Major in History | Social Science Composite with History Emphasis | Teacher Certification | Minor in History | Course Descriptions
Chair: Terry D. Bilhartz (936) 294-1483; his_tdb@shsu.edu
Faculty: Nancy Baker, Rosanne Barker, Kersten Biehn, Robert Bruce, Susannah U. Bruce, Ty Cashion, Thomas Cox, Caroline Castillo- Crimm, Jeff Crane, Brian Domitrovic, Yvonne Frear, Ken Hendrickson, Jeff Littlejohn, David Mayes, James Olson, Nicholas Pappas, Katherine Pierce, Bernadette Pruitt, Joseph Rowe, Robert Shadle, Tracy Steele
Information: (936)394-1483; AB 4 Room 441; history@shsu.edu
Website: www.shsu.edu/~his_www/
Knowledge of history is a key to the future. History is the foundation of virtually all academic disciplines because intellectual progress is based on a critique of traditional assumptions, dogmas, and paradigms. In a series of writing-intensive courses, students develop analytical, verbal, and cultural skills that can be applied to a variety of professional settings.
The Department of History will prepare students to analyze major historical events, evaluate changes in values and institutions over time, assess complex forces at work in the past and today, and learn how, in written and oral expression, to explain those changes. In doing so, the department will prepare students for any career requiring critical and analytical skills. The Department of History considers itself a vehicle—through teaching, research and service—for presenting and critiquing the values of the past and for conveying those values and critiques to future generations.
• BA in History
• BS in History
• Teacher Certification
With more than 3,900 students, the History Department is one of the largest and fasting growing departments on campus. Its enrollments have increased by 50% in just three years. SHSU’s History faculty is nationally renowned for the quality of its teaching and research. Four members of the department have won SHSU’s Excellence in Teaching Award, two have won the Minnie Stevens Piper Award and another won the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Texas Professor of the Year Award. Nine members have received more than $2.6 million in federal grants to train Texas high school teachers in Traditional American History. During this period, faculty members within the 18 member department also have published or signed contracts for the publication of more than 50 scholarly books.
History majors can minor in a wide variety of disciplines, including English, Political Science, Criminal Justice, General Business, Economics, Computing Science, Psychology, Math, Speech Communication, Journalism, Sociology, Geography, Radio/television, Dance, Theater, Health, Kinesiology, Agriculture, Industrial Technology, Photography and Spanish..
History students enhance their critical abilities by examining original texts, acquiring research skills, learning to write, and analyzing social, political, economic, and cultural change over time, talents that will serve them well in any employment setting. Although most history students pursue careers in teaching, museum studies, and records management, they can also be found working successfully in medicine, the law, government service and business.
The History Department sponsors Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society, and the Webb Society, a student service club. Webb Society students engage in a wide variety of fun and educational activities, including the Sam Houston Folk Festival, the Renaissance Festival, Encuentro, and numerous historical re-enactments.
History majors interested in museum careers have the opportunity of completing a museum internship as part of their undergraduate curriculum. In recent years interns have served at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston, the Texas Prison Museum, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York among others. On special occasions SHSU History faculty offer classes abroad. In recent years Dr. Rosanne Barker has offered summer classes in England, Dr. Tracy Steele in China, and Dr. Nicholas Pappas in Russia and Greece. Check with the department on courses being offered abroad.
A variety of University and departmental scholarships are available. Since all history department scholarships are arranged by faculty nomination, students do not apply for them directly. Information on University scholarships may be obtained from the Office of Academic Scholarships website at www.shsu.edu/~sfa_www/scholarship.html or telephone (936) 294-1672.
History majors pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree, are required to take four semesters of a single foreign language. The languages offered at Sam Houston State University are French, German, and Spanish. However, any language can be accepted in transfer.
Required History Courses for Majors
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires 36 semester credit hours in History, including HIS 163, 164, 265, 266, and 369. All History majors are required to complete at least one 400-level history course. At least 12 hours of advanced history must be taken in residence.
