Department of History and Political Science at Olivet Nazarene University

History Major

33 hours are required for the completion of a History Major. It includes the following required courses:

HIST 211 — World Civilization I. 3 hours.

A survey of world history from the beginnings of written history in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China to around A.D. 1400, tracing political, social, technological, and religious themes. Approximately two-thirds of the material concerns the Mediterranean world and Europe.

HIST 212 — World Civilization II. 3 hours.

A survey of world history from approximately A.D. 1400 to A.D. 1800, tracing political, social, technological, and religious themes. The course emphasizes developments in Europe, and the growing world domination of European nations.

HIST 213 — World Civilization III. 3 hours.

A survey of world history in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, with emphasis on Western cultural, political, and religious interaction with the rest of the world. Approximately one-half of the material will concern the non-Western "two-thirds" world.

HIST 231 — American Civilization I. 3 hours.

Examines the basic political, social, economic, legal, intellectual, and religious trends in American history from the European explorations to the close of the Civil War (1865).

HIST 232 — American Civilization II. 3 hours.

Examines the basic political, social, economic, legal, intellectual, and religious trends in American history, from the close of the Civil War(1865) to the present.

SSCI 302 — World Regional Geography. 3 hours.

A survey of the human societies of the world by regions, including political, cultural, economic, religious, and environmental characteristics, concentrating on the interaction of human societies and their physical environments

HIST 390 — Historiography. 4 hours.

A study of the craft of the historian and social scientist, including traditional schools of interpretations; comparison of Judeo-Christian philosophies of history with past and present secular philosophies; and the exploration of the impact of philosophy on conceptualization, compilation, and writing in the social sciences. The course will also involve the preparation of a proposal for the senior thesis.

HIST 471 — Senior Seminar in History. 2 hours.

A course to correlate the fields of social science and summarize current problems of society with a view of their possible solutions. The student will be required to apply social science research methods to a topic of interest.

One of the following two courses:

HIST 360 — History of Russia. 3 hours.

This course includes a survey of the history of Russia from the Kiev period to the election of Mikhail Gorbachev, and an intensive study of the social, political, and religious developments of the last decade.

HIST 379 — The Developing World. 3 hours.

A critical historical analysis of the development of Third World countries in the modern period. Special focus is placed on the cultural and political response of developing countries in Asia to "the West" and to the general developmental problems of national growth and equity. This course will be taught each semester with a different regional focus, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The course may be repeated, but with a different topic.

And 9 additional hours of upper-division history, including six hours of U.S. history. Up to 6 upper-division hours may apply to the major for participation in an approved off-campus study program. Other course offerings in the History department:

HIST 306 — Wesley’s Century: Enlightenment and Revival. 3 hours.

This course explores social, political, and religious aspects of 18th century European civilization by concentrating on the parallel and somewhat interconnected, yet divergent, movements that historians have labeled the Enlightenment and the Evangelical Revival. In the former movement, selected English and French writers will be studied, as will be the Wesleys, along with Whitefield, Edwards, and the followers of Spener, in the latter. Particular attention will be paid to the problems of human perfectibility, the nature of education, the citizen's relationship to authority, and the individual's obligation to society. Prerequisite: one lower-division History course or permission of the instructor.

HIST 310 — History of Technological Change. 3 hours.

An exploration into the world of inventions and their impacts on society since the Roman Empire, including the stirrup, water wheel, compass, sextant, plow, cam, crop rotation, and dozens more. The course will deal with the economic and philosophical requirements for and results of major discoveries.

HIST 325 — Sports in American Society. 3 hours.

Examines the major economic, cultural, and social trends in American history through professional and amateur sports. Major treatment will be given to baseball, football, and boxing, as well as basketball, hockey, tennis, and golf. The focus will not be on sport history for its own sake, but, as the title suggests, on what sports reveal about the broader American experience (urbanization, mass media, and race relations, etc.) in a particular period.

HIST 340 — American Military History. 3 hours.

 

HIST 348 — The US in the Cold War. 3 hours.

A study of modern America since World War I examining such issues as government and business, reform, political change, foreign relations, and the United States' role in world politics. Major emphasis is placed on social change and race relations in the period since 1945.

HIST 357 — American Religious History. 3 hours.

An examination of the movements, persons, and ideas that shaped religious history in America.

HIST 368 — American Civil War. 3 hours.

A study of the causes, conduct, and outcomes of the Civil War between 1860 and 1874. The political, social, and military dimensions of the conflict, including the Reconstruction phase, will be covered.

HIST 385 — Selected Topics in History. 3 hours.

This course is a history/political science course in which the professor or professors choose a topic, event, or development and structure a one-time course around that specific interest. The topic will be given in the schedule of courses when the course is offered.

HIST 430 — American Social/Intellectual History. 3 hours.

Surveys the major intellectual trends in American thought from the colonial period to the present. The subject matter will be organized both chronologically and topically around the following themes: Puritanism/ atheism and the Enlightenment; secularization of American thought in the colonial period; Romanticism and Naturalism in the 19th century; and Modernism in the 20th century.

HIST 447 — American Constitutional Law. 3 hours.

Includes the study of the origin, adoption, and the Supreme Court's interpretation of the federal Constitution in such areas as judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, interstate commerce, contract clause, taxing powers, due process clause, equal protection of the laws, and civil liberties. Recommended for all Pre-Law students.

HIST 450 — Evidence and Argument in Historical Interpretation. 3 hours.

An intensive study of the logical and philosophical principles that historians use to understand and explain historical causation. The development and use of models and paradigms and the implications of secular and religious worldviews will be explored and critiqued.

HIST 486 — History Internship. 1-6 hours.

This course offers supervised opportunities for senior students to work in a variety of paid and volunteer internship opportunities in local, state, or national government during the school year or in the summer. Each internship is arranged in consultation with the student.

HIST 494 — Readings in History. 1-4 hours.

Self-study of historical readings under faculty direction in an area of special interest. Suggested for seniors and qualified juniors with a major in History/Political Science. All other students must secure the approval of the instructor. No more than four hours of credit may be earned through readings in History and Political Science combined.