HISTORY

www.bsu.edu/history

Burkhardt Building 200, 765-285-8700

PROGRAMS

The master of arts (MA) in history and in social science may serve as terminal degrees or as preludes to additional graduate degrees. In addition, either of the two degrees may be used to professionalize the standard secondary school teaching license. See Social Studies, page 183.

MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY

Admission requirements

Students must apply to and meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School. Students also must apply separately to the Department of History. All applicants must submit to the director a resume or curriculum vitae, original copies of all official undergraduate transcripts, a writing sample (typically their best undergraduate history paper), and a 300-500 word statement concerning goals and interests. Applicants normally should have earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) on a scale of 4.0 in a minimum of 18 semester hours in undergraduate history courses. To qualify for a graduate assistantship in the department, applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test and ordinarily have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0.

Degree requirements

PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE CR HRS

Required Core

HIST 612 Sem Historio 3

613 Sem Hist Res 3

Directed electives

A minimum of five courses in American, European, and/or world history distributed over a minimum of two areas. Students must select from the following courses:

American History

HIST 621 Amer to 1877 (3)

622 Amer frm 1877 (3)

623 Spec Top Am (3-6)

European History

HIST 631 Std Erly Eur (3)

632 Std Mod Eur (3)

633 Spec Top Eur (3-6)

World History

HIST 641 Std Wrld His (3) 15

Two 500- or 600-level courses in

history or with approval in related

fields 6

———

27 hrs

Thesis option

Any student may choose to write a
thesis. The history department
strongly recommends that students
who intend to continue their graduate
education at the doctoral level write
a thesis.

THES 698 Thesis (1-6) 6

General option

Students who choose not to write a

thesis must complete 6 additional

hours of 600-level course work in

lieu of a thesis.

600-level course work 6

———

33 hrs

MA Examination

All students must take a three-hour written examination in a field in one of three geographic areas. The written exam is followed by a one-hour oral examination. Students must take at least three courses (9 hours) in the MA exam field, at least two of which (6 hours) must be at the 600 level. Students will complete at least two courses (6 hours) in a complementary field from a different geographic area. At least one of those courses (3 hours) must be at the 600 level. In the course of completing the 6 hours in his or her complementary field, the student must complete an essay of approximately 20 pages on a topic to be determined in consultation with a faculty member.

HISTORY (HIST)

500 Colonial America, 1492-1756. (3) The settlement of North America by the British and the evolution of the distinctive colonial societies that formed the foundations of the United States.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 400.

501 The American Revolution, 1756-1789. (3) Transformation of American society and politics in the era of the American Revolution with emphasis on the origins of the revolution, the development of a democratic society, and the Constitution of the United States.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 401.

503 The Rise of Nationalism in the United States, 1789-1824. (3) The foundations of the United States as a new nation with emphasis on the major social, political, economic, and diplomatic events of the period.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 403.

505 Nationalism versus Sectionalism in the United States, 1820-1860. (3) The major social, political, economic, and cultural developments in the United States with emphasis on the major leaders and events involved in the sectional conflict leading to the Civil War, 1820-1860.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 405.

507 The American Civil War and Reconstruction. (3) Events, leaders, and movements, with special emphasis on causes, interpretation, and historiography of the period of national crisis and war followed by national reconstruction.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 407.

509 Progressivism and Imperialism: The United States, 1878-1918. (3) America’s rise to world significance at home and abroad between 1878 and 1918; the political, social, and economic problems and various efforts at reform.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 409.

510 Introduction to the History of Business in the United States. (3) An historical examination of American business from colonial times to the present.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 310.

Open only to graduate students.

511 The United States from World War I through World War II. (3) An examination of the reaction of the American people to a society changing rapidly under the impact of two major wars, the Great Depression, and continuing industrialization and urbanization.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 411.

513 Recent United States History: 1945 to the Present. (3) The role of the United States in the modern world. Examines the efforts of Americans to preserve a society that is prosperous and humane while it adjusts to technological change and continuing social and intellectual ferment.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 413.

515 History of Indiana. (3) Exploration, colonization, and development of the state from the earliest time to the present.

Prerequisite: 6 hours of credit in United States history.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 415.

516 History of the Antebellum South. (3) History, institutions, political themes, and problems of the antebellum South.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 416.

517 History of the New South. (3) Reconstruction, industrial and agricultural progress, social life, and the new leadership after 1865.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 417.