First Year |
Credit | Second Year | Credit |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | HIS 265, 266 | 6 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | Component Area 5 | 3 |
| MTH (164 or approved substitute) | 3 | HIS (Advanced) | 3 |
| Component Area 3 (Natural Science, from two departments) | 8
|
POL 261, POL (200 - Level) | 6 |
| Foreign Language 141, 142 | 8 | Foreign Language 263, 264 | 6 |
| KIN 215 | 1 | PHL 261 | 3 |
| 32 | Minor | 3 | |
| 30 | |||
| Third Year | Credit | Fourth Year | Credit |
| HIS 369 | 3 | ART, DNC, MUS, THR or PHL 366 | 3 |
| HIS 376, 377, 378 or 379 | 3 | HIS (Advanced) | 3 |
| HIS (Advanced) | 9 | HIS (400-level) | 3 |
Component Area 4 (Visual & Performing Arts) |
3 | Minor | 9 |
| Minor (Advanced) | 3 | Advanced Electives | 12 |
| ENG (200 level or higher) or COM | 3 | 30 | |
| Elective | 1 |
||
| Component Area 5 ( Social Sciences) | 3 | ||
| 28 |
| First Year | Credit | Second Year | Credit |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | HIS 265, 266 | 6 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | GEO 161, 265 | 6 |
| MTH 164 (or approved substitute) | 3 | Component Area 4 (Literature) | 3 |
| Component Area 3 (Natural Science, from two departments) | 8 | POL (200-level) | 3 |
| Foreign Language 141, 142 | 8 | Foreign Language 263, 264 | 6 |
| KIN 215 | 1 | HIS (Advanced) | 3 |
| 32 | POL 261 | 3 | |
| 30 | |||
| Third Year | Credit |
Fourth Year | Credit |
| GEO 266, 369, 471 | 9 | POL 378 | 3 |
| SOC 131 | 3 | PHL 366 | 3 |
| ECO 234 | 3 | HIS 400 - level | 3 |
| Component Area 4 (Visual & Performing Arts) | 3 | HIS 300 - or 400 - level | 9 |
| HIS 369 | 3 | HIS 331, 332, 333, 336, 381, 389, 391 or 478 | 3 |
| HIS 376, 377, 378 or 379 | 3 | Advanced Electives* | 4 |
| Component Area 5 | 3 | HIS 390 | 3 |
| Advanced Elective | 3 | 28 | |
| 30 |
Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with teacher certification at the secondary level (grades 8-12) should use their 18 elective hours and an additional 9 hours to satisfy the required certification courses. The required education courses are listed below. With teacher certification, the BA degree total is 144 hours. Those students not seeking certification should use their electives to fulfill the University requirement for advanced hours.
SED 383, 394, 464, 480, 496, 497, RDG 392, SED 374
For teacher certification, no grade below C in social science courses is accepted.
The Bachelor of Science degree requires 30 semester credit hours in History, including 163, 164, 265, 266, 369 and 373. History majors are required to complete at least one 400-level history course. At least 12 hours of advanced history must be taken in residence.
First Year |
Credit | Second Year | Credit |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | HIS 265, 266 | 6 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | PHY 138/118, 139/119 | 8 |
| BIO 161/111, 162/112 | 8 | CHM 238/218, 239/219 | 8 |
| CHM 138/118, 139/119 | 8 | MTH 142 | 4 |
| 28 | BIO 234 | 3 | |
| KIN 215 | 1 | ||
| 30 | |||
| SUMMER I | SUMMER I | ||
| POL 261 | 3 | HIS (Advanced) | 3 |
| Component Area 4 (Lit. or PHL) | 3 | Component 4 Elective (Lit., PHL) | 3 |
| SUMMER II – Volunteer as a preceptor | 0 | SUMMER II – Volunteer as a preceptor | 0 |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| Third Year | Credit | Fourth Year | Credit |
| HIS 369/373 | 6 | HIS (Advanced) | 3 |
| BIO (2 from 342, 344, 345, 347, or 339) | 8 | BIO (342, 344, 345, 347, or 349) | 4 |
| Component Area 4 (Visual & Performing Arts) | 3 | CHM 348 | 3 |
HIS 475 |
3 | Component Area 5 | 3 |
| HIS (Advanced) | 3 | Advanced General Electives | 11 |
| POL (200-level) | 3 | 24 | |
| (MCAT Review) | 0 | ||
| 27 | |||
SUMMER – Volunteer as preceptor/Apply to medical/dental school
Minor in History (without Teacher Certification)
A minor in history requires 21 semester credit hours, including 163, 164, 265, 266, and nine hours of upper-level history electives. For history courses, no grade below C is accepted.
Minor in History (with Teacher Certification)
A history minor with teacher certification requires 27 semester credit hours, including HIS 163, 164, 265, 266, 369,398, (376 or 377 or 378 or 379), (331 or 332 or 333 or 336 or 381 or 389 or 391 or 478 or 495), and three hours of any upper-level history elective. For history courses, no grade below C is accepted.
HIS 163 United States History to 1876. [HIST 1301] The colonial origins of the United States and growth of the Republic to 1876. Credit 3.
HIS 164 United States History Since 1876. [HIST 1302] Continuing survey of the United States to the present. Credit 3.
HIS 265 World History from the Dawn of Civilization Through the Middle Ages. [HIST 2311] A survey of world history from the dawn of civilization in Mesopotamia, China, India, Egypt, and Mesoamerica through the Middle Ages in Europe and Asia. The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation, as well as the rise of nation states and the commercial economy are stressed as background to modern history. Recommended as a basic history course for all liberal arts majors. Credit 3.
HIS 266 World History from the Renaissance to the Age of Imperialism. [HIST 2312] A survey of world history since sixteenth century. Special attention is given to European expansion overseas, imperialism and colonization, the Industrial Revolution, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, nineteenth century nationalism and democracy, and the colonial rebellions in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Such 20th century problems as World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union are also considered. Recommended as the second half of a basic history course for all liberal arts majors. Credit 3.
HIS 331 Early Asian History. A study of Asian history from its beginnings to the fourteenth century. The emphasis is on the social and political foundations of traditional Asian society and the historical influences of religion on Asian culture. Credit 3.
HIS 332 Modern Asian History. A study of Asian history since the fourteenth century. The emphasis is on the modernization of Asia and the influence of colonization, nationalism, and industrialization on present-day Asia. Credit 3.
HIS 333 Religion in World History. This course will examine the origins, development, and modern manifestations of the major living world religions. It will discuss the peoples, times and places of the founders of each tradition, the classical literature within each tradition and the canonization of these sacred writings, and the significant sects and schisms within the religions that have influenced major events in world history. Credit 3.
HIS 334 Renaissance Europe. This course examines the intellectual, political, social and cultural history of Europe from the 14th to 16th centuries, a period that saw, starting in Italy, a “rebirth” of the values and culture of Classical Greco-Roman civilization. The primary focus will be on intellectual and artistic movements, and the profound implications these had for European values, worldview, politics, and art. Credit 3.
HIS 336 Middle East Since 1700. This course will study the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the Middle East since the seventeenth century. The course will study such topics as the decline of traditional empires; the encroachment of Europe; the Eastern Question; the development of nationalism among the Turks, Arabs, and Iranians; Islam and modern ideologies; and the Middle East in the twentieth century. Credit 3.
HIS 337 Reformation Europe. This course examines the religious, social and cultural history of Europe from the 16th into the 17th centuries, a period that saw the fracturing of a unified Christendom. The primary focus will be on religious and theological changes and the profound implications these had for European politics, social norms, cultural values, and economic endeavors. Credit 3.
HIS 338 Economic History from the Industrial Revolution to the Present. This course examines the Industrial Revolution as it came into being in Britain in the nineteenth century and as leadership passed to the United States in the twentieth. Topics discussed include the relationship between agriculture and industry, the rise of the corporation, the development of the international monetary system, and systems of trade. Credit 3. (pending approval). Credit 3.
HIS 339 The French Revolution & Napoleonic Era, 1789-1815. This course examines the history of France during the French Revolution & Napoleonic Era, 1789-1815. The course is focused primarily on the military and political history of the era, with a detailed examination of the battles and campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. Credit 3.
HIS 360 American Religious History. A study of selected themes bearing on the relation of religion and culture in America from colonial times to the present. Credit 3.
HIS 361 The United States and the Vietnam War. The course will focus on the United States involvement in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1975. In particular, it will deal with the issues of nationalism and communism in Southeast Asia, the first Indochina war between the French and Vietnamese, the United States military effort in Indochina from 1965 to 1975, and the postwar political, economic, and social problems in the region. The course will also deal with the impact of the Vietnam War on American culture and foreign policy. Credit 3.
