Geography Courses (GEO)

 

117     World Geography (3)

This course will familiarize students with the spatial geography of the United States and other major regions of the world and will help them to understand the political and economic differences between nations, regions, and differently populated areas. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

Government Courses (GVT)

 

101     Comparative Politics (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course is a general introduction to the field of comparative politics. The course’s main objective is to enable students to analyze the political systems of the countries outside the U.S.. The course covers countries selected from established democracies, transitional political systems, and developing societies. Offered Each Year.

 

113     Introduction to American Politics (3)

Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. This is an introductory course which exposes students to the basic structure and processes of the American political system. The course begins with the foundations of U.S. National government and proceeds to an examination of the institutions that comprise the federal government and the processes of governmental decision making. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

114     State and Local Government (3)

Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. A survey of the development, structure and functions of state and local government in the United States. Specific reference is made to the politics and problems of New York State and the Buffalo Metropolitan Area. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

117     Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. The case-based approach used in this course requires students to analyze criminal procedure rulings of the United States Supreme Court. Students will be exposed to the logical and legal arguments of a series of cases which comprise the evolving corpus of the Court’s criminal rights jurisprudence. Offered As Needed.

 

121     International Relations (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. An introduction to international politics. Covers the transformation of world politics since the late medieval era. Examines major international events such as the two world wars, the Cold War, and the end of the Cold War. Exploration of the origins and causes of wars and conflicts, the roles of international organizations and international law in achieving lasting peace, and key issues of post-Cold War international politics. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

125     Introduction to Public Policy (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking. This course is an introduction to the policy making process and the discipline of Public Policy. The first section of the class is devoted to the evolution of the basic methodology of policy studies. Students will learn the basic social science research approach and its critical uses in policy-making and analysis. Students will then study the policy-making cycle using systems-based and process model approaches. Offered As Needed.

 

210     The Politics of Globalization (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course focuses on the politics of globalization in the new world order and its impact on international relations and on Third World nations. Topics include international terrorism, issues of justice and poverty, the role of multinational corporations, environmental issues, and the role of international organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. Offered As Needed.

 

211     Environmental and Energy Policies I (3)

Cross-listed as ENS 211. Survey of major environmental and energy policies and the intergovernmental administrative system established to implement them. Other major topics include a history of the environmental movement, green politics, international issues and the contrasts between scientific and political decision-making. Offered Each Year.

 

212     Environmental and Energy Policies II (3)

Cross-listed as ENS 212. A continuation of GVT 211. Prerequisite: GVT/ENS 211. Offered Alternate Years.

 

213     Sustainability and Third World Development (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course examines the process of development in the Third World. Topics include HIV/AIDS, overpopulation, the role of women, the environment, socio-cultural barriers, and responses to inequality and poverty. Offered As Needed.

 

215     Issues in Public Policy (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. An examination of the various analytical models employed by political scientists in the study of political life and the application of these models to specific domestic policy areas. Offered Alternate Years.

 

217     American Political Parties and Pressure Groups (3)

Cross-listed as ENS 217. An examination of the principles, development and organization of American political parties as well as the electorate and the electoral process. The nature and role of political interest groups will be examined. Offered As Needed.

 

219     Politics, Planning and Land Use (3)

Cross-listed as ENS 219. Principles and practice of land management policies at the state and local levels of government. Topics include zoning power of local government, preparation of master plans, variance procedures, federal mandates and Environmental Impact Statements. Offered Alternate Years.

 

221     Political Economy of East Asia (3)

An analysis of the successful industrialization of East Asia. Topics include the roles of development strategies, political institutions, industrial policy, culture, financial and monetary policies and China’s recent transition toward a market economy. Offered As Needed.

 

223     Political and Civil Rights in the United States (3)

Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. This course will examine the development and current state of political and civil rights in the U.S., through the use of texts, court cases and the U.S. Constitution. Areas covered will include prohibitions against discrimination, voting rights and elections, freedom of expression and the right to privacy. While emphasis is placed on the role of the Supreme Court, discussion will address the interplay of the other branches of government as well as other factors (historical, economic, societal, etc.) in the evolution of political and civil rights. Students will be asked to consider whether these rights exist primarily to serve the interests of individuals, or to promote communitarian values. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

224     American Political Campaigns and Elections (3)

A study of the process of leadership selection in the United States, including an examination of voting behavior, electoral laws and campaign activity. The course will cover national, state and local elections. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in local political activities. Offered in presidential and gubernatorial election years.

