renaissance; humanism; the Reformation; and the Puritan Revolution.
HIS 112: WESTERN CIVILIZATION SINCE 1650
Credits 3A survey of Western civilization within the context of world history from 1650 to present, this course emphasizes the historical process. Major topics include the Age of Absolutism; the Scientific Revolution; the Enlightenment; the era of revolutions; the modern state system and nationalism; the Industrial Revolution; imperialism, colonialism and racism; European/American dominance of the world; World War I, World War II and the Cold War; the twentieth-century revolutions; the Third World; the dissolution of the Soviet Union; and the role of ideas, the arts and literature.
HIS 120: WORLD HISTORY I
Credits 3World History I will introduce students to the broad sweep of world history from prehistory to 1500. This course puts developments in Africa, Asia, and the Americas at center stage, and considers European history as just a part of the story. In addition to broad evolutions in history, we will consider specific places, events and people, and one of the main themes for the course will be travel and global interaction.
HIS 121: WORLD HISTORY II: 1500-PRESENT
Credits 3World History II will introduce students to the broad sweep of world history from 1500 to the present. This course puts developments in Africa, Asia, and the Americas at center stage, and considers European history as just a part of the story. In addition to broad evolutions in history, we will consider specific places, events and people, and one of the main themes for the course will be travel and global interaction.
HIS 203: RESEARCH WRITING BOOTCAMP
Credits 1This course will introduce students to themes and methodologies in the Historical professions, with an intensive focus on guided research writing. Students will choose research topics near the beginning of the semester and they will learn honed techniques for writing excellent research papers over the course of the term.
HIS 210: WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Credits 3This course is a survey of world geography and an intensive study of the relationship of human beings to their natural environment. Climate, topography and natural resources in various regions of the world are examined for their effect on the culture, economy and welfare of populations.
HIS 235: CONFLICT IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Credits 3This course examines the impact of armed conflict in various geographic regions as presented in historical films, scholarly books, and academic articles.
HIS 251: AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1865
Credits 3This course is a survey of America history through the Civil War, with emphasis on the role of the state of Georgia in relation to American history. Major topics include colonial life and society, the impact of European contact upon American Indians, American religion from the Puritans to the evangelical reform movements of the nineteenth century, the causes and results of the American Revolution, the role of women, the development of sectional rivalries, slavery in America and the causes and course of the Civil War.
HIS 252: AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865
Credits 3A survey of United States history from 1866 to the present within the global context, this course emphasizes the factors influencing the emergence of the U.S. as an industrialized power, as well as the historical development of problems that confront Georgia, the U.S. and the global society today. Major topics include the historical process; the South during Reconstruction and after; the West and the closing of the frontier; the industrialization of America; urbanization, populism and progressivism; the Great Depression and the New Deal; wars and the move toward world-power status; the Cold War era; changes in the nation’s social fabric; the nationalization of American government and society; and the development of the global society.
HIS 274: HISTORY OF GEORGIA
Credits 3This course is designed to survey the state’s history and culture and give the student a critical, comprehensive view of Georgia’s past. The course focuses on those developments crucial to understanding the evolution of modern Georgia.
HIS 298: SPECIAL TOPICS IN HISTORY
Credits 3This course, which explores a topic of contemporary interest to the study of history, is offered as needed to students with sophomore standing.
HIS 299: INDEPENDENT STUDY IN HISTORY
Credits 3This course, which involves supervised research on a specified topic, is available as needed to students with sophomore standing. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
HIS 300: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
Credits 3This course examines the history of Christian thought and practice from its post-biblical formation to the 20th century. The course focuses on selected thinkers such as Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Schleirmacher and Wesley. In addition, the course covers selected topics such as Christianity in the Roman Empire, the theological significance of the ecumenical councils, the split between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, the interactions with Judaism and Islam, the medieval church-state relations, the backgrounds of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, the Enlightenment’s impact on religious thinking and the beginnings of pietism.
HIS 302: ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Credits 3This course studies the political, social and cultural history of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, concentrating especially on the latter two and their contributions to subsequent European history.
HIS 304: MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Credits 3This course surveys aspects of the history of Europe from the collapse of the Western Roman Empire to the problems in the fourteenth century of famine, plague and war, from which a new Europe arose. Themes include the persistence of Roman traditions, conversion to Christianity, the rise of national monarchies, the expansion of medieval frontiers, the rise of the university, the evolution of the Church, and changes in medieval art and architecture, in order to examine the rich complexity of life in the Middle Ages.
HIS 306: RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION
Credits 3This course is an intensive study of the intellectual and religious ferment that characterized the thirteenth through the sixteenth centuries. Topics include the roots of the Renaissance and the Reformation; the rise of humanism and its relationship to the literary, artistic, scientific, political, economic and social developments in Western Europe; the major aspects of the Italian, Northern European, English and Spanish phases of the Renaissance; the pre-reformers, the relation of the Reformation to humanism; the lives and theology of the leaders of the Reformation’s major movements and the impact of the Renaissance and the Reformation on history and society since the 16th century.
