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.
Requirements for the Major
The major in History leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses taken to meet Requirements A 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 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
Thirty-nine credits distributed as follows:
B. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
The upper-division writing requirement is met through satisfactory completion of HIS 401, the required Senior Colloquium course, which satisfies the SBC categories EXP+, SPK, and WRTD.
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:
1. No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be applied toward Requirement A.
2. HIS 447, HIS 487, HIS 488, HIS 495, HIS 496 may not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements unless with permission of the undergraduate director.
3.The course lists for the thematic clusters are listed below:
History Courses by Thematic cluster
Arts, Ideas & Culture |
HIS 201: The Ancient Near East |
HIS 202: Ancient Greece |
HIS 203: Ancient Rome |
HIS 204: Egypt of the Pharaohs |
HIS 206: Europe in the Age of Discovery, 1348-1789 |
HIS 210: Soviet Russia |
HIS 212: Ancient History of Mesoamerica |
HIS 213: Colonial Latin America |
HIS 214: Modern Latin America |
HIS 218: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern South Asia |
HIS 219: Introduction to Chinese History and Civilization |
HIS 220: Premodern Japan |
HIS 223: Regional History of Africa |
HIS 225: The Formation of the Judaic Heritage |
HIS 226: The Shaping of Modern Judaism |
HIS 227: Islamic Civilization and Muslim Societies |
HIS 229: Victorian Britain |
HIS 235: The Early Middle Ages |
HIS 236: The Late Middle Ages |
HIS 247: Modern Korea through Visual Culture |
HIS 256: Latin American Popular Culture |
HIS 261: Change and Reform in the United States, 1877-1919 |
HIS 262: American Colonial Society |
HIS 263: Age of the American Revolution |
HIS 264: The Early Republic |
HIS 270: US in the World, 19th Century |
HIS 271: The United States in the World: the 20th Century |
HIS 285: History of Popular Culture in 19th Century America |
HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society |
HIS 304: Religion, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe |
HIS 308: Britain and France in the Age of Revolution |
HIS 309: Victorian Britain and Monsters: A Particular History of Empire |
HIS 310: Britain Since 1945: Postcolonial Disruptions |
HIS 312: From Empire to Third Reich: Germany, 1890-1945 |
HIS 315: Nazi Empire |
HIS 318: Modern European Intellectual History |
HIS 319: Assyrians, Babylonians, and Hittites |
HIS 320: Latino New York |
HIS 322: Origins of American Religious Liberty |
HIS 324: Lost Languages, Ancient Civilizations, and Decipherments |
HIS 327: The Arts as History |
HIS 332: Postcolonial South Asia |
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 337: History of Korea |
HIS 340: Topics in Asian History |
HIS 341: 20th-Century China |
HIS 344: Modern Japan |
HIS 351: Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power |
HIS 353: Postwar Japan |
HIS 363: Topics in American History |
HIS 379: Rebels and Revolutionaries: 1960s Latin America |
HIS 383: The World of Jane Austen; Jane Austen in the World |
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization |
HIS 386: The Maya |
HIS 387: History of Cuba |
HIS 390: Topics in Ancient History |
HIS 391: Topics in Ancient and Medieval Europe |
HIS 392: Topics in Early Modern Europe |
HIS 393: Topics in Modern European History |
Empires, Violence & Global Connections |
HIS 201: The Ancient Near East |
HIS 202: Ancient Greece |
HIS 203: Ancient Rome |
HIS 204: Egypt of the Pharaohs |
HIS 206: Europe in the Age of Discovery, 1348-1789 |
HIS 209: Imperial Russia |
HIS 210: Soviet Russia |
HIS 211: Early African History |
HIS 212: Ancient History of Mesoamerica |
HIS 213: Colonial Latin America |
HIS 214: Modern Latin America |
HIS 215: Long Island History |
HIS 216: History of U.S.-Latin American Relations |
HIS 218: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern South Asia |
HIS 219: Introduction to Chinese History and Civilization |
HIS 221: Introduction to Modern African History |
HIS 227: Islamic Civilization & Muslim Societies |
HIS 229: Victorian Britain |
HIS 230: Britain Since 1945: Postcolonial Disruptions |
HIS 235: The Early Middle Ages |
HIS 236: The Late Middle Ages |
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 250: The Second World War, 1939-1945 |
HIS 250: The Second World War, 1939-1945 |
