Biology - Major in Biology Program

Required courses:
HIS 101 Foundations of History and Social Science

This course provides a foundation for the study of history and social science. Students will learn about the history and geography of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with particular attention to its politics and culture. The class will also cover the career options for history majors. Attention will be paid to how the issue is reflected in and influenced by news, politics, popular culture and public history. Fulfills requirement: . 3 credits.

HIS 300 The Historian's Craft

An introduction to the basics of historical research and writing. The most important goal of the course is to help students produce a clearly written research paper, with footnotes and a bibliography. A primary source paper and other writing assignments will prepare the students for the achievement of this goal. Class discussion will revolve around analysis of various types of primary sources, secondary sources, journal articles, issues of interpretation, and research methods. The course will also include several research trips to libraries, archives, historical societies, or local history collections. Fulfills requirement: Critical Thinking through Writing. Prerequisites: At least two 100-level history courses; or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.

Two from the following:
HIS 103 World History I: From the Beginnings to the Early Modern Period

Survey of world history from the beginnings of human civilization to ca. 1500. The course is organized geographically and chronologically and examines the cultures and civilizations of Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean world; South Asia; and East Asia. It also examines regions influenced by major empires, including Western Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas. Major themes of the course include empire-building, cultural diffusion, and cross-cultural contact. Fulfills requirement: Intercultural Competence. 3 credits.

HIS 105 World History II: Formation of the Modern World

This survey of modern world history (ca. 1450 to the present) explores key developments in the formation of the modern world, from the knitting together of Afro-Eurasia and the Americas to the emergence of global capitalism, colonization, and the nation-state system to the world wars of the 20th century, the Cold War and its aftermath, the process of globalization, the rise of Islamic extremism, and the intensifying impacts of global climate change. Bringing past and present together into a coherent analytical framework, the course encourages students to analyze contemporary global and domestic issues from diverse cultural perspectives, and to engage in ongoing reflections about their own culture and other cultures. Fulfills requirement: Intercultural Competence. 3 credits.

HIS 125 United States History to 1877

The course provides an overview of US history from European colonization and conquest through the end of Reconstruction. Particular attention is paid to the issue of slavery through the Civil War and efforts to reform political and economic institutions after. Whether African Americans were property or citizens tested the republic's ideals and durability. How this period is represented in the news, popular culture and other forms of public history such as cinema are reviewed. Fulfills requirement: Civic Engagement. Fulfills requirement: . 3 credits.

HIS 126 With Justice for All? U.S. History from 1860

Since the Civil War, Americans have changed their conception of who belongs to "We the People." Moreover, we have also reconsidered the appropriate role of government for citizens and the world. This course reviews these controversies in the past and present, including how they are reflected in news, politics, public history, and cinema. Fulfills requirement: Civic Engagement Fulfills requirement: . 3 credits.

Two from the following:
HIS 251 Topics in Political History

This course will examine specific topics in political history, with a focus on either US, European, African, or Latin American political history. Specific topical emphases might include 19th and 20th Century US Political History; the impact of Colonial and Post-Colonial African Political History; Populist Politics in 20th & 21st Century Latin America; and Transformation in European Political Systems in the 20th & 21st Centuries. Topics will be announced two years in advance. Fulfills requirement: . This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, and at least two 100-level courses in History; or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.

HIS 253 Topics in Comparative History

This seminar will focus on topics in comparative history and politics with a focus on European, Asian, and/or African history. Topics in Comparative Politics and currently explores the historical and political formation of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. By examining key concepts such as Orientalism, colonialism, and political Islam, this 200-levelcourseaims to provide students with an improved understanding of modern MENA. Fulfills requirement: Intercultural Competence. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, and at least two college level courses in history, political science, global studies, or sociology; or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with POL 210)

HIS 352 Advanced Topics in History

This seminar will focus on advanced topics in history. Potential topics may include Economic History, the History of Political Ideas, the History of Science; etc . How this topic is represented in the news, popular culture and other forms of public history such as cinema are reviewed. Fulfills requirement: . This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 3 credits.