Catalogue: Traditional Program:
History
History (HIS)
Professor Busbee, Chair
Professor Waibel
Associate Professor Phillips
The study of history is an effort to understand past human experiences and to interpret their meaning for the present and the future. Rather than merely a recollection of facts, it involves an examination of peoples' decisions and value systems. The knowledge of history may also provide necessary background for other academic areas.
This department provides survey courses in civilization and United States history. It also offers advanced studies that introduce students to significant historical periods in the United States, to major developments in other cultures, and to the study of theories and practices in politics. The faculty members promote excellence in scholarship and conduct their courses in accordance with the Christian mission of the college.
Students majoring in history must demonstrate “real world” experiences through a variety of courses and activities. They may enter internships that require work in positions that involve practical applications of historical records (e.g. governmental offices, archives, libraries, museums, etc.). They may attend and participate in historical society meetings (e.g. the Mississippi Historical Society, the Southern Historical Society, etc.). All majors must perform guided research and write original treatises suitable for publication in professional journals. Finally, seniors must write essays in the capstone course (Historiography) which reflect their experiences and express an understanding of careers available for history majors.
History Major: 33 hours to include 107, 108, 205 (or WVC 120, 122, 220, 222); 105, 106; and 401. It is recommended that majors in history select courses from both European and United States fields. For history majors not minoring in political science, a maximum of nine hours in political science (212, 218, 301, 313, 314, and 316 only) may be applied to the major in history.
History Minor: 21 hours to include 107, 108, and 205 (or WVC 120, 122, 220, 222); 105, 106; at least six hours of upper-level courses in the department. A maximum of three hours in political science (212, 218, 301, 313, 314, or 316) may be applied to the minor in history.
| 105, 106 | United States History (3, 3). (formerly American Civilization). Survey of the history of the United States. HIS 105 traces major political and cultural developments from colonial times through the Civil War, and 106 studies the American experience from the Reconstruction period to the present. (105, fall only; 106, spring only) |
| 107, 108 | Civilization (3, 3). (formerly World Civilization). Survey of significant developments in the world's major societies with the emphasis on western civilization. HIS 107 summarizes important political and cultural events through the 15th century, and 108 studies key occurrences through the early 20th century. (107, fall only;108 spring only) |
| 201, 202 | History of England (3, 3). Survey of English constitutional, political, economic, and social developments from the earliest times to the present. HIS 201 summarizes the early period through the 17th century, and 202 examines the modern era. (201, fall odd years; 202, spring even years) |
| 205 | Contemporary World History (3). A study of international affairs since World War I, emphasizing recent and current events. It is a selective survey of significant 20th-century political and cultural occurrences, which provides perspective for modern times. (Fall only) |
| 207 | Civil War and Reconstruction (3). This course deals with the background, events, and aftermath of the Civil War. It includes not only the military events but also the political and social aspects of this period, which has had lasting consequences in the American experience. (Spring, odd years) |
| 223 | The Ancient World (3). Prereq: HIS 107, or WVC 101, or department consent. The development of the social, political, religious, and artistic life of the ancient world to the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. The emphasis is on the indebtedness of later civilization to the ancient world. (Fall, odd years) |
| 247 | World War I (3). This course is a survey of World War I (the Great War, as it was known before WWII). Attention is given to the causes and course of this war, considered by some historians as the most traumatic and significant event in Western Civilization since the fall of the Roman Empire. The impact of the war on the course of twentieth-century history, as for example in the increased role of government regulation of everyday life, is studied. (Fall, even years) |
| 248 | World War II (3). This course is a survey of World War II. Attention is paid to the causes of the war in the failed Peace of Paris of 1919, and as a continuation of the Great War of 1914-1918. The role of the war in defeating Nazi totalitarianism and Japanese militarism, and the war as the origin of the Cold War are studied. World War II as the great crusade of the “greatest generation” will be highlighted. (Spring, odd years) |
| 315 | Mississippi History (3). Survey of the state's history from the earliest Indian cultures to the present. It examines important political and cultural developments that have produced contemporary Mississippi society. (Fall, even years) |
| 331 | Medieval History (3). Prereq: HIS 107, or WVC 101, 103, or department consent. An intensive study of the political and cultural institutions of western Europe during the Middle Ages. It includes an examination of developments in church and government which contributed to western civilization in modern times. (Spring, even years) |
| 332 | Renaissance and Reformation (3). Prereq: HIS 107-108, or WVC 101, 103, or department consent. Credit given in either history or biblical studies. An intensive study of reforms in learning, the church, and society in western Europe during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It emphasizes the Protestant Reformation and its lasting consequences. (Fall, even years) |
| 341 | The Age of Reason and Revolution (3). Prereq: HIS 108, or WVC 103, 201, or department consent. A study of western civilization from 1700 to 1815. This course emphasizes the cultural and intellectual developments of the 18th century as well as the political and social upheavals resulting from the American and French Revolutions and the Napoleonic era. (Spring, odd years) |
| 342 | Nineteenth Century Europe (3). Prereq: HIS 108, or WVC 201, or department consent. A survey of the political, economic, intellectual, and social history of Europe from the Vienna Congress to the First World War. (Fall, odd years) |
| 351 | The South in United States History (3). Prereq: HIS 105, 106, or department consent. Survey of the history of the antebellum South as background for the study of political, economic, and social patterns of the "New South" in the 20th century. |
| 361 | The History of Russia (3). Prereq: HIS 107,108, or WVC 101, 103, 201, 203, or department consent. Survey of Russian history from earliest Kievan times to the present. It emphasizes the political, economic, and social developments in the former Soviet Union and devotes attention to contemporary issues. (Spring, odd years) |
| 362 | Cold War (3). This course is a survey of the major events, topics, etc., of the Cold War with emphasis on the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. It covers the period from the last days of WW II to the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Cold War is seen as a reflection of USA-Soviet relations since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. How the Cold War shaped international relations in the second half of the twentieth century is studied. (Spring, even years) |
| 401 | Historiography (3). Prereq: Senior standing. This seminar includes the critical study of outstanding historians since the ancient era, the examination of current methods in historical analysis and writing, and the preparation of an original research paper. (Fall only) |
| 410 | Special Topics in History (3-6). Prereq: At least six hours in history and consent of department chair. This course covers selected areas not studied extensively in other courses and may be repeated for different topics. |