HIS 251: Europe Since 1945 |
HIS 256: Latin American Popular Culture |
HIS 263: Age of the American Revolution |
HIS 264: The Early Republic |
HIS 265: Civil War and Reconstruction |
HIS 266: History of the United States West |
HIS 270: US in the World, 19th Century |
HIS 271: The United States in the World: the 20th Century |
HIS 273: U.S. History, 1900-1945 |
HIS 274: U.S. History, 1945-2000 |
HIS 281: Global History and Geography |
HIS 282: African American History Since 1877 |
HIS 283: The History of Latinos in the United States |
HIS 286: 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 293: Disease in American History |
HIS 300: Topics in Global History |
HIS 302: Environmental History in Global Perspective |
HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society |
HIS 308: Britain and France in the Age of Revolution |
HIS 309: Victorian Britain and Monsters: A Particular History of Empire |
HIS 310: Britain Since 1945: Postcolonial Disruptions |
HIS 312: From Empire to Third Reich: Germany, 1890-1945 |
HIS 314: Indigenous-Settler Relations in the United States |
HIS 315: Nazi Empire |
HIS 319: Assyrians, Babylonians, and Hittites |
HIS 320: Latino New York |
HIS 322: Origins of American Religious Liberty |
HIS 323: Women of Color in the U.S. |
HIS 324: Lost Languages, Ancient Civilizations, and Decipherments |
HIS 325: Civil Rights and Black Power |
HIS 337: History of Korea |
HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History |
HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History |
HIS 340: Topics in Asian History |
HIS 341: 20th-Century China |
HIS 344: Modern Japan |
HIS 346: Political and Social History of Africa |
HIS 348: Colonial South Asia |
HIS 350: Topics in African History |
HIS 351: Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power |
HIS 352: Environmental History of China |
HIS 353: Postwar Japan |
HIS 356: Zionism and the State of Israel |
HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic |
HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties |
HIS 363: Topics in American History |
HIS 364: Oceans Past: World History from a Maritime Perspective |
HIS 365: Environmental History of North America |
HIS 366: New Jim Crow: Race, Punishment, Police and Prisons since the Civil War |
HIS 374: Surveillance State |
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 and Revolutionaries: 1960s Latin America |
HIS 381: Empire of Goods: Latin America and the World, 1500-2000 |
HIS 383: The World of Jane Austen; Jane Austen in the World |
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization |
HIS 386: The Maya |
HIS 387: History of Cuba |
HIS 388: Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean |
HIS 389: Modern Mexico |
HIS 390: Topics in Ancient History |
HIS 391: Topics in Ancient and Medieval Europe |
HIS 392: Topics in Early Modern Europe |
HIS 393: Topics in Modern European History |
HIS 397: Topics in History of US Immigration and Ethnicity |
HIS 398: Topics in History of Science, Medicine and Technology |
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 |
HIS 237: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Western Civilization I |
HIS 238: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Western Civilization II |
HIS 264: The Early Republic |
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 321: Humans and Animals in the Modern World |
HIS 329: History of Industrial Hazards |
HIS 333: Suburbanism in International Perspective |
HIS 335: Social History of American Advertising |
HIS 352: Environmental History of China |
HIS 364: Oceans Past: World History from a Maritime Perspective |
HIS 365: Environmental History of North America |
HIS 368: Health and Disease in African History |
HIS 381: Empire of Goods: Latin America and the World, 1500-2000 |
HIS 385: Aztec Civilization |
HIS 386: The Maya |
HIS 396: Topics in US History |
HIS 398: Topics in History of Science, Medicine and Technology |
Law, Politics & Social Justice |
HIS 201: The Ancient Near East |
HIS 202: Ancient Greece |
HIS 203: Ancient Rome |
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: The Shaping of Modern Judaism |
HIS 230: Britain Since 1945: Postcolonial Disruptions |
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 273: U.S. History, 1900-1945 |
HIS 274: U.S. History, 1945-2000 |
HIS 277: The Modern Color Line |
HIS 280: The History of the U.S. Working Class |
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 300: Topics in Global History |
HIS 314: Indigenous-Settler Relations in the United States |