 

225     Politics of China (3)

This course is an introduction to Chinese politics. We will study the history, institutions, and processes of Chinese politics. We will critically examine the economic and political reforms that have transformed China since the late 1970’s. We will also compare China’s reforms with other countries that have undergone similar transitions. Finally, this course will examine the strategic and economic impact of China’s rise as a great power. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

230     United States Judicial Process (3)

Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. This course will examine the basic elements of the United States judicial system. Among the topics to be discussed will be the functions of the courts within a federal system of government, different roles of different state and federal courts, roles of attorneys and judges within the system, distinctions between different areas of the law, different methods of dispute resolution and the difference between the trial and appellate process, judicial selection and philosophy, and judicial policymaking. Students will also address the effect of the judicial process on citizens and ways in which citizens can either support or oppose the current functioning of the judicial system. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

231     Global Governance (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course explores the growing importance of global governance. This course studies how recent trends have generated greater international cooperation in various issue areas, such as proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trade and investment, environment, and workers’ rights. Students will be required to design their own plans to resolve selected policy problems through global cooperation. Offered As Needed.

 

232     International Political Economy (3)

Study of the globalization of the world economy, why nations trade with each other and why they sometimes practice trade protectionism. Examines the growing importance of regional economic blocs, such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Other topics include the rise and decline of American economic hegemony, the rise of Japan’s economic power, global trade conflicts, economic reforms in the former Soviet Union and China, and causes of development and underdevelopment in the third world. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

233     Democracy in America (3)

Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Students will gain comprehension of the democratic process and participatory rights in the United States. This knowledge will be geared toward helping students better understand myriad forms of civic engagement and encouraging greater political efficacy. The manifestation of democratic ideals in America will be analyzed against the backdrop of historical developments and worldwide trends in democratization. Thus, while the primary focus will be on democracy in America, students will study how the development of the American political system compares to broader conceptions of democracy and democratic theory. Offered As Needed.

 

238     Democracy and Dictatorship in World Politics (3)

This course examines the global resurgence of democracy in recent decades, analyzing the causes and dynamics of this recent wave of democratization as well as the different paths of democratic transitions in Southern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe. Exploration of strategies for achieving successful democratic consolidation. Study of factors that influence successful democratic consolidation, such as ethnic conflicts, economic reform, constitutional choice, and the role of culture. Offered As Needed.

 

247     Selected Current Topics: Seminar (3)

Offered As Needed.

 

305     American Constitutional Law (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. The history and development of the basic principles of American law. Includes British foundations and the key civil and criminal precedents established by American courts in the last two centuries. Offered As Needed.

 

311     Seminar on Legislative Politics (3)

An advanced study of Congress, its organization, membership, procedures and policy outputs. Other topics will include relationship to other national institutions, theories of representation, and recent reforms. Offered Alternate Years (Fall).

 

315     Politics of Western Europe (3)

An examination of the politics and governments of selected nations of Western Europe including Britain, France and Germany. Special emphasis on comparative and contemporary policy making and on progress toward European unification. Offered Alternate Years.

 

320     Gender and Policy in the U.S. (3)

This course will be a survey of the development of, and current issues involving, legal rights as they are impacted by gender in the U.S. Among the topics that will be covered are interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and gender concerns regarding equal protection, reproductive rights, political participation, education law, labor issues, and family law. The course will also address the role of feminism in the development of civil rights, including the diversity of approaches and concerns among different branches of feminism. Also addressed will be examples of ways in which males have been negatively affected by protective legislation and rigid policy approaches to gender roles. Offered Each Year.

