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Undergraduate: History
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Program Overview
History (HIS)
History is the systematic study of peoples, states, and societies from antiquity to our current times. Using both written records and material artifacts, historians attempt to reconstruct and interpret change over time in every facet of human experience, from political and economic systems to family life and gender roles, to name a few. The study of history is not only intrinsically interesting, but also contributes useful insights into the contemporary world and its problems.
History majors develop an in-depth knowledge of a specific region of the world, including its history, geography, and culture. In the process, they also learn how to conduct historical research, and to develop convincing arguments based on the evidence they uncover. Effective oral and written communication skills are strongly emphasized in all history courses.
Many History majors choose careers in law, teaching, archival or library science, or museum work. Because it emphasizes research and writing, history is also excellent preparation for many fields, including journalism, diplomacy, and international business. Combined with a concentration in science, the History major is also a good background for medicine or other health science professions.
The Department's offerings range over many eras, regions, and topics, concentrating on the United States, Europe, Latin America, East Asia, the history of science, and women's history. Surveys of these fields are offered at the 100 level for the United States and Europe and the 200 level for other areas. Students interested in the study of history should take these survey courses first, as prerequisites for more advanced coursework. American and European courses at the 200 level customarily examine a specific period, while 300-level courses typically examine specific topics (such as social or political history) or countries (such as Germany, Brazil, or China). History colloquia at the 400 level are small classes offering intensive reading and discussion on closely focused themes. The study of history emphasizes the mastery of large amounts of information and the ability to demonstrate that mastery through skillful writing.
Each semester the Department issues a booklet with detailed descriptions of its offerings. Students interested in history, whether as a major, a minor, a social science course related to their major, or for general liberal arts purposes, are invited to read this booklet and to seek advice from the Department's director of undergraduate studies and other faculty members.
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Degrees and Requirements
Requirements for the Major and Minor in History (HIS)
The major in History leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses must be taken for a letter grade. No grade lower than C may be applied toward the major. At least 12 credits in Requirement A and B must be taken within the Department of History at Stony Brook.
Completion of the major requires 39 credits.
A. Study within the Area of the Major
9 courses (27 credits) distributed as follows:
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Choose one European history survey course: HIS 101 Ancient Mesopotamia to Early Modern Europe or HIS 102 Modern European History, 18th c. to the Present (3 credits)
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Choose one United States history survey course: HIS 103 American History to 1877 or HIS 104 United States Since 1877 (3 credits)
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Choose one 100- or 200-level survey course in a region or country outside the U.S. or Europe (3 credits)
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Four additional HIS courses above the 100-level, with at least three at the 300-level (12 credits)
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HIS 301
Reading and Writing History (must be taken prior to
HIS 401
)
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HIS 401
Senior Colloquium
B. Thematic Cluster
A thematic cluster of 4 courses at the 200-level or above (minimum 2 courses at the 300-level) selected from the following thematic clusters: Arts, Ideas & Culture; Empires, Violence & Global Connections; Health, Science & Environmental Change; Law, Politics & Social Justice; Race, Religion, Gender & Sexualities (12 credits). See course lists below.
C. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: Satisfactory completion of HIS 401 with a grade of C or better.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with
university graduation requirements for General Education
. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the
"Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD)
learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Notes:
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No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be applied toward Requirement A.
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HIS 447
,
HIS 487
,
HIS 488
,
HIS 495
,
HIS 496
may not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements.
History Courses by Thematic Cluster
Arts, Ideas & Culture
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HIS 201: The Ancient Near East
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HIS 202: Ancient Greece
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HIS 203: Ancient Rome
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HIS 204: Egypt of the Pharaohs
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HIS 206: Europe in the Age of Discovery, 1348-1789
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HIS 210: Soviet Russia
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HIS 212: Ancient History of Mesoamerica
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HIS 213: Colonial Latin America
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HIS 214: Modern Latin America
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HIS 218: Ancient, Medieval, & Early Modern South Asia
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HIS 219: Introduction to Chinese History and Civilization
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HIS 220: Japan in the Age of Courtier and Samurai
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HIS 223: Regional History of Africa
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HIS 225: Jewish History from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
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HIS 226: Modern Jewish History: Dilemmas of Difference
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HIS 227: Islamic Civilization & Muslim Societies
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HIS 229: Victorian Britain
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HIS 235: The Heirs of Rome: The Early Medieval World, 300-1000
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HIS 236: The World of the Later Middle Ages, 1000-1500
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HIS 247: Modern Korea through Visual Culture
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HIS 256: Latin American Popular Culture
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HIS 261: Change and Reform in the United States, 1877-1919
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HIS 262: American Colonial Society
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HIS 263: Age of the American Revolution
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HIS 264: The Early Republic
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HIS 270: US in the World, 19th Century
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HIS 271: The United States in the World: the 20th Century
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HIS 273: U.S. History, 1900-1945
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HIS 274: U.S. History, 1945-2000
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HIS 285: Games, Burlesques, and Spectacles: Popular Culture in 19th-Century America
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HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society
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HIS 304: Religion, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe
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HIS 308: Britain and France in the Age of Revolution
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HIS 312: From Empire to Third Reich: Germany, 1890-1945
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HIS 315: Nazi Empire
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HIS 318: Modern European Intellectual History
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HIS 319: Assyrians, Babylonians, and Hittites
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HIS 320: Latino New York
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HIS 322: Origins of American Religious Liberty
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HIS 324: Lost Languages, Ancient Civilizations, and Decipherments
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HIS 327: The Arts as History
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HIS 334: Women and Gender in Pre-Modern European History
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HIS 335: Social History of American Advertising
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HIS 336: Women and Gender in Modern European History
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HIS 337: History of Korea
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HIS 341: 20th-Century China
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HIS 344: Modern Japan
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HIS 351: Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power
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HIS 353: Postwar Japan
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HIS 379: Rebels & Revolutionaries: 1960s Latin America
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HIS 383: The World of Jane Austen; Jane Austen in the World
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HIS 385: Aztec Civilization
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HIS 386: The Maya
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HIS 387: Cuba: Island of Consequence
Empires, Violence & Global Connections
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HIS 201: The Ancient Near East
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HIS 202: Ancient Greece
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HIS 203: Ancient Rome
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HIS 204: Egypt of the Pharaohs
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HIS 206: Europe in the Age of Discovery, 1348-1789
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HIS 209: Imperial Russia
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HIS 210: Soviet Russia
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HIS 211: Early African History
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HIS 212: Ancient History of Mesoamerica
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HIS 213: Colonial Latin America
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HIS 214: Modern Latin America
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HIS 215: Long Island History
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HIS 216: History of U.S.-Latin American Relations
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HIS 218: Ancient, Medieval, & Early Modern South Asia
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HIS 219: Introduction to Chinese History and Civilization
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HIS 221: Introduction to Modern African History
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HIS 227: Islamic Civilization & Muslim Societies
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HIS 229: Victorian Britain
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HIS 230: Britain since 1688: Four Nations in the World
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HIS 235: The Heirs of Rome: The Early Medieval World, 300-1000
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HIS 236: The World of the Later Middle Ages, 1000-1500
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HIS 241: Nazi Genocide and the Holocaust
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HIS 247: Modern Korea through Visual Culture
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HIS 248: Modern Europe, 1815-1914
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HIS 249: Modern Europe, 1914-1945
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HIS 250: The Second World War, 1939-1945
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HIS 251: Europe Since 1945
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HIS 256: Latin American Popular Culture
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HIS 263: Age of the American Revolution
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HIS 264: The Early Republic
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HIS 265: Civil War and Reconstruction
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HIS 266: History of the United States West
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HIS 270: US in the World, 19th Century
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HIS 271: The United States in the World: the 20th Century
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HIS 273: U.S. History, 1900-1945
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HIS 274: U.S. History, 1945-2000
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HIS 281: Global History and Geography
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HIS 283: The History of Latinos in the United States
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HIS 287: Crime and Criminal Justice in the U.S.
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HIS 288: Wealth and Inequality in Early America
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HIS 289: Wealth and Inequality in America's Corporate Age
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HIS 293: Disease in American History
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HIS 302: Environmental History in Global Perspective
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HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society
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HIS 308: Britain and France in the Age of Revolution
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HIS 312: From Empire to Third Reich: Germany, 1890-1945
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HIS 314: Indigenous-Settler Relations in the United States
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HIS 315: Nazi Empire
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HIS 319: Assyrians, Babylonians, and Hittites
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HIS 320: Latino New York
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HIS 322: Origins of American Religious Liberty
-
HIS 323: Women of Color in the U.S.
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HIS 324: Lost Languages, Ancient Civilizations, and Decipherments
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HIS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power
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HIS 337: History of Korea
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HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History
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HIS 341: 20th-Century China
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HIS 344: Modern Japan
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HIS 346: Political and Social History of Africa
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HIS 348: Colonial South Asia
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HIS 351: Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power
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HIS 352: Environmental History of China
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HIS 353: Postwar Japan
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HIS 356: Zionism and the State of Israel
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HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic
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HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties
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HIS 364: Oceans Past: World History from a Maritime Perspective
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HIS 365: Environmental History of North America
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HIS 366: Carceral Studies: Histories of Policing, Prisons, and Surveillance
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HIS 375: American Politics and Diplomacy to 1898
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HIS 376: American Politics and Diplomacy, 1898-1945
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HIS 377: American Politics and Diplomacy Since 1945
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HIS 378: War and the Military
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HIS 379: Rebels & Revolutionaries: 1960s Latin America
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HIS 381: Global Commodity Histories, 1500-2000
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HIS 383: The World of Jane Austen; Jane Austen in the World
-
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization
-
HIS 386: The Maya
-
HIS 387: Cuba: Island of Consequence
-
HIS 388: Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean
-
HIS 389: Mexico: From Revolutions to Cartels, 1810-2020
Health, Science & Environmental Change
-
HIS 206: Europe in the Age of Discovery, 1348-1789
-
HIS 211: Early African History
-
HIS 212: Ancient History of Mesoamerica
-
HIS 215: Long Island History
-
HIS 221: Introduction to Modern African History
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HIS 237: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Western Civilization I
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HIS 238: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Western Civilization II
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HIS 264: The Early Republic
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HIS 266: History of the United States West
-
HIS 281: Global History and Geography
-
HIS 286: The Global History of Human Health
-
HIS 293: Disease in American History
-
HIS 295: History of North American Cities and Suburbs
-
HIS 302: Environmental History in Global Perspective
-
HIS 304: Religion, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe
-
HIS 314: Indigenous-Settler Relations in the United States
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HIS 321: Humans and Animals in the Modern World
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HIS 329: Environmental Disasters
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HIS 333: Suburbanism in International Perspective
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HIS 335: Social History of American Advertising
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HIS 352: Environmental History of China
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HIS 364: Oceans Past: World History from a Maritime Perspective
-
HIS 365: Environmental History of North America
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HIS 368: Health and Disease in African History
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HIS 381: Global Commodity Histories, 1500-2000
-
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization
-
HIS 386: The Maya
Law, Politics & Social Justice
-
HIS 201: The Ancient Near East
-
HIS 210: Soviet Russia
-
HIS 214: Modern Latin America
-
HIS 216: History of U.S.-Latin American Relations
-
HIS 221: Introduction to Modern African History
-
HIS 223: Regional History of Africa
-
HIS 226: Modern Jewish History: Dilemmas of Difference
-
HIS 230: Britain since 1688: Four Nations in the World
-
HIS 241: Nazi Genocide and the Holocaust
-
HIS 248: Modern Europe, 1815-1914
-
HIS 249: Modern Europe, 1914-1945
-
HIS 250: The Second World War, 1939-1945
-
HIS 251: Europe Since 1945
-
HIS 261: Change and Reform in the United States, 1877-1919
-
HIS 263: Age of the American Revolution
-
HIS 265: Civil War and Reconstruction
-
HIS 271: The United States in the World: the 20th Century
-
HIS 274: U.S. History, 1945-2000
-
HIS 277: The Modern Color Line
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HIS 280: The History of the U.S. Working Class
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HIS 282: African American History Since 1877
-
HIS 283: The History of Latinos in the United States
-
HIS 286: The Global History of Human Health
-
HIS 287: Crime and Criminal Justice in the U.S.
-
HIS 288: Wealth and Inequality in Early America
-
HIS 289: Wealth and Inequality in America's Corporate Age
-
HIS 295: History of North American Cities and Suburbs
-
HIS 318: Modern European Intellectual History
-
HIS 323: Women of Color in the U.S.
-
HIS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power
-
HIS 328: History of New York City
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HIS 329: Environmental Disasters
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HIS 331: Immigration in American History
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HIS 333: Suburbanism in International Perspective
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HIS 334: Women and Gender in Pre-Modern European History
-
HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History
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HIS 339: Recent African American History
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HIS 345: Women and Gender in Chinese History
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HIS 346: Political and Social History of Africa
-
HIS 348: Colonial South Asia
-
HIS 350: Topics in African History
-
HIS 352: Environmental History of China
-
HIS 360: Changing Families: US History to 1860
-
HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic
-
HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties
-
HIS 366: Carceral Studies: Histories of Policing, Prisons, and Surveillance
-
HIS 369: Religion and Politics in Africa
-
HIS 370: US Social History from 1860 to 1940
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HIS 371: Law and Society in American History, 1620-1877
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HIS 372: U.S. Constitutional History and Civil Rights
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HIS 374: Surveillance State: A History of U.S. Domestic Spying
-
HIS 375: American Politics and Diplomacy to 1898
-
HIS 376: American Politics and Diplomacy, 1898-1945
-
HIS 377: American Politics and Diplomacy Since 1945
-
HIS 378: War and the Military
-
HIS 379: Rebels & Revolutionaries: 1960s Latin America
-
HIS 388: Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean
-
HIS 389: Mexico: From Revolutions to Cartels, 1810-2020
-
HIS 391: Topics in Ancient and Medieval Europe
Race, Religion, Gender & Sexualities
-
HIS 211: Early African History
-
HIS 213: Colonial Latin America
-
HIS 215: Long Island History
-
HIS 218: Ancient, Medieval, & Early Modern South Asia
-
HIS 221: Introduction to Modern African History
-
HIS 223: Regional History of Africa
-
HIS 225: Jewish History from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
-
HIS 226: Modern Jewish History: Dilemmas of Difference
-
HIS 227: Islamic Civilization & Muslim Societies
-
HIS 229: Victorian Britain
-
HIS 235: The Heirs of Rome: The Early Medieval World, 300-1000
-
HIS 236: The World of the Later Middle Ages, 1000-1500
-
HIS 241: Nazi Genocide and the Holocaust
-
HIS 247: Modern Korea through Visual Culture
-
HIS 248: Modern Europe, 1815-1914
-
HIS 249: Modern Europe, 1914-1945
-
HIS 261: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic
-
HIS 265: Civil War and Reconstruction
-
HIS 277: The Modern Color Line
-
HIS 282: African American History Since 1877
-
HIS 283: The History of Latinos in the United States
-
HIS 285: Games, Burlesques, and Spectacles: Popular Culture in 19th-Century America
-
HIS 295: History of North American Cities and Suburbs
-
HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society
-
HIS 304: Religion, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe
-
HIS 314: Indigenous-Settler Relations in the United States
-
HIS 318: Modern European Intellectual History
-
HIS 320: Latino New York
-
HIS 322: Origins of American Religious Liberty
-
HIS 323: Women of Color in the U.S.
-
HIS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power
-
HIS 327: The Arts as History
-
HIS 328: History of New York City
-
HIS 331: Immigration in American History
-
HIS 334: Women and Gender in Pre-Modern European History
-
HIS 335: Social History of American Advertising
-
HIS 336: Women and Gender in Modern European History
-
HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History
-
HIS 339: Recent African American History
-
HIS 345: Women and Gender in Chinese History
-
HIS 346: Political and Social History of Africa
-
HIS 350: Topics in African History
-
HIS 353: Postwar Japan
-
HIS 356: Zionism and the State of Israel
-
HIS 360: Changing Families: US History to 1860
-
HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic
-
HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties
-
HIS 366: Carceral Studies: Histories of Policing, Prisons, and Surveillance
-
HIS 369: Religion and Politics in Africa
-
HIS 370: US Social History from 1860 to 1940
-
HIS 372: U.S. Constitutional History and Civil Rights
-
HIS 374: Surveillance State: A History of U.S. Domestic Spying
-
HIS 383: The World of Jane Austen; Jane Austen in the World
-
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization
-
HIS 386: The Maya
-
HIS 388: Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean
-
HIS 391: Topics in Ancient and Medieval Europe
Departmental majors with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.50 in history courses and related disciplines as specified in the major requirements are eligible to enroll in the History honors program at the beginning of their senior year.
The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a proposal to the Department indicating the merit of the planned research. The supervising faculty member must also submit a statement supporting the student's proposal. This must be done in the semester prior to the beginning of the project.
The honors paper resulting from a student's research is read by two historians and a member of another department, as arranged by the director of undergraduate studies. If the paper is judged to be of unusual merit and the student's record warrants such a determination, the Department recommends honors.
The minor is organized around a thematic cluster (Arts, Ideas & Culture; Empires, Violence & Global Connections; Health, Science & Environmental Change; Law, Politics & Social Justice; Race, Religion, Gender & Sexualities). Courses offered for the minor must be taken for a letter grade. All courses offered for the minor must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
The minor, which requires 21 credits, consists of a two-course Introductory survey in a student's particular geographic and/or temporal area of interest, followed by four courses in a Thematic area of history chosen from one of the clusters noted above. A final course can be used either to deepen a particular area of interest or explore a new subject. No grade lower than "C" may be applied to the minor and at least twelve of the 21 credits must be taken at Stony Brook. At least 9 of the 21 credits must be upper-division.
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Two courses in any survey sequence at the 100- or 200-level
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Four courses in one of the following Thematic clusters:
Arts, Ideas & Culture; Empires, Violence & Global Connections; Health, Science & Environmental Change; Law, Politics & Social Justice; Race, Religion, Gender & Sexualities
(see course list above)
-
One course in any area at the 300 level or above
-
Sequence
Sample Course Sequence for the Major in History
For more information about SBC courses that fulfill major requirements, click here.
| FALL |
Credits |
| First Year Seminar 101 |
1 |
| WRT 101 |
3 |
|
HIS 101 or HIS 103
|
3 |
| SBC |
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
SBC
|
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| SPRING |
Credits |
| First Year Seminar 102 |
1 |
| WRT 102 |
3 |
|
HIS 102 or HIS 104
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
SBC
|
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| FALL |
Credits |
|
Primary Field Course #1 (200 level)
|
3 |
SBC
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| SPRING |
Credits |
|
HIS 200-level outside primary field
|
3 |
|
Primary Field Course #2 (200 level)
|
3 |
|
Elective
|
3
|
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
Upper-division elective
|
3 |
| Total |
18 |
| FALL |
Credits |
|
Primary Field Course #3 (300 level)
|
3 |
|
HIS 300-level outside primary field
|
3 |
| Upper-division elective |
3 |
| HIS 301 |
3 |
|
Elective
|
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| SPRING |
Credits |
|
Primary Field course #4 (300 level)
|
3 |
|
HIS 301 writing seminar
|
3 |
|
Related discipline 300-level course
|
3 |
|
Upper-division SBC
|
3 |
|
Upper-division elective
|
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| FALL |
Credits |
|
Primary Field course #5 (400-level special topics seminar)
|
3 |
|
HIS 300-level outside primary field
|
3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
|
Elective
|
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| SPRING |
Credits |
|
Related discipline course (300 or 400-level)
|
3 |
|
Upper-division SBC
|
3 |
|
Upper-division SBC
|
3 |
|
Elective
|
3 |
|
Elective
|
3 |
| Total |
15 |
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Contact
-
Courses
|