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 |
HIS 329: History of Industrial Hazards |
HIS 331: Immigration in American History |
HIS 332: Postcolonial South Asia |
HIS 333: Suburbanism in International Perspective |
HIS 334: Women and Gender in Pre-Modern European History |
HIS 338: Asian and Pacific Islanders in American History |
HIS 339: Recent African American History |
HIS 340: Topics in Asian History |
HIS 345: Women and Gender in Chinese History |
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: U.S. Social History to 1860 |
HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic |
HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties |
HIS 366: New Jim Crow: Race, Punishment, Police and Prisons since the Civil War |
HIS 369: Religion and Politics in Africa |
HIS 370: US Social History from 1860 to 1940 |
HIS 371: Law and Society in American History, 1620-1877 |
HIS 372: U.S. Constitutional History and Civil Rights |
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: Modern Mexico |
HIS 392: Topics in Early Modern Europe |
HIS 396: Topics in US History |
HIS 397: Topics in History of US Immigration and Ethnicity |
HIS 398: Topics in History of Science, Medicine and Technology |
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: The Formation of the Judaic Heritage |
HIS 226: The Shaping of Modern Judaism |
HIS 227: Islamic Civilization and Muslim Societies |
HIS 229: Victorian Britain |
HIS 235: The Early Middle Ages |
HIS 236: The Late Middle Ages |
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: Change and Reform in the United States, 1877-1919 |
HIS 265: Civil War and Reconstruction |
HIS 266: History of US West |
HIS 273: U.S. History, 1900-1945 |
HIS 274: US History, 1945-2000 |
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: History of Popular Culture in 19th Century America |
HIS 295: History of North American Cities and Suburbs |
HIS 300: Topics in Global History |
HIS 303: The Crusades and Medieval Society |
HIS 304: Religion, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe |
HIS 309: Victorian Britain and Monsters: A Particular History of Empire |
HIS 310: Britain Since 1945: Postcolonial Disruptions |
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 332: Postcolonial South Asia |
HIS 334: Women and Gender in Pre-Modern European 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: U.S. Social History to 1860 |
HIS 361: Slavery and Freedom in the Making of the Atlantic |
HIS 362: Unsettled Decade: The Sixties |
HIS 363: Topics in American History |
HIS 366: New Jim Crow: Race, Punishment, Police and Prisons since the Civil War |
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 393: Topics in Modern European History |
HIS 396: Topics in US History |
HIS 397: Topics in History of US Immigration and Ethnicity |
The Honors Program in History
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.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor is organized around one particular thematic cluster selected from the following: 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.
Completion of the minor requires 21 credits. At least nine of the 21 credits must be taken at Stony Brook, with three of the courses at the upper-division level. The specific distribution of the credits should be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. An example of an acceptable distribution would be the following:
History Courses Listed by Thematic cluster
Note: HIS 447, HIS 487, HIS 488, HIS 495, HIS 496 may not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements unless with permission of the undergraduate director.
FRESHMAN |
---|
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 |
SOPHOMORE |
---|
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 |
JUNIOR |
---|
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 |
SENIOR |
---|
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 |
Major and Minor in History
Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: Paul Gootenberg
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Eric Zolov
Assistant to the Chair: Susan Grumet
Office: S-301 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Phone: (631) 632-7500
Email: Susan.Grumet@stonybrook.edu
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/history
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in History: Africana Studies (AFS), International Studies (INT), Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LAC), Political Science (POL), Women's and Gender Studies (WST), Foreign Languages