 

326     Politics of East Asia (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the principal events and interactions in East Asia. Various political, social, and economic aspects of China, Japan, and the two Koreas will be closely examined within the regional context of the past and present, carefully discerning the similarities and differences among those East Asian countries. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

327     Politics of South Asia (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the governments and politics of South Asia. We will begin the course with an overview of South Asian civilization and its unique development for over several millennia. We then look at the British colonialism and independence movement. Since the independence and the partition that soon followed, the countries in the Indian subcontinent have taken different paths to modernity and national development. The politics, society, and economy of each country - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka - will then be carefully examined. In doing so, students will gain a better understanding of such questions as how and why these countries have adopted different ways; what are the sources of social and religious tensions in each country; how these countries have accommodated social diversity, etc. We will complete the course by paying special attention to the conflict between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed states. Offered As Needed.

 

350     Political Argumentation and Debate (3)

Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. This course will be an introduction to the skills of persuasive speaking and argumentation. Students will develop the ability to advocate a position persuasively, in an enthusiastic yet dignified manner, using current political controversies as subjects. In the process, students will also gain a deeper understanding of the multiple points of view inherent in current political controversies which they have selected to discuss. Among the topics that will be covered are the role of argumentation in society, structure and process of debate, development of arguments, researching and analyzing subjects for debate, use of evidence, use of logic and rhetorical devices, refutation and the role of emotion in advocacy. This course is also intended to help develop the skills of students interested in participating in the Moot Court Experience. Students who are taking, or who have completed, this course will be given preference as participants in Moot Court. Offered As Needed.

 

411     Environmental Law (3)

Cross-listed as ENS 411. Case method approach to judicial interpretations of environmental laws. Additional topics may include litigation as a political tactic, expansion of standing to sue and intervener funding strategies. Prerequisite: GVT 211. Offered As Needed.

 

415     Seminar on the Presidency (3)

The development of the power and prerogatives of the American Chief Executive including responsibilities in foreign affairs, relation to the Congress and the President’s own administrative bureaucracy, with emphasis on the modern presidency. Offered Alternate Years (Spring).

 

447     Selected Current Topics: Seminar (3)

Offered Alternate Years.

 

The following Environmental Studies (ENS) courses are cross-listed as Government (GVT): 115, 211, 212, 217, 219, 411. See Environmental Studies course descriptions in the Interdisciplinary Programs Section of the Catalog.

 

History Courses (HIS)

 

105     Introduction to World History I: From Antiquity to 1500 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. The two-course world history sequence focuses on the peoples, forces and ideas that have shaped the way individuals have experienced (and still do experience) the world. The course’s perspective is global and focuses on the origins and development, geographical context, and interactions of world cultures. In this course, we will focus on two key themes of early world history: 1) the ways in which different cultures emerged in response to the demands of their environmental surroundings; and 2) the ways in which different peoples began to increasingly interact with one another by 1500. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

106     Introduction to World History II: From 1500 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. The two-course world history sequence focuses on the peoples, forces and ideas that have shaped the way individuals have experienced (and still do experience) the world. The course’s perspective is global and focuses on the origins and development, geographical context, and interactions of world cultures. In this course, we will focus on two key themes of modern world history: 1) the ways in which global connections have developed; and 2) the ways in which different peoples at different times have resisted globalization, instead seeking to preserve their distinct cultural traditions. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

125     Historical Approaches to Contemporary Problems: Domestic Affairs (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course attempts to deepen understanding of contemporary issues in American society by studying their historical evolution. We will examine the events and impact of contested economic, political, social, and cultural issues in the U.S. since the 1960s. Major topics include the impact of foreign policy on domestic affairs; the civil rights movement; the women’s movements; the New Left; liberation movements; Watergate; the rise of modern conservatism; and the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s. Offered As Needed.

 

137     African American History (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. A study of the African American experience in America. The course will explore African origins and cultural influences and examine the social and political significance of African Americans in American history. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

206     Twentieth Century Europe (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course deals with the story of Europe during the tumultuous 20th century. While we will focus much of our attention on political, economic and diplomatic developments; considerable time will be devoted to social and cultural phenomena as well. Offered As Needed.

 

207     American Society and the Vietnam War (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. A study of the history and nature of the Vietnam War, the causes of both the war and America’s intervention in it, the turbulence and social currents of the U.S. in the 1960s and the impact of the war on participants and American society. Offered Alternate Years (Spring).

 

215     Introduction to Women’s Studies (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. This course is an interdisciplinary overview of the language, concepts, and issues in the field of Women’s Studies. We will explore the construction of gender by focusing upon the intersection of race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion in shaping women’s lives, and will look at women’s efforts to define their identities through work, creative activity, and through feminism. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

216     History of Medieval Europe: 300-1400 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course will focus on five specific developments: 1) the transition from the Roman world to the medieval world; 2) the emergence of several distinct cultures within the territories of the old Roman empire; 3) the key role played by religion in the various medieval cultures; 4) the burst of creative energy and economic expansion associated with the High Middle Ages; and 5) the crises of the 14th century (church schism, the Black Death, etc.) that devastated medieval Europe. Offered As Needed.

 

219     The Colonial Americas (3)

A comparative study of the four American colonial empires: French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. Topics include patterns of colonization, slavery, European-Indian relationships, religious developments, imperial control and movements for independence. Offered As Needed.

 

220     American History to 1877 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course, an introduction to American civilization from the age of exploration and colonization through the Civil War and Reconstruction, focuses on central themes and issues in the development of American society and institutions by raising questions about human values, economic growth, institutional change, cultural development, and political democracy in the American past. Major themes include: exploration and colonization; life in early America; the creation of a slave society; colonial America and the British empire; the establishment of representative government; the American Revolution; establishing a new nation; the era of Andrew Jackson; the first industrial revolution; social and cultural life in the early republic; expansion and sectional crisis; and the Civil War and Reconstruction. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

221     American History from 1877 to the Present (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course seeks to have students gain a perspective on the position of the United States among the nations of the world and on the controversies and agreements among Americans concerning the desired attributes of their own culture, government, and ideals. Major themes include: conquest of the West; the Populist movement; the creation of the Jim Crow system; industrialization and its effects on the American society, economy, and political processes; immigration and urbanization; the American Empire; Progressivism and the struggle for social justice; World War I; social changes of the 1920s, the Great Depression, and the New Deal; World War II; post-war affluence and social change, the Cold War and anti-communism; the liberal state; minorities and civil rights; the Vietnam era; the New Right and neo-conservatism; and the recent past. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

222     Urban America (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. A study of the growth of the city from colonial times to the present. Will relate the development of cities to broad national events such as the American Revolution, settlement of the West, industrial revolution, ethnic and racial conflict, changing economy of the twentieth century. The history of Buffalo will also be studied as a microcosm of the nation’s urban development. Offered As Needed.

 

223     U.S. Foreign Policy: World War II to the Present (3)

Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. A study of World War II, the origins of the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam War, U.S. interventions in the Third World, and other major issues since World War II. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

224     History of the Byzantine Empire: 300-1453 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course introduces students to the history of the Byzantine Empire. This course focuses on the following key features of Byzantine history: 1) the transformation of the Roman Empire into the Byzantine; 2) the role of the Byzantine church in political and cultural affairs; 3) the interaction of Byzantium with the other “heirs” of Rome: medieval Islam and medieval Western Christendom; and 4) the influence of Byzantium on neighboring states that interacted with Byzantium, especially Kievan Rus’. Offered As Needed.

 

229     History and Film (3)

Fulfills core competency: Affective Judgment. Writing Intensive. This course examines issues confronting societies around the world and the ways in which films portray them. Students should be prepared to write several papers based on films and readings. Offered As Needed.

 

230     Problems of the Third World (3)

The growing consciousness of the developing nations (LDC’s) and their relationship with the advanced capitalist nations (First World) has been a major development of the post World War II period. While the term “Third World” was originally a political designation, it now implies certain economic and cultural characteristics. This course is designed to acquaint the student with many of the economic, political, social and international problems faced by these nations, while exploring the historical roots of these problems. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

237     History of Early Modern Europe: From the Renaissance to the Age of Napoleon (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course introduces students to the key elements of modern European society that began to emerge during the period from the Renaissance to the age of Napoleon. In this course, we will focus on the following key developments: 1) the Renaissance; 2) the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Reformation; 3) the rise of the modern system of European states; 4) the creation of the Atlantic economy; 5) the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment; 6) the global rivalries of the European colonial powers; and 7) the French Revolution and its legacy. Offered As Needed.

 

247     Selected Current Topics: Seminar (3)

Offered As Needed.

 

248     Ancient Mediterranean World (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course introduces students to the various cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world. The course is divided into four sections: 1) the origins of Mediterranean civilizations, including the history of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt; 2) the Greek cultural expansion from the classical period through the Hellenistic age; 3) the history of Rome from the foundations of the republic to the fall of the empire; and 4) the rise of Christianity as a cultural phenomenon in the Mediterranean world. Offered Alternate Years (Fall).

 

304     Modern China (3)

This course focuses primarily on twentieth century China and will include the Revolution of 1911, the rise of the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party, and China since the Communist victory in 1949. Students will be encouraged to make their own evaluations regarding the Maoist regime, U.S.-Chinese relations in the twentieth century and the Chinese relationship with Third World nations. Offered As Needed.

 

308     Modern Latin America (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. A course to acquaint the student with significant historical and cultural developments in Latin America since independence (political instability, economic underdevelopment, class conflict, anti-clericalism, militarism, etc.). Select countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Cuba will be emphasized; however, a topical rather than a country-by-country approach will generally be followed. Offered Each Year (Fall).

 

309     Introduction to the History of American Women (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course surveys the social, political, and economic history of American women from the colonial era to the present. The class places particular emphasis on the ways in which women's experiences have been shaped by such factors as race, class, and ethnicity, as well as by gender. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

312     Sub-Saharan Africa (3)

A study of essential historical and cultural background necessary for understanding contemporary problems of Sub-Saharan Africa. Emphasis is placed on pre-selected countries: Nigeria, Zaire, Ghana and the Republic of South Africa. Offered As Needed.

 

313     History of Russia to 1801 (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. Major topics covered include: the rise of Kievan Rus’ and its relations with the larger world; the impact of the Mongol invasion; the rise of absolutism; church-state relations; the reforms of Peter the Great; the rise of the Russian Empire and its growing role in European and Asian politics; the peasant question in Russia; the emergence of the intelligentsia in the 18th century; and the question of “westernization” during the reigns of Catherine II and Nicholas I. Offered As Needed.

 

314     Russia: 1801 to Present (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. Major topics covered include: the importance of the Russian Empire in European politics; the peasant question in Russia; the emergence of the radical intelligentsia in the 19th century; the reforms of Alexander II; the economic modernization of Russia in the late 19th century; the revolutionary movements and the revolutions of 1905 and 1917; the Bolshevik Revolution and creation of the Soviet Union; Stalin's "revolution" and the modernization of the Soviet economy; the Soviet role in World War II; the creation of the Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe; the Cold War and the clash between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.; de-Stalinization and Khrushchev's reforms; the growing opposition movement in the 1960s and 1970s under Brezhnev; and Gorbachev's reforms and the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Offered As Needed.

 

315     Modern Political Thought (3)

Students will analyze key problems in political philosophy by reading original works by thinkers who have influenced our own political discourse today. Offered As Needed.

 

317     The Middle East (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. Concentrating primarily on the period following World War I, the course mixes the thematic with the chronological approach. Includes discussions of Islam, the growth of nationalism, Pan Arabism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Gulf War. Offered As Needed.

 

319     20th Century Russia and Eastern Europe (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. This course explores the nature of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe, the reasons for the collapse of communist regimes, and the transition to the post-communist era. We begin by examining how communist governments gained control in Russia and Eastern Europe, the nature of communist rule, and the crisis confronted by various regimes. In addition, we explore the nature of the Cold War and the ideological struggle between state and society, the “democratization” of politics, the problems of ethnic conflict, and changing relations with the West. Offered As Needed.

