Master of Arts in History

The course addresses the development of core research skills for advanced historical study. Through case studies analyses, the evaluation of different types of historical evidence, and the consideration of how valid research questions are formulated and applied, it is designed to refine the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are fundamental to valid historical scholarship.

This course is the study of historical thought from its emergence in the classical world to the present. Students concentrate on how history has been interpreted, rather the facts of history themselves as well as contemplate the fundamental questions about the nature of history, and investigate the relationships between theory and evidence in historical writing. Emphasis is on the narratives historians have used to reconstruct the past, and the major historiographical schools of thought that have developed over time.

This course is a comprehensive seminar in world history designed to provide a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of world history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of world history for serious history students and professionals.

This course is a study of Greek civilization from its beginnings to the collapse of the independent city-states in the 4th century BC. Emphasis is on ancient Greece’s constitutional, political, economic, social, diplomatic, military, artistic, philosophical and intellectual dynamics. Key topics include the Greek way of land and naval warfare, maritime trade and the economy, Peloponnesian and Persian Wars, the "Age of Pericles" and the Classical Age of Athens, the rise and fall of Spartan power, the rise of Athenian democracy, and the impact of Ancient Greece on the evolving Western Civilization.

This course is a study of Roman civilization from its beginnings to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. The course emphasizes ancient Rome's constitutional, political, economic, social, diplomatic, military, naval, maritime, artistic, architectural, engineering, legal, philosophical and intellectual dynamics. Key topics include the Roman way of land and naval warfare, maritime trade and the economy, Punic and Gallic Wars, imperial expansion, transition from Republic to Empire, the Imperial system, Republic and Imperial constitutions, and the impact of Ancient Rome on the evolving Western Civilization.

This course covers the period from the eighth century B.C. colonization of the Mediterranean and the founding of the Byzantium seaport in 667 B.C. through the First and Second Golden Ages, to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks. The roles of great Byzantium leaders such as Constantine the Great, the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, the recapture of Constantinople from the crusaders, and the impact of Byzantium culture on Western intellect are studied.

This course is a study of European social, political, economic and religious institutions and cultural and intellectual phenomena in the light of the changing historical environment from the end of the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Students examine major milestones from roughly 300 to 1500 AD. Special emphasis includes the importance of the Crusades, development of the Mediterranean as an important venue for the exchange of goods and ideas, and changes in medieval military organization, strategy and technology.

This course examines the history of the Renaissance as a European wide movement emanating from the Italian peninsula; the crisis of the church medieval and the rise of the Renaissance papacy; Humanism, with special emphasis on the great painters, architects, and sculptors; the Renaissance city-states, Machiavelli, and the Renaissance monarchies of France, England, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire; the continuing crisis of the church medieval and the religious upheavals of Protestantism; the work of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists; the Catholic Reformation; the age of civil and religious wars.

This course is a study of warfare in the ancient world with emphasis on the great empires of the Near East and the Mediterranean, particularly the Greeks and Romans. Student examine the origins of warfare in the Neolithic period to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. Special emphasis will be placed on the military history of Mesopotamia and the Near East (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian and Persian), Egypt (Old, Middle and New Kingdom), Greece (Mycenaean, Archaic, Hellenic and Hellenistic) and Rome(Republican and Imperial). The phalanx, the legion, Greek Fire and the importance of roads are discussed in detail.

This course examines the major conflicts and campaigns of the Greeks and Macedonians, to include coverage of the three major historical works that have formed the Western understanding of warfare. Course topics include the linkage of the nature of war and its conduct in the ancient Mediterranean, the rise of Macedonia, and the campaigns and leadership of Alexander the Great.

This course charts the course of the rise and fall of history's greatest imperial power. Special attention is devoted to the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome's subjugation of the eastern Mediterranean, Julius Caesar's campaigns, the transformation from republic to empire, and the debate over how and why the Empire collapsed. Attention is also directed to some of history's greatest soldiers: Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar.

This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. NOTE: Open to graduate students as an elective. Any substitution as a Concentration or Major course must have Dean Approval through your Student Advisor. SUMMER 2009 TOPIC: John Brown’s Raid at Harpers Ferry. This course focuses on the causes and consequences of John Brown’s raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), on October 16, 1859. Students read and discuss early newspaper accounts of the raid, contemporary opinions, early biographical and historical accounts, and explore how and why accounts and interpretations of John Brown’s actions and motives have changed over the nearly 150 years since the raid occurred. Students apply what they learn from accounts of John Brown’s raid and become historians of this event.

This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their Student Advisor with the name of their professor.

This course prepares graduate students for the Comprehensive Examination in the Master of Arts in History program. The purpose of this course is to provide a structured weekly review of key concepts, theories, and knowledge skill sets in their degree and particular concentration. Students are required to submit responses to a number of assignments over the 8-week course prior to taking the exam. Students apply historical methodology in preparation for the exam and consult texts, journal articles, print & media reports, and documentaries, as well as collaborate with other students enrolled in the course to help them prepare for the exam. Assignments serve as a means of final preparation for the student and calibration with the course instructor, who will grade the exam. The exam requires an approved proctor and is scheduled prior to the last week of the course. Students may not schedule the exam early and will not receive a grade until the end of the course. The "Comprehensive Final Exam" is tailored specifically to each student’s program. This option requires a minimum of 36 hours of coursework. A minimum of 21 hours must be taken within the concentrations and 6 credits in electives. A non-thesis student receives the MA degree upon successful completion of the required coursework and passing.