HIS 310: TASTE & TUMULT IN 18th CENT EUROPE
Credits 3The eighteenth century – often referred to as the Age of Enlightenment – was a crucial period in the development of “modern” ideas about science and learning, religion, politics, race, gender, and emotions. In this course we shall have the opportunity to study by cultural and intellectual history of this fascinating era in detail. Through reading texts by women and men, literary stars of this period and lesser-known personages, we will endeavor to see what life was like in this period and what motivated people to question the status quo. We will also test the term “enlightenment” and see how far it went.
HIS 312: RELIGION AND HIS OF JUDAISM & ISLAM
Credits 3This course is a study of the political, economic, social and cultural history of Judaism and Islam and the texts of these beliefs. In addition, this course develops an understanding of the historical similarities and dissimilarities in Judaism and Islam and their relevance for modern America.
HIS 320: 19TH CENTURY EUROPE
Credits 3This course covers European history from the French Revolution to the beginnings of World War I. Social, political, economic and intellectual dimensions of this period are examined.
HIS 323: HISTORY OF IRELAND
Credits 3Ireland looms very large in the history of Great Britain and of America. This course is an overview of the history and culture of that island, focusing on events that have shaped the present.
HIS 324: EUROPE 20TH CENTURY: 1914 TO PRSNT
Credits 3This course analyzes the social, economic, political and military upheavals that dominated the 20th century, with special emphasis on the causes and effects of major wars, the development of totalitarianism, the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union and the move toward European unity.
HIS 328: HISTORY OF GERMANY
Credits 3This course surveys the history and complexity of the German territories before 1871, noting the close relationship between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Catholic Church and the profound and dividing impact of the Protestant Reformation. Other topics of importance are the revolution of 1848, Bismarck’s unification, German imperialist expansion, the German role in World War I, Weimar culture, the effect of the Great Depression, the rise of National Socialism, World War II, the Holocaust, postwar recovery, separate East and West German development and the positive and negative ramifications of German reunification.
HIS 334: HISTORY OF EASTERN EUROPE
Credits 3This course begins by examining tribal migrations and settlements in Eastern Europe during the early medieval period. Attention is given to the religions that coexisted and at times competed, in this region: paganism, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Islam, with emphasis on the long-lasting legacy of the Holy Roman Empire (the First Reich). Students also study the fate of diverse ethnic and religious groups under the control of many traditional empires, the Third Reich and the Soviet Empire. The course concludes by surveying Eastern European revolutions and attempts at ethnic cleansing in the late twentieth century.
HIS 336: HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST
Credits 3This course will examine German history and European anti-Semitism prior to the Holocaust; the rise of Hitler and the nature of National Socialism; the implementation of the concentration camp system and the Holocaust; the varied experiences of camp inmates, survivors, resistors, perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers; emigration efforts and difficulties; the nature of resistance, both on an individual and a group basis; Holocaust literature and its purposes; and review post World War II discussion of the Holocaust. We will approach these topics from three major perspectives: history, literature, and religion/philosophy. We will also examine art, architecture, and the sociology of ethics, as they relate to the Holocaust.
HIS 338: HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Credits 3This course surveys scientific developments beginning with the Greek Natural Philosophers and concluding with 20th century breakthroughs. Although dealing primarily with the Western tradition, the course also examines non-Western scientific progress during the medieval period.
HIS 340: HISTORY AND RELIGION OF SOUTH ASIA
Credits 3This course focuses on the historical development of Hinduism in South Asia. It covers Hinduism’s relationship with wider aspects of South Asian society as well as the relationship of Hinduism to other religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam. Hinduism’s confrontations with modernity are also considered.
HIS 342: HISTORY OF EAST ASIA
Credits 3This course considers the political, economic, cultural and social history of East Asia from prehistory to the present day, focusing on its two most influential civilizations, those of China and Japan. Special attention is paid to these societies’ interactions with the West, a theme of particular relevance for the twenty-first century.
HIS 346: HISTORY OF AFRICA
Credits 3This course surveys continental African development beginning with the earliest-known tribes and empires. Attention is given to the geographical and climatological zones that figure so importantly in African development. Other major topics include the influence of the Arab Empire and the Islamic religion, both the black- and white-controlled slave trades, trade and interaction with India, the causes and consequences of European colonial rule and the emerging independent African states. Students also examine South Africa and the system of apartheid.
HIS 347: COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA
Credits 3This survey of colonial Latin America and the Caribbean explores the problems and issues related to the conquest and rule of the Americas and how these changed throughout the colonial period.