519 The Trans-Mississippi Frontier. (3) American territorial expansion in the region west of the Mississippi River, with emphasis on the nineteenth century. Exploration, the movement of settlers, the events that influenced their migration, and the effect of these events and the frontier on national development.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 419.

520 The African American Experience in America. (3) The African American experience in America from the sixteenth century to the present. Emphasizes the effect of African Americans on American culture and vice versa.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 210.

521 Indians in United States History. (3) Indian and white relations from 1492 to the present; the Indian wars, treaty making, various types of Indian and Caucasian interaction, and the development of federal and state Indian policy.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 421.

529 Colloquium in Latin American History. (3-6) Selected topics in the history of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Spanish borderlands.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

530 United States Diplomatic History to 1914. (3) History of United States diplomacy from the late colonial period to the eve of World War I.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 430.

532 United States Diplomatic History Since 1914. (3) The foreign relations of the United States since the outbreak of World War I.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 432.

533 American Life and Thought, 1607-1865. (3) American social, intellectual, and cultural history from the colonial period to the Civil War, including such topics as religion, women, the family, ethnic groups, minorities, the arts, thought, popular culture, and everyday life.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 433.

534 American Life and Thought, 1865 to the Present. (3) American social, intellectual, and cultural history from Reconstruction to the present, including such topics as religion, women, the family, ethnic groups, minorities, the arts, thought, popular culture, and everyday life.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 434.

535 American History through Film. (3) Introduces the techniques needed to analyze films as primary documents in United States history. Focuses on the most significant feature and documentary films of American society. Compares and contrasts filmic and historical reality.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 435.

538 Colloquium on United States Urban History. (3) The literature of American urban history, presented topically rather than chronologically. Students will select readings from a list compiled especially for the course and tailored to the exact number of students. They will then discuss their own special assignments each week so that greater exposure and interchange will be possible.

541 Comparative Slavery. (3) Explores the types of bondage, unfree labor systems, and slavery and the slave trade throughout African history as well as in a number of geographical regions for comparison. Includes Africa, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 441.

549 American Culture Field Studies. (3-6) American culture, its art, economic life, educational systems, geography, history, industry, languages, music, and society. Students will travel through designated areas in North America. Before the trip, considerable reading in various fields pertinent to the course will be required. At the conclusion, papers will be required.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 449.

553 Modern Western Culture. (3-6) Selected studies in the development of cultural and intellectual movements in the fine arts, literature, scholarship, political and economic thought, science, and social reform from the eighteenth century to the present. Emphasizes themes and problems of major significance.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

554 The Era of World War I, 1870-1918. (3) The background, immediate causes, and course of the First World War with special attention to nationalism, the alliance system, imperialism, militarism, and conflicts of interest and aspirations.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 454.

555 The Era of World War II, 1918-1945. (3) The origins, immediate causes, and the course of the Second World War with stress on the peace settlement of 1919, revisionism, diplomatic conflicts, and the foundations of the postwar world.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 455.

556 Cold War and Europe Since 1945. (3) European origin of the Cold War and rebirth of a “new” but divided Europe with stress on East-West conflict, power blocs, international relations, and temporary decline of European influence; ideological, political, economic, and social development, including competition between Western and Sovietized Eastern Europe.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 456.

558 Strategy and Diplomacy of the European Great Powers Since 1860. (3) Examines, interprets, and evaluates British, German, Russian, French, Italian, and Austrian strategy and diplomacy—and economic, geographic, ideological, and military foundations of national power—focusing upon the “German Question,” Eurocentrism, imperialism, two world wars, renewed multipolarity, the European Community, and the Cold War.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 458.

559 The Jews in Europe and the Middle East, 1098 to the Present. (3) Survey of the Jewish role in European and Middle Eastern history and society. Focus will be on the commonalities and differences among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and changing attitudes toward the Jewish community in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 459.

560 Selected Topics in American Military History. (3) A selected topics course covering American Military History.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned, but no more than 3 in any one semester or term.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 360.

Open only to graduate students.

561 Development of Greek Civilization. (3) Greek political, social, and intellectual development in the Hellenic and Hellenistic periods. Emphasizes the rise and fall of Greek democracy and Greek contributions to the civilizations and cultures of the West.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 461.

562 Development of Roman Civilization. (3) Political, social, and intellectual development of Rome from the beginning of the republic to approximately AD 500. Emphasizes development of Roman characteristics during the republic, effects of Greek ideas and imperial expansion, and Roman contributions to Western civilization.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 462.

564 Development of Byzantine Civilization. (3) Political, socioeconomic, and intellectual development of the Byzantine Empire from its origins to 1453. Emphasizes Byzantine religious and cultural contributions and relations with Western Europe, the Slavic peoples, and the Muslim world.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 464.

565 Medieval Ideas and Institutions. (3) Selected problems concerning the social and cultural bases of medieval civilization. Emphasizes six major institutions and themes—feudalism, chivalry, manorialism, the medieval city, the church, and the medieval university.

567 The Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600. (3) Specialized study of the crises, changes, and cultural achievements of Europe in an age of transition and intellectual upheaval. Individual investigations combined with a colloquium approach.

569 World Civilizations—Field Studies. (3-6) World civilizations—their history, art, economic life, educational systems, geography, industry, languages, music, and society—through varied travel programs. Advance reading and a summary paper are required to complement each year’s travel program.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 469.

571 France Since 1815. (3) The political, intellectual, and social development of modern France—the problems of revolution and reaction, imperial growth, republican reform and stabilization, state power and individual freedom, capitalism, and socialism.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 471.

572 France—The Classical Age, 1461-1715. (3) The foundations and institutions of French absolutism through Louis XIV—classic culture, the monarchy, the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, Gallican Catholicism—with emphasis on development of the ancient regime and French influence on Europe.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 472.

573 French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Eras, 1715-1815. (3) Investigations of the causes of the French Revolution—the great turning point of modern civilization—with particular stress on nationalism, authority, individual freedom, reform measures, social change, and other significant forces.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 473.

575 Britain, 1485-1714. (3) A survey of the political, social, and economic history of England in the Tudor and Stuart periods. Emphasizes the rise of the national state, religious conflicts, the development of the power of Parliament, and overseas exploration and colonization.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 475.

576 Britain, 1714 to the Present. (3) Survey of the many changes in British life from the Hanoverian period to the present—modernization of political institutions, evolution of the limited monarchy, industrialization and social conflict, effects of imperialism and recent wars, problems of government and society since World War II.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 476.

577 Topics in English Constitutional History. (3) Selected topics concerning the constitutional history of England, such as the development of the kingship, the common law, Parliament, the Tudor and Stuart theories of government, the cabinet system, and political parties.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 477.

581 Modern Germany. (3) Critical problems in modern German history with concentration on unification and the age of Bismarck, the First World War, cultural and intellectual ferment, Hitler and the Nazi period, and postwar West and East Germany.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 481.

582 Research on the History of the Celtic Peoples. (3) Surveys the entire chronological and geographical framework of the history of the Celtic peoples and their distinctive and persistent culture. Introduces recent scholarship and graduate-level research on a topic of the student’s choice.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 482.

583 Research in Irish History. (3) Surveys the entire span of Irish history and introduces recent historiography and graduate-level research on a topic of the student’s choice.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 483.

584 Southern Africa. (3) Explores the arrival of the Europeans in the southern tip of Africa from 1652 and focuses on the subsequent four centuries of colonial domination of much of the southern African continent. Also investigates Black, Indian, and Colored resistance.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 484.

586 Russian Civilization Before 1917: From Kievan Rus to Imperial Russia. (3) Surveys the political, social, and cultural history of Russian civilization from its origins in the ninth century under the first political organization of the East Slavic tribes, known as Kievan Rus, to the collapse of the Russian Empire in March 1917.

587 Soviet and Post-Soviet History. (3) Surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the Soviet Union within the broader context of events before and after the breakup of the USSR to the present.

588 History of South Asia. (3) Descriptive and analytical survey of the subcontinent of South Asia, comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, from early times to the present.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 488.

589 History of Southeast Asia. (3) History of the region from earliest times to the present, with special attention to the formation of the earliest civilizations; the influence of Indian, Chinese, and European cultures upon the people of Southeast Asia; and the processes of synthesis that have taken place within these civilizations through the centuries.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 489.

591 Topics in Middle Eastern History. (3) Selected issues and problems in the Middle Eastern world since Muhammad. Topics may include the expansion of Islam, slavery in the Middle East, the economic and social history of the Ottoman empire, the Arab/Israeli dispute, and recent national and international crises.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 491.

592 History of China to 1600. (3) Descriptive and analytical survey of China’s history from earliest times to roughly AD 1600, with emphasis on the development of the dynastic tradition, Confucian-based society and culture, and China’s focal point status in the pre-1600 world order.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 492.

593 History of Premodern Japan. (3) Analytical survey of premodern Japanese history to ca. 1600, focusing on the ideological, political, social, economic, and cultural developments that provide a foundation for the understanding of modern Japan.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 493.

595 Modern China, 1600 to the Present. (3) Descriptive and analytical survey with emphasis on China’s changing role as a member of the world community, its response to increased Western contacts, disintegration of traditional order, revolutionary changes through the Republic of China and the People’s Republic, and significant elements of contemporary Chinese society and culture.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 495.

596 Modern Japan, 1600 to the Present. (3) Descriptive and analytical survey of political and economic developments, foreign policy, and social and cultural change in modern Japan with emphasis on conditions contributing to its rapid modernization, nationalist and expansionist movements, and dynamic postwar recovery.

Not open to students who have credit in HIST 496.

612 Seminar in Modern Historiography. (3) A survey of the major works in the historical literature of the past five centuries, including both European and American contributions, with special investigation of significant historians and movements in historical studies and writing.

613 Seminar in Historical Research. (3) Designed to further investigative skills. Focuses on the knowledge of concepts and methodology used in historical research through the intensive study of a selected topic in American, European, or world history. A research paper is required.

Prerequisite: HIST 612; permission of the MA advisor in history.

621 Studies in American History to 1877. (3) Studies of selected problems in American history to 1877 with special attention to discussion of historiography and current trends in scholarship. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

622 Studies in American History Since 1877. (3) Studies of selected problems in American history since 1877 with special attention to discussion of historiography and current trends in scholarship. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

623 Special Topics in American History. (3-6) Investigation of a particular topic, problem, or issue in American history with emphasis on topics, specialties, and materials not covered in other courses. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

631 Studies in Early European History. (3) Studies of selected problems in early European history with special attention to discussion of historiography and current trends in scholarship. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

632 Studies in Modern European History. (3) Studies of selected problems in modern European history with special attention to discussion of historiography and current trends in scholarship. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

633 Special Topics in European History. (3-6) Investigation of a particular topic, problem, or issue in European history with emphasis on topics, specialties, and materials not covered in other courses. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

641 Studies in World History. (3) Studies of selected problems in world history with special attention to discussion of historiography and current trends in scholarship. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned, but no more than 3 in any one semester or term.

650 Special Studies. (1-6) Directed study of special problems by individuals or groups of students. Ordinarily not available until students have earned 12 hours of graduate credit in history.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned with permission of the department chairperson.

SOCIAL STUDIES (SS)

650 Independent Study in Social Science Education. (1-6) Directed study of special problems or research in social science education by individuals or groups of students. Topics to be investigated will be chosen after consultation with an instructor with special competence in the topic involved.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

670 Applying Media Resources to Social Science Education. (3) Selecting, developing, and incorporating media into a systematic plan for instruction in the social sciences. Designed to aid in the enrichment of teaching through appropriate use of instructional media.

688 Using Community Resources in Teaching Social Studies. (3) Techniques and practice in finding, analyzing, organizing, and grading materials pertaining to political, economic, and social activities of the community and their historical development for use at the various grade levels.

690 Selection and Organization of Social Studies Teaching Materials. (3) Recent curriculum materials examined in the light of learning theory, methods of teaching, content emphasis, and rationale. Criteria for comparing and evaluating curriculum materials are developed.

691 Teaching Social Studies Skills in Secondary Schools. (3) Preparation for teaching social studies skills to meet individual and group needs. Emphasizes skills related to problem solving, critical thinking, reading and interpreting materials, using pictorial representations, and finding and using information.

692 Teaching Social Studies Skills in Junior High/Middle Schools. (3) Preparation for teaching social studies skills to meet individual and group needs. Emphasizes skills related to problem solving, critical thinking, reading and interpreting materials, using pictorial representations, and finding and using information.

694 Seminar in Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction. (1-5) Research and investigative techniques will be developed through the intensive study of a topic within the framework of social studies curriculum and instruction. Some of the topics studied are goals, methodology, content, evaluation, development and revision of curricula, and teacher education in social studies. A research paper is required.

A total of 5 hours of credit may be earned.

695 Recent Trends in Teaching Secondary School Social Studies. (3) Issues and teaching strategies developed in view of the findings of current research in social science education. Considers such topics as developing goals, organizational patterns, values clarification, inquiry teaching, and evaluative procedures in teaching social studies. Designed for experienced teachers.

697 Seminar in Social Science Education. (1-5) The discussion of current issues and research in one branch of the social studies, such as value analysis, method of inquiry, critical thinking, methods in the inner city.

A total of 5 hours of credit may be earned.