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A narrative history of the African American experience, driven by the study of African American literature and culture. Beginning with the development of race-based slavery and ending with current issues of blackness and whiteness, this course will trace the changing history of what it has meant to be "black" in the context of "white" America. (Spring 20242026)
Core: HI
HIST 231 Medieval Europe (3 SH)
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A general survey of African history from the pre-colonial to contemporary era, addressing religious and cultural shifts across various regions, the impact of Islamic and European colonization, the quest for independence, post-colonialism, and the complications of nationalism and globalization. (Fall 20232025)
Core: HI
HIST 312 19th Century America, A Novel History (3 SH)
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This course is a study of the United States during the "Modern" period, a time when the country moved from a booming but tattered nation reeling from a civil war to an international giant with immense military and industrial power. Major themes include industrialization, economic vitality, immigration, urbanization, the Social Gospel and Progressive movements, normalization, World War I, the rise of the "New Negro," and the New Deal. Taking HIST 102 before this course is highly recommended. (Fall 2024Spring 2025)
Core: HI
HIST 340-345 Topics in History (3 SH)
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A comparative study of how women around the world (organized around themes such as family, economics, politics, and sexuality) have experienced history. Emphasis will be on understanding changing gender roles in light of different historical events and cultures. The course will also provide an opportunity to examine current gender issues and become familiar with gender theory. (Spring 20242026)
Core: HI
HIST 362 Renaissance and Reformation Europe (3 SH)
A study of the Italian and Northern Renaissance movements and a careful examination of the 16th-century reformations, both Protestant and Catholic. Besides cultural, intellectual, religious and political aspects of the period, social history and gender themes will be considered. Students will get to know diverse personalities such as Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Bloody Mary, and Martin Luther and be able to understand them in their historical contexts. (Spring 20242026)
Core: HI
HIST 365 Mennonite History and Thought (3 SH)
A survey of the Anabaptist movement and Mennonites throughout the world from the sixteenth to twenty-first centuries. Issues include pacifism, wealth, political participation, community and tensions between faith and the dominant culture. Particular attention is given to the Anabaptist vision and its relevance for 21st-century American life. (REL 365) (Spring Fall 2025)
Core: HI
HIST 391 Birth of Modernity in Europe (3 SH)
The origins of many modern realities are found in 17th- and 18th-century Europe: imperialism, liberalism, conservatism, representative government, skepticism, religious tolerance, standing armies, laissez-faire capitalism, and a faith in science, reason and technology to bring about progress. This course uncovers these origins through a survey of political, social, economic, gender and cultural history from 1550 to 1815. Major themes include religious warfare, the witchcraft craze, overseas expansion, Rembrandt's Amsterdam, the Scientific Revolution, absolutism and constitutionalism, the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution, culminating in Napoleon's empire. Students will try to grasp the mentality of the era through philosophy and literature from the times and through historical film. (Fall 2024)
Core: HI
HIST 411 The History of Recent America (4 SH)
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A history of Europe from the French Revolution to the present. Themes include revolution, industrialization, women's suffrage, militarism, imperialism and genocide, the rise and fall of communism, the world wars, fascism, the reunification of Eastern and Western Europe, the emergences of the European Union, and current issues such as immigration, terrorism and neo-nationalism, and the splintering of the E.U. (Fall 2023)
Core: HI
HIST 499 Independent Study (1-3 SH)
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This course provides an overview of the history, objectives, impacts, and effectiveness of norms and institutions in international politics. It examines (1) how international norms and institutions evolve; (2) why and how governments and civil society actors promote international norms and institutions; (3) why states join institutions and comply with international rules and regulations; (4) how international norms affect state behavior; and (5) what determines the effectiveness of international norms and laws. Along with theoretical and historical reviews, students will also study empirical topics such as the United Nations, international humanitarian law, transnational advocacy groups and human rights regimes, international trade and finance organizations, and environmental institutions. (Spring 2025)
POL 250 Law, Justice, and the Local Context (3 SH)
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This course aims to introduce and analyze the history and international relations of East Asia, which is one of the most dynamic and consequential regions in world politics today. The first part of the course will explore historical backgrounds of the region with a focus on political, economic, and security development from the late 19th century to the post-Cold War era. The second part will examine various regional security challenges and foreign/ security policies of the key countries (China, Japan, the two Koreas, and ASEAN countries), encouraging students to think whether the region is heading towards peace or conflict. The ultimate goal of this course is to enable students to produce an academic research paper on a topic of their interests, by immersing themselves in important peace and security issues in East Asia. (Spring 20242026)
Core: HI & WI
PPX 401 Human Rights and Dignity (4 SH)
This course introduces students to the study of human rights from a political perspective. By taking this course, students should be able to (1) think critically and analytically about human rights and dignity; (2) demonstrate knowledge of key conceptual debates, the history and evolution of the international human rights regime, and relevant cases of human rights violations; (3) develop informed positions on key issues of human rights and identify ways to prevent human rights violations at home and abroad; and (4) attain critical writing and oral skills through active class participation, weekly response essays, and a final paper. (Spring 20242026)
Core: WI
PPX 405-409 Topics in Politics and Peace Studies (3-4 SH)
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This course examines genocides and mass atrocities in the modern world from an interdisciplinary perspective. We will look at historical and contemporary genocides— Armenia, the Holocaust, Nanjing, Cambodia, Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, Darfur, and Myanmar—and analyze their causes and patterns of development. Engaging various disciplines such as political science, history, peace studies, psychology, and sociology, students will explore theoretical and policy issues such as theories of genocide, various forms of destruction, gender and genocide, humanitarian intervention debate, prevention of mass atrocity, genocide denial, and collective memory. (Fall 20232025)
Core: WI
PPX 431 Political Reconciliation (4 SH)
How should a society address the legacies of mass atrocities and human rights violations of the past? This course examines the issue of political reconciliation after armed conflicts and violent political transitions. Students will explore key issues and debates related to transitional justice such as criminal prosecutions and trials, truth commissions, reparations, official apologies, amnesty, guilt and denial, and forgiveness. Such frameworks of political reconciliation will be critically examined, asking how well these policies fulfill an ethic of peacebuilding as well as justice and help societies address their pasts marred by conflict, violence, and oppression. (Fall 20242026)
Core: WI
PSYC 101 General Psychology (3 SH)
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A survey of the Anabaptist movement and Mennonites throughout the world from the sixteenth to twenty-first centuries. Issues include pacifism, wealth, political participation, community and tensions between faith and the dominant culture. Particular attention is given to the Anabaptist vision and its relevance for 21st-century American life. (HIST 365) (Spring Fall 2025)
Core: HI
REL 410: Hebrew Bible: Text in Context (3 SH)
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