 

324     Global Environmental History (3)

Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. This course deals with several key aspects of environmental history: 1) humankind’s impact on the environment as we attempt to alter our natural surroundings; 2) various philosophical and religious concepts of the environment and humankind’s place in the natural world; 3) European global expansion and the impact of this ecological imperialism on indigenous peoples and ecologies; 4) the modern “green” movement; and 5) global environment crises and their impact on domestic affairs and international relations. Offered As Needed.

 

325     Introduction to Polish Culture (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. Cross-listed as IND 325. This course introduces students to the history of Polish culture. This survey will focus primarily on cultural developments, but students will also learn about key political, economic, and social developments in Polish history. Offered Alternate Years (Spring).

 

343     Historical Methods (3)

An introduction to historical investigation through individual and group projects. Open to second semester sophomores, juniors and seniors. Required of all History & Government majors. Offered Each Year.

 

345     Introduction to Russian Culture (3)

Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. Cross-listed as IND 345. This course introduces students to select themes in the Russian cultural tradition. The peoples of Russia have engaged actively with other cultures in Europe and Asia for over a millennium. We will explore how a distinct Russian culture has emerged, with special emphases on the following developments: the introduction of Christianity; the “Mongol Yoke;" the “Europeanization” of Muscovite Russia; the cultural splendor of the Russian empire during the reign of Catherine II; the flourishing of Russian literary culture under an absolutist regime during the “Golden Age” of the mid-19th century; and Russia’s role in the birth of Modernism at the end of the tsarist era. Offered Alternate Years (Spring).

 

443     Research Project (3)

An extensive paper emphasizing original research and proper methodology will be required of all students. Offered As Needed.

 

447     Selected Current Topics: Seminar (3)

Offered As Needed.

 

History and Government Courses (HG)

 

103     Introductory Colloquium (2)       

The primary purpose of the course is to introduce majors to the disciplines of History and Political Science. Another function of the course is to facilitate students’ abilities to analyze knowledge from disparate sources and to enhance critical thinking skills. The process involved in learning and thinking critically will be emphasized throughout the course, organized around a particular theme. An additional goal of this course is to introduce students to the faculty of the Department of History & Government. In addition to the primary instructors, several faculty members will contribute to the course as guest discussants. The class will also include activities designed to help students to begin exploring future career plans. These activities may include goal-setting, developing a resume, introduction to careers one can pursue with a degree from the department, question and answer sessions with alumni, etc. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

331     Introduction to Historiography (3)        

Classes are conducted in seminar format. Class discussions are based on the intensive study of a wide variety of historical writings. Historiography is the study of the history of history writing; thus, discussions and assignments will focus on a close study of the changing interpretations of history. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

333     Methods of Teaching Secondary Social Studies (3)           

This course is designed to prepare prospective teachers who will engage in teaching social studies at the secondary level. It is intended to invest them with an understanding of the skills of teaching as well as provide them with content knowledge. It is also intended to assist prospective teachers in generating and implementing ideas and then assessing how well these plans have worked in the classroom. Prerequisite: Junior status. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

442     Thesis Research (1)

In this course, taken in the spring semester of the junior year, students select topics for their research projects and make substantial progress on researching the senior thesis under the direction of History and Government faculty members. Students are required to submit a polished research proposal and an annotated bibliography and to make an oral presentation of the research proposal to the class. Prerequisite: HG 343 or equivalent. Co-requisite: HG 331 or equivalent. This course is a prerequisite for HG 443 Research Project. Offered Each Year (Spring).

 

443     Research Project (3)

Fulfills Research and Presentation requirement. Writing Intensive. In this capstone course for students majoring in the History & Government department, students research an approved topic under the direction of History & Government faculty members and write a thesis of approximately 30 pages that synthesizes research from appropriate primary and secondary sources. Students are required to present their research orally, in a forum selected by the course instructor(s). Prerequisite: HG 331 or equivalent and HG 442. Offered As Needed.

 

458     Internship (3-6)

Credit is granted on an individual basis to students who work with government or party officials on a national, state or local level, in non-public agencies, law firms or in other institutions which are relevant to majors in History and Government or Political Science.