HIS 348: MODERN LATIN AMERICA
Credits 3This survey of post-colonial Latin America and the Caribbean will investigate cultural, political, social and economic changes by focusing on broad patterns of continuity and change.
HIS 350: COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA
Credits 3This course examines the origins and development of the North American colonies, the colonists’ struggle for independence and the emerging political formulations, including the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. In addition, various social, economic and intellectual themes are treated.
HIS 354: THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
Credits 3This course considers the background of the Civil War and analyzes the war itself and its impact on the American people of both North and South, with a special emphasis on Reconstruction and the South.
HIS 356: AMERICA FROM 1900 TO 1945
Credits 3This course covers political, cultural and economic events and trends in the United States from 1900 to 1945. Topics include, but are not limited to, the impact of modernism on American culture, progressivism, American diplomacy, World War I, the Great Depression, the New Deal and economic recovery, isolationism and World War II in the European and Pacific theaters.
HIS 358: AMERICA SINCE 1945
Credits 3This course covers political, cultural and economic events and trends in the United States since 1945. Topics include, but are not limited to, the political, social and economic consequences of World War II; the evolving Cold War; the NATO Alliance and Warsaw Pact; technological and social change; the Korean War; the civil rights movement; Vietnam; Watergate; Americans and their leaders and the Middle East conflict.
HIS 360: HISTORY OF AMERICAN BUSINESS
Credits 3This course will examine changes over time to the ways in which Americans have organized themselves for economic activities. The course focuses on historical developments resulting from and affecting transformations in American businesses. Major themes include the increasing consolidation of business activity in the modern firm, the effort to balance centralized managerial control with decentralized entrepreneurship, the effects of technological change on business activity and structure, the government’s effects on the business environment, and the social response to the growing influence of business institutions.
HIS 362: PUBLIC HISTORY
Credits 3This course surveys the practice of history as it connects to the public through government agencies, museums, historical societies, archives, businesses, and professional organizations. The course will give students a broad survey of both theory and practice of public history and the tools to conduct public history
HIS 370: HISTORY OF NATIVE AMERICANS
Credits 3This course covers the history of North American Indians from pre-Columbian times to the present with an emphasis on the interaction between Indian and Anglo-American cultures from the seventeenth century to the present.
HIS 372: THE AMERICAN SOUTH
Credits 3This course focuses on the social, economic, political and cultural development of the American South. Special emphasis is placed on the issues of Southern race relations, religion and the roots of the contemporary South.
HIS 377: AMERICAN FEMINISM
Credits 3This course is a study of American Feminism as a set of ideas, as a political movement, and as a historical force that has shaped American culture. The course begins with the formation of an organized movement for women’s rights in the 1840s and progresses to the woman suffrage and birth control movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The course also covers the situation of American women after the World War II era, the high point of “second wave” feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, and the questions and issues posed by feminists and their critics since that time.
HIS 380: RELIGION IN AMERICA
Credits 3This course surveys the history of religion in America. While examining the wide variety of religions in the U.S., this course focuses primarily upon various forms of Christianity and their relationships to the surrounding society and culture.
HIS 390: TOPICS IN WOMEN'S HISTORY
Credits 3This course provides both a broad introduction to issues in women’s history as well as a more narrow focus on women’s lives within specific historical periods. The course focuses on the significant roles that women have played within the dominant patriarchal culture and seeks new perspectives on familiar historical ground. Lectures and readings highlight exceptional women, but also expand students’ understanding of the daily lives of ordinary women both in Europe and in the colonial world.
HIS 392: CHILDREN & CHILDHOOD
Credits 3The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a broad overview of children and childhood throughout history. Special attention will be given to the debates over the construction of childhood as found in the works of Philippe Aries, Lawrence Stone, Linda Pollock and Steven Ozment. We will also examine childrearing techniques and look at the experiences of illegitimate and abandoned children. This course will examine the lives of children in late antiquity, the Middle Ages, Reformation Germany and colonial North America.
HIS 450: SENIOR THESIS
Credits 3The goal of this senior-level course is for the student to produce a senior thesis of high quality. The thesis that results will be in many ways a culmination of the undergraduate experience, and will display the student’s competence in library use, critical thinking, and the ability to present one’s findings both in oral and written form.
HIS 490: INTERNSHIP IN HISTORY
Credits 3In this course, students are given the opportunity to use skills and insights gained in the classroom in actual work environments under the supervision of professionals or in problem-oriented experiences on specific academic issues relating to the program of study.
HIS 498: SPECIAL TOPICS IN HISTORY
Credits 3This course, which explores a topic of contemporary interest to the study of history, is offered as needed to students with junior-senior standing.
HIS 499: INDEPENDENT STUDY IN HISTORY
Credits 3This course, which involves supervised research on a specified topic, is offered as needed to students with junior-senior standing. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor