HIS 101: History of Western Civilization.  This year-long course traces the history of the West from the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt to the present day. Students will be introduced to key people, events, and themes as they read a variety of primary texts from the ancient world, classical Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Modern Age.  (6 Credits, Full-Year. Pre-requisite: None. Freeburn.)

HIS 210: Classical History. This course will introduce students to the history of Greece and Rome through a study of important primary and secondary sources. Knowledge of classical history is crucial for understanding the history of the West, for along with Christianity and the native traditions of the European peoples, Greece and Rome are the foundations of our civilization. (3 Credits, Winter.  Pre-requisite: None. Next offered 2012-2013. Freeburn.)

HIS 230: Renaissance and Reformation. This course covers the tumultuous period spanning roughly from 1350 to 1648, during which a flowering of humanism, art, and religious devotion were accompanied by striking new divisions within society. Topics will include the breakdown of medieval unity, the rise of humanism, Renaissance art, the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the Wars of Religion. (3 Credits, Fall. Pre-requisite: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. Fall. Freeburn.)

HIS/THE 238: Modern Church History.   The Catholic Church entered a new phase of her existence after the Peace of Westphalia, ending the brutal Thirty Years’ War between the Catholic and Protestant states. This course deals with the Church's growth in the subsequent three-and-a-half centuries, how the Church has influenced society and the state, and how these in turn have affected the Church’s growth in the world. What is the role of religion in society? How has Christianity fared in the Modern World politically and philosophically? What is its future? (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: either HIS 101: History of Western Civilization or HIS 131: Church History. Kerr.)

HIS 242: History of Canada. A survey of events and issues from the earliest times through Confederation and up to the early twenty-first century, including political, economic, social, and cultural developments. (3 Credits. Pre-requisite: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization.)  

HIS 243: History of the United States. This course covers the emergence and development of the United States from the colonial period to the early twenty-first century. Political, economic, social and cultural factors will be examined over the course of American history. (3 Credits, Full-Year. Pre-requisite: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. K. Cassidy.)   

HIS/THE 310: Biblical History.

See Theology.

HIS 320: Introduction to the Medieval World. This course is an introduction to the history of Medieval Europe from the latter days of the Western Roman Empire to the Hundred Years’ War. The class will examine the nature of medieval society and the medieval worldview through a variety of primary and secondary sources. The rise of the Germanic kingdoms, the foundations of monarchy, the development of the papacy, societal ties, chivalry, crusading, monasticism, and heresy are among the many topics which will be covered. (3 Credits. Pre-requisite: HIS 101. Freeburn. Next offered 2012-2013.)

HIS 325: Medieval Britain, c. 1000-1328. A history of Britain in the High Middle Ages. The course will look at England, Scotland, and Wales, and will examine and compare their religious, political, cultural, social, and economic history during this period. Topics covered will include the Church in these lands, the influence of monasticism, the Norman Conquest, the Norman and Angevin kings, the growth of the English Common law, the development of the English Parliament, the development of the kingdom of Scotland, and the conquest of Wales. (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisites: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization, 3 additional credits in history. Freeburn.)

HIS 336: French Revolution and Nineteenth-Century Europe. This course is a study of one of the most important political and social events in modern history. Covering the leading ideas of eighteenth-century Enlightenment culture will lay the foundation for a detailed discussion of the Revolution and the subsequent rise of Napoleon. A special emphasis is given to the impact of these events on Christianity, as well as to various critiques of the Revolution. (3 Credits. Pre-requisite: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. Not offered 2011-2012.)

HIS 348: Modern U.S. History. A study of the history of the United States from the Second World War until the present. Topics will include the political and social effects of World War II; the Cold War; the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars; political and cultural radicalism in the 1960s; the Civil Rights Movement; the rise of Conservatism and political controversies during the Reagan administration and its successors; and the changing demographic profile of the country. (3 Credits. Pre-requisites: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization, and either HIS 242: History of Canada or HIS 243: History of the United States. K. Cassidy. Next offered 2012-2013.)

HIS 350: Byzantine History. This course will introduce students to the history of the Byzantine Empire, from the conversion of Constantine to the fall of Constantinople. The political, religious, and intellectual history of Byzantium will be examined, with a particular focus on the nature of Eastern Christianity. Topics covered will include the Late Roman Empire, the early Church councils, the Age of Justinian, Iconoclasm, the rise of Islam, the Crusades, and the decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire. (3 Credits, Winter.  Pre-requisite: HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. Freeburn.)

HIS 360: History of the Middle East. This course will give an overview of the history of the Middle East from Muhammad to the modern world, with a focus on the following crucial elements and periods in its history: the rise of Islam, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, European colonialism, and the twentieth century. Throughout the course, there will be an ongoing attempt to understand the roots of the current resurgence of Islam in the Middle East. (3 Credits. Pre-requisite: HIS 101. Freeburn. Next offered 2012-2013.)

HIS 390: Directed Studies in History. This independent study is open to second- and third-year students who wish to explore a topic in history not covered in the regular curriculum and in which the professor has an interest and expertise and is willing to direct studies. (3 Credits. Pre-requisites:  9 credits in history, a cumulative average of 77.0, and the permission of the Academic Dean and the Chair of the History Department. Freeburn or K. Cassidy.)