History Course Outcomes

HIST 1010: Survey of Western Civilization I

This course is a survey of Western Civilization from its emergence to the Reformation. It focuses on the social, political, cultural, and intellectual transformation of Europe from ancient history to the 17th century. Some of the major themes include the emergence and spread of the Abrahamic religions, Ancient Greece and the Hellenistic World, Rome, collapse of Rome, Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, global encounters, and the Renaissance and Reformation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1010 will be able to:

1. Apply the historical method to gather, interpret, and analyze information from the past to construct narratives about life in Europe from the emergence of the Abrahamic religions to the Reformation;
2. Acquire the skills of historical analysis and interpretation by distinguishing between primary and secondary sources;
3. Demonstrate knowledge orally or in writing about the history, culture, and values of the Abrahamic religions, Ancient Greece and the Hellenistic World, Rome, the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the age of global encounters;
4. Analyze the historical context for the interaction and interdependence of politics, society, science, and technology in a variety of cultural settings; and
5. Improve reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

HIST 1020: Survey of Western Civilization II

This course is a survey of Western Civilization from the seventeenth century to the present day. The course will focus on the social, political, cultural, and intellectual transformation of Europe and its empire during this period. Some of the major themes to be addressed include the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, imperialism, decolonization, World Wars I and II, the Cold War and its end.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1020 will be able to:

1. Apply the historical method to gather, interpret, and analyze information from the past to construct narratives of European life and empires;
2. Acquire the skills of historical analysis and interpretation by distinguishing the difference between primary and secondary sources;
3. Demonstrate knowledge orally and in writing about the French and Industrial Revolutions, ideologies of the nineteenth century, "new imperialism," nineteenth century thought and culture, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, post-war expansion and recovery, and decolonization;
4. Analyze the historical context for the interaction and interdependence of politics, society, science, and technology throughout this period; and
5. Improve reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

HIST 1030: World Civilizations I 

This course is designed as a broad survey of world history and culture from the earliest human civilizations through the end of the European Middle Ages in the fifteenth century. The course is truly global, accessing examples from across Europe and Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our focus throughout the semester as we traverse from the Neolithic period through the ancient age and into the beginnings of modernity is on connections between various peoples, ideas, and trends across time and space. We examine the rise of the great world religions, global commerce, and on the ways that military and political events and innovations shaped the world as it developed.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1030 will be able to:

1. Interpret major events in ancient history, including the invention of writing; the development of various centers of urbanized society in China, India, and the Mediterranean; the emergence of the major world religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam; and the rise and fall of the Romans;
2. Describe major events in medieval history, including the progression of Chinese society; the role of nomadic warriors from the Eurasian steppe in various world events; and the rise and fall of feudalism and international commerce;
3. Describe major events of the world on the cusp of modernity, such as the arrival of proto-nation-states in France and England and new historical actors bursting into world affairs, including those from Northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Eurasian steppe;
4. Analyze the roles of technology, ideas, migrations, and intercultural contacts in prompting historical change;
5. Practice reading, writing, and critical thinking skills; 
6. Interact with diverse cultures and points of view through exploring global history in the ancient and medieval periods; and
7. Acquire the skills of historical analysis through critical readings of different sorts of historical "texts," which requires identifying their authors' audiences, goals, perspectives, and biases.

HIST 1040: World Civilizations II 

This course is designed as a broad survey of world history and culture in the modern period. The course examines the development of modern ideas, institutions, and economic and political systems that were created as a result of networks of exchange and resistance connecting different regions of the world. We explore the ways various forms of globalization--political, economic, social, and technological--helped to create the world we live in today. We begin with the encounters between Europe and the rest of the world before considering how these relationships changed over time.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1040 will be able to:

1. Describe major events in the development of Europe as the dominant political and economic force in the world during the early modern period, including the stabilization of Iberian society; the Reformation and resulting wars of religion; the rise of the slave trade and plantation systems connecting Africa to the Americas and Caribbean; and European incursion into the Indian Ocean

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2. Recount major events in the emergence of the modern world system, including the Great Enlightenment; the Age of Revolutions; the Industrial Revolution; and the increasing contradictions between competing ideals of human rights and social order, as a result of increasing global contacts

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3. Interpret major events in the twentieth century, such as the two world wars; the rise of Communist regimes; East Asia’s rise as a new center of global power; and the development and implementation of the globalized neoliberal political economy, beginning in Latin America and spreading around the world

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4. Analyze the roles of ideas, moral and religious values, economic systems, racism, and military innovations in prompting historical change

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5. Practice reading, writing and critical thinking skills;

6. Interact with diverse cultures and points of view through exploring global history in the modern period; and
7. Acquire the skills of historical analysis through critical readings of different sorts of historical "texts," which requires identifying their authors' audiences, goals, perspectives, and biases.

HIST 1210: History of the United States to 1877

This course surveys the history of the United States from its colonial origins to the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction. Students explore social, cultural, political, and economic factors domestically as well as relations with Indigenous peoples and foreign nations.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1210 will be able to:

1. 1. Identify key events and persons related to 17th, 18th, and 19th century U.S. history;
   2. Select and use historical facts to interpret events from different points of view, including but not limited to development of the British North American colonies, the era of the American Revolution, the history of slavery, and the Civil War and Reconstruction;
   3. Consider social, cultural, political, and economic factors of the period 1600-1877 to develop narratives and interpretations of the past;
   4. Research a topic in U.S. history contained by the period 1600-1877 by using the HELIN catalog and other library databases to identify appropriate materials, distinguishing between primary and secondary sources;
   5. Describe the use written records, illustrations, and artifacts have for the correct application of the historical method;
   6. Demonstrate written communication skills by correctly citing source materials in endnotes/footnotes and a bibliography; and
   7. Demonstrate oral communication skills by discussing with classmates various source materials and historical arguments relevant to the period of U.S. history between 1600 and 1877.

HIST 1220: History of the United States from 1877

This course surveys the history of the United States since 1877. Students examine social, cultural, political, and economic factors domestically, as well as relations with foreign nations. Emphasis is placed on the growing role of the United States on the world stage.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of HIST 1220 will be able to:

1. Identify key events and persons related to United States history in the post-1877 period;
2. Select and use historical facts to interpret events from different points of view, including but not limited to the increase in racial oppression and violence in the post-Reconstruction period, the eras of World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, and the dramatic social, cultural, and political changes that took place domestically during the Cold War era (1945-1990) and in the period since its conclusion;
3. Analyze social, cultural, political, and economic factors in post-1877 U.S. history to develop their own narratives and interpretations of the past;
4. Research a topic in U.S. history from the post-1877 period by using the HELIN catalog and other library databases to identify appropriate materials, distinguishing between primary and secondary resources;
5. Describe the historical method and its use of written records, illustrations, artifacts, and archival film footage;
6. Demonstrate written communication skills by correctly citing source material in endnotes/footnotes and a bibliography; and
7. Demonstrate oral communication skills by discussing with classmates various source materials and historical arguments relevant to the post-1877 period of U.S. history.