A survey of world societies from the earliest Eurasian civilizations to the era of European expansion in the 16th century.

A survey of world societies from the era of European voyages of discovery to the formation of a global civilization in the late 20th century.

This survey course explores the major themes in American history from the age of European exploration to the turn of the twentieth century. This course begins with the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, the subsequent colonization by Europeans, and the rise of slavery. It traces the major political, economic, religious, and social developments through the colonial era, the American Revolution, the formation of the U.S. government, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Throughout the whole course, there will be an emphasis on the role of Native Americans, Black Americans (both slave and free), immigrants, and women.

An introduction to historical methods and the skills necessary for upper division work in history. While writing several short papers and one major research paper, students practice a wide range of research skills such as analyzing primary and secondary texts, working in archives and libraries, editing and revising, note taking, and documentation. In addition, class readings on contemporary historiography and new methods such as cultural studies and material culture acquaint students with the wide range of approaches to history. Students also visit local libraries, archives, and museums, and are encouraged to investigate the opportunities available for internships and career development during their student years.

Political, cultural, and intellectual development in continental Europe from 1648-1789. Emphasis is on the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, European expansion, and the social transformation of Europe leading to the French Revolution.

An upper-division seminar on the intellectual history of Europe from the 1780s through the end of the 19th century. Readings analyze the rise of the national intellectual traditions in England and on the Continent, including Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Mill, Nietzsche, Freud, and others. Emphasis on the rise of philosophical irrationalism within the context of post-Enlightenment thought.

North American history from initial Indian, Spanish, French, and British attempts to create working relationships to the fracturing of the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812. The course emphasizes the diverse political experiments and struggles that characterize 17th and 18th-century North America, especially the intellectual roots and contemporary ideas manifested in the United States Constitution.

An analysis of the political leadership of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln; the ideas of liberalism, nationalism, expansion, and industrialization; the social impact of religious revivals, slavery, and feminism; and the cataclysmic impact of the Mexican, Civil, and Spanish-American wars as the nation hurtled toward world power status after World War I.

This course introduces students to the history of surfing and surf culture from early modern times to the present. It explores the origin and evolution of wave riding as it developed in the Pacific Rim, eventually expanding to become a global athletic and ethical tradition. Key participants in surfing culture, as well as political, economic, environmental, and spiritual aspects of surfing will be analyzed.

A history of Russia from the establishment of Kievan Rus to the end of the 19th century, emphasizing the factors involved in the rise and development of the Russian Empire.

Beginning with the Revolution of 1905, this course examines the cataclysmic changes which have taken place in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union during the 20th century.

This course surveys the history of the Islamic world from the birth of Muhammad to 1800, with special focus on the religion of Islam and its impact on diverse Muslim societies.

This course is a history of the Middle East since 1800, focusing on European imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, Arab-Israeli conflicts, and Islamic revival movements.

An introduction to the societies and cultures of pre-modern China, Japan, and Korea, three of the countries that make up the geographical and cultural unit of East Asia.

Wilderness in the American Mind studies influential ways people in American history have thought about creation. Traditions within Christianity, romanticism, pragmatism, and scientism are woven throughout. We read the great writers on the subject from the seventeenth through the twenty-first centuries. We learn the history of the most influential conservation organizations. We also study public policy as it develops: the creation of parks, the defining of terms such as "nature," "ecology," and "wilderness," and the issues caused by tourism, pollution, and population growth. As a history class, we emphasize people, situations, and events in the hope of gaining wisdom that will apply today in our world.

This course explores the forces of continuity and change in the transformation of Japan and Korea since the mid-16th century; examines each country's role in the other's "modernization;" and explores the region's interaction with the West in the run-up to the "Pacific Century."

This is a lecture class on films reflecting critically on historical interpretations of modern China. Emphasis is on the analysis of social and political themes reflected in the historical periods, the explication of cultural aspects, and the discussion of the narrative structure that develops a human tragedy or comedy through modern Chinese history.

China in Revolution introduces the epic sweep of China's modern transformations examining the uneasy relationship between past and present through major revolutions. The themes of the course are the changing understandings of China's cultural and political pasts and the problems and paradoxes of Chinese modernity.

A comprehensive survey of California from prehistory through Spanish exploration, Mexican rule, and evolution as an American state since 1850. Emphasis is placed on comparing myth to reality, new directions in interpretation, and demonstrating how past social, economic, and political events have had an impact on the present.

While sailing on the Californian, a replica of an 1847 Revenue Cutter that patrolled the coast of California, this course uses R.H. Dana's Two Years Before the Mast as the focal point for studying the multi-cultural history of the California coast before the 1850s.