HIS 362 Germany and Central Europe Since 1815. A study of German and Central European history, emphasizing the principal political, economic and social trends since the Congress of Vienna. Credit 3.
HIS 363 Britain to 1714. This course traces the development of the British peoples from prehistoric times to the end of the Stuart dynasty. While English dominance is a theme, the course also covers the peoples of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Credit 3.
HIS 364 Modern Britain, 1714 to Present. A continuation of HIS 363, emphasizing the effects of industrial change, the enmity of France in foreign affairs, Great Britain’s renewed expansion overseas following the American Revolution, movements favoring social and economic reform, and political trends to the present. Credit 3.
HIS 365 Russian History. After an introduction to the roots of Russia (Kiev, Christianity, the Mongol occupation, Ivan the Terrible, the Times of Troubles), the course of Russian history from Peter the Great to the present is surveyed. Credit 3.
HIS 367 Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution, 1648-1815. Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution. A study of significant issues in European history from 1648 to 1815. The course focuses on developments in political theory, natural science and economics as well as the tensions in the old social order which helped instigate the French Revolution. Credit 3.
HIS 368 European History, 1815-1914. The history of the principal European powers from the Congress of Vienna to World War I. Credit 3.
HIS 369 The World in the Twentieth Century. A study of global politics and diplomacy since World War I. Credit 3.
HIS 370 Ancient History. The history of the civilizations of the Ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome with special emphasis upon their contribution to the cultural heritage of the western world. Credit 3.
HIS 371 Medieval History. A study of the political, economic, social, intellectual, and religious institutions and developments in Europe from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century to the Renaissance. Credit 3.
HIS 372 Historiography. Special emphasis is devoted to a survey of historical interpretations and to the development of research skills. Credit 3.
HIS 373 Topics in the History of Science and Medicine. This course will examine selected topics in the history of science and medicine. Emphasis will be placed on the development of scientific knowledge across the centuries. Because the geographic regions, time frame, and topics will vary from semester to semester, with departmental approval, this course may be repeated for credit. Credit 3.
HIS 376 Early America to 1783. An examination of early American history from the beginnings of European colonization through the American Revolution and the War for American Independence. Credit 3.
HIS 377 America in Mid-Passage, 1783-1877. The course examines United States history from 1783 to 1877 and studies the origins of the U.S. Constitution, the early republic and rise of the two party-system, the nature of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, the sectional crisis and the Civil War, and the era of Reconstruction. Credit 3.
HIS 378 The Emergence of Modern America, 1877-1945. This course will examine United States history from 1877 to 1945 and will include discussions of the Industrial Revolution, the Populist and Progressive movements, World War I, the era of the 1920s, the Great Depression and New Deal, and World War II. Credit 3.
HIS 379 Recent America, 1945 to the Present. This course will examine United States history from the end of World War II to the present and will include discussions of the Cold War; the civil rights and environmental movements; the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the war on global terrorism; the public policy debates surrounding the role of the federal government in the modern economy; and the evolution of American popular culture. Credit 3.
HIS 381 British Empire and Commonwealth. The study of the British Empire and Commonwealth to the present time. Special emphasis is given to the rise of colonial and dominion nationalism, the imperial conferences, and the unfolding of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Credit 3.
HIS 382 Immigration and Ethnicity in American History. A study of ethnic group relations, nativism, and racism in the historical development of American civilization, with special emphasis on the patterns of assimilation and non-assimilation of particular ethnic groups. Credit 3.
HIS 383 American Women’s History. An examination of American women’s history, focusing on everyday concerns (including work, marriage, family, sexuality, reproduction, and education) and on the social forces which have aided or blocked change in women’s roles in American society. Particular attention is paid to differences in race, class, and ethnicity. Credit 3.
HIS 385 American Diplomatic History. A study of selected topics in American Diplomatic History. Credit 3.
HIS 386 The Military and War in America. This course is an intensive study of the American military experience from the Colonial period to the present. The course focuses on the military, political and diplomatic history of the great conflicts of the United States. Credit 3.
