History

The history curriculum begins with an introductory Western Culture and Worldviews course and continues with a range of survey courses on Latin American, American, European, Muslim, and Far Eastern societies and cultures. Courses span from ancient to contemporary history. You'll select upper-level studies in American and European history, such as U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction or the Modern Middle East. Many courses also offer cross-disciplinary connections with other programs.

To learn more, you can also view the program strengths and learning outcomes for this program.

A degree in history will require students to choose a variety of history courses from a specific selection. Additionally, students must choose an emphasis.

• Survey of American History: A survey of the main contours of American history from 1750 to the present.
• Survey of Canadian History: A survey of Canada’s history from the age of discovery and exploration to the present. The various forces and individuals that contribute to the making of Canadian nationhood will be stressed, but due time will also be devoted to the racial and sectional issues that have worked against national unity.
• History of the Muslim World: A survey of the history of the Muslim world focusing on the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. Primary emphasis is on the development and features of Muslim society and culture, the relations between Muslim and Western civilizations, and the sources of tension in the modern Muslim world. Not open to first-semester freshmen.
• Latin America: A selective survey of the history of Latin America from pre-Columbian times to the present. Attention will be given to the indigenous and colonial origins of Latin American culture and society. Twentieth-century developments will be explored through a series of case studies. Not open to first-semester freshmen.
• East Asia: The history of East Asia, paying special attention to China, Japan, and Indonesia in the early-modern and late-modern periods. The primary emphasis will be on east Asian responses to the challenges represented by Western ideas, commerce, and imperialism in its various expressions. Not open to first-semester freshmen.
• Introduction to Historical Studies: An introduction to the basic skills, methods, and resources of historical scholarship including the types of historical literature and scholarship, biblical foundations for historical interpretation, historiographical schools of interpretation, and uses of historical scholarship. Satisfies Core Program writing-intensive requirement.
• Historiography: This course covers the nature and meaning of history and the nature of the historian’s task and responsibilities. Emphasis is on review and evaluation of the various schools of history and of the philosophies of leading historians.
• History Seminar–United States History Emphasis: Focuses on writing a research paper about some aspect of the history of the United States. Students select a topic for in-depth study in order to implement and develop various skills learned in previous history courses. Emphasis is on mature evaluation of evidence, developing a historical interpretation in light of a biblical understanding of history, and constructing a narrative depicting the results of research. Open to juniors and seniors only.
• History Seminar–World History Emphasis: Focuses on writing a research paper about some aspect of world history. The course description and requirements are the same as History 388. Open to juniors and seniors only.

Core classes for the general emphases:

• Eight additional history courses above 214
  • At least three must be above 300
  • At least two must be from History 202, 301, 306, 307, 308
  • At least three must be from History 220-226, 230, 319, 321, 326, 327, 328, 329, 335

See the course catalog for more information.