An interdisciplinary examination of the social and cultural histories of Africa with emphasis on the contact between Africans and Europeans since the late Nineteenth Century.

The study of this pivotal decade focuses on many social, economic, political, and military themes, including the Vietnam War, assassinations, Cold War, civil rights, the war against poverty, the space race, women's rights, urban riots, student unrest, music, and other cultural manifestations of alienation from the prevailing American culture.

We will seek to better understand the main causes and events of the Second World War, while also exploring the relationship between war, history, and cinema. Film is both a primary source and secondary source, and provides us with ample opportunity to discuss the relationship between the two and the role of perspective in shaping sources. Along with discussing the role of cinema during and after the war, we'll also be learning about the major theatres of the war, the Holocaust, the treatment of POWs and civilians, the internment of Japanese Americans, and life on the home front.

This course provides history credit for participation in an off-campus studies program approved by the department, such as historical and archaeological programs offered through other colleges and universities or those offered on a special basis by Point Loma.

A survey of European society and politics from 1789 to 1914. Emphasis is placed on the French Revolution, the industrial revolution, national unification, and the European balance of power until 1914.

A survey of European history since World War I. Special attention is given to the rise of fascist regimes, the Cold War, and the opening of Eastern Europe since 1989.

European imperialism since 1800 with an emphasis on the British Empire in India and the European scramble for Africa. Lectures and readings compare different national approaches to colonialism and Empire, assess the impact of Empire on the cultural and political developments of the European nations, and consider the legacy of colonialism in the 20th century.

Beginning with the outbreak of World War I, analyzes in detail the kaleidoscopic nature of contemporary American life. Emphasizes the shift from traditional values to modern relativism and secularism, the benefits and liabilities of being a world power, and the impact of great personalities as the nation threaded its way through depression, wars, scandals, and technological advance.

This course introduces the field of Asian-American history, which examines the experiences of people of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, Filipino, and Southeast Asian ancestry in the United States.

This course is designed to acquaint students with the on-going interchange between the U.S. and East Asian countries. Although several units of the course are devoted to China, Japan, and Korea, attention is also given to such Southeast Asian countries as Vietnam and the Philippines. Among the themes explored in the course are tradition and modernization, collisions between East and West, democracy and authoritarianism, imperialism and nationalism, and interdependence and independence.

A learning experience in a work environment at selected sites. Students are under the supervision of an on-site supervisor and a faculty academic advisor.

A capstone experience that brings together the knowledge and skills developed within the History major. Students will explore the various career paths available to History major graduates and will survey the theoretical and philosophical debates within the discipline of History. All History majors must take this course in the fall semester of their senior year.

This seminar explores themes in the field of women's history. Women's roles and historical contributions, the context of gender relations, and methodologies of social and intellectual history studied within a specific era or topic in American or world history.

This seminar examines the relationship between gender and law from the colonial era to the present, with particular emphasis on the court cases and social/political movements that have shaped and continue to shape the legal relationships between women, men, and the nation. Throughout U.S. history, the struggle for women's rights has challenged and changed the legal system, and has helped to define the meanings of citizenship, gender, and sexuality. The readings for this class will historicize several debates that continue to be significant today. Therefore, the course is organized thematically, rather than chronologically, and the weekly class sessions will focus on students' thoughtful discussion and analysis of the reading material.

Students will focus on a significant social, economic, or political theme in local urban history. Most of the research uses to best advantage the wide range of primary sources located in San Diego area archives. Working with the professor and fellow students, research papers are prepared to professional standards which may lead to publication in a historical journal.

A study of Christianity from its birth within a mixture of Jewish, Persian, Greek, and Roman cultures through its influence on the birth and development of Europe before the Reformation. The course emphasizes cultural history rather than theological debates. The major themes are missionary strategies, relationships between church and state, models of holiness and Christianity's vital role in the development of books, libraries, curricula, schools, and universities, including the special emphasis Christianity placed on historical confidence in the Bible. The course involves reading and discussing histories written by Luke, Eusebius, Augustine, Bede, and Bonaventure.

A study of the Christian church since the Protestant Reformation, with consideration of American Christianity from its European background to the present.

An intensive reading seminar using translations of ancient histories, this course focuses on the history of the Fertile Crescent and the Mediterranean from the beginnings of the Persian Empire to the fall of the Western Roman Empire as told by ancient historians. Use of evidence, conceptions of time and purpose, and the responsibilities of the historian are emphasized along with the narrative presented by historians such as Moses, Herodotus, Livy, Plutarch, Luke, Eusibius, and Tacitus.

An individualized study of a special topic or an internship applying the critical skills of the historian. The project must be approved and supervised by a department faculty member.