HIS 387 World War II. A comprehensive study of the inter-war and World War II era from 1919 - 1945, emphasizing the events leading to the war in Europe, the rise of Nazi Germany, the major battles and campaigns in the European theatre, and the aftermath of the war. The course also examines the rise of the Japanese Empire, the events leading to the outbreak of war in Asia and the Pacific, and the major battles and campaigns of the Pacific war through the defeat of Japan. Credit 3.
HIS 388 Public History. This course will explore topics in the field of Public History, including architectural preservation and restoration, museum studies and oral history. The topics will vary from semester to semester, but each semester students will receive instruction on the techniques of analyzing oral sources, primary textual materials and historical artifacts of various types, including architectural dwellings, tools, and local and family records. Credit 3.
HIS 389 Africa: Past and Present. An examination of the problems, potentials, and upheavals of Modern Africa. Emphasis is on such topics as the impact of the slave trade on African society, racial conflicts, apartheid, the emergence of African nationalism, the end of white colonial rule, and the difficulties of achieving economic and political stability in contemporary Africa. Credit 3.
HIS 390 Conceptualizing History Education. This capstone course will examine conceptualization techniques in Texas, U.S., and World History. The course is designed to enable History students to organize a vast amount of material into a logical framework that will help them to better understand the interactions of individuals, communities, nations, and cultures across time and place. Special emphasis will be placed on subject areas included in the Texas Examination for Educator Standards. Credit 3.
HIS 391 Colonial Latin America. This course is designed to trace the conquest and development of the colonial institutions of Spain and Portugal in the Americas, including the Spanish borderlands as the center of Spanish colonial activity and power in the Americas. Credit 3.
HIS 392 American Indian History. A course which examines the history of Native Americans in the United States. Although the emphasis is historical, the course does include ethnographic material. Credit 3.
HIS 393 African-American History. A comprehensive course in the African American experience which explores the various forces shaping race relations in the United States. Credit 3.
HIS 398 Texas and the Southwest. As a study of the Greater Southwest, this course examines Spanish expansion and the Spanish-French rivalry in the lower Mississippi region and Texas. Special emphasis is given to geographic factors and cultural developments. Credit 3.
HIS 399 Special Topics in History. This course examines various specialized topics in history not normally covered in detail by other upper-level courses. Credit 3.
HIS 433 History of the Black Civil Rights Movement. This course examines the black civil rights struggle in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. Topics examined include the black response to Jim Crow laws, the emergence of national civil rights organizations as well as local activism, and historical events that have served as catalysts for change in civil rights legislation.. Credit 3.
HIS 467 The American South. This course examines the dynamics and expansive nature of the American South. Key topics include: examining the peoples and varied regions of the South, its economic and political development, literature, race and religion. Credit 3. (pending approval). Credit 3.
HIS 468 The Era of the American Revolution, 1763-1789. An intensive study of the issues of conflict between English continental colonies and British imperial policy which led to the movement for independence. Consideration is also given to internal colonial conflicts and attempts to solve the federal problem culminating in the formation of the Constitution. Credit 3.
HIS 469 The Civil War and Reconstruction. An examination of the sectional conflicts of the 1850s, the Civil War and Reconstruction. The course focuses on the military, political, social and diplomatic history of the era.. Credit 3.
HIS 470 The History of the West. A study of the settlement and development of the Trans-Mississippi West and its influence upon national and international affairs. Credit 3.
HIS 475 Readings in History. A course designed especially for advanced students in history with schedule problems who are capable of independent study. Prerequisites: Twelve hours of history, approval of the department chair, the instructor directing the study and a 3.4 overall GPA. This course may be taken for Academic Distinction credit. See Academic Distinction Program in this catalog. Credit 3.
HIS 478 Modern China and Japan. This course will focus on the history of modern China and Japan from the last Chinese dynasties to the present, with emphasis on the resilience and weaknesses of China’s imperial system; the challenges posed to China’s traditions by Western economic and cultural penetration; China’s twentieth century experiments in forms of government and in direction of its cultural development; and the political, economic, social, and intellectual history of Japan from the beginning of the Meiji period (1868) to the present. Credit 3.
HIS 480 Modern France: From the Revolution to the Present. This course examines the history of France from 1789 – the present. The military, political, and diplomatic history of France in this era are the main focus of the course. Credit 3.
HIS 495 Contemporary Latin America. The development of the South American Republics from their independence to the present. Social, economic, and political development will be closely examined. Credit 3.