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History Major

About History Major more

The History department offers students the opportunity to study the past and make sense of the present through a variety of classroom, research, independent and mentored study, travel, service-learning and internship experiences.

The History department offers students the opportunity to study the past and make sense of the present through a variety of classroom, research, independent and mentored study, travel, service-learning and internship experiences.

Coursework takes students beyond just memorization of facts, it teaches them to think critically and understand differing interpretations and viewpoints. Students also learn to do independent research, understand their world and community and, therefore, become better citizens. One-on-one relationships with faculty are a hallmark of the History department and ensure that students obtain the necessary skills for maximum employability.

Concordia's location in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation allows students access to learning opportunities at the Minnesota History Center, the State Capitol, Concordia's Center for Hmong Studies and various local historic sites. Students can join the campus History Club, which travels and presents lectures. They can also participate in Minnesota History Day, travel overseas or obtain local internships.

Students who find fulfillment in this course of study are inquisitive and independent thinkers. They have a desire to know about the world, the country and the community in the past, present and future.

Careers in History more

  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Archives and Museums
  • Library Science
  • Travel Industry
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Advertising
  • Public Policy
  • Journalism
  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Archives and Museums
  • Library Science
  • Travel Industry
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Advertising
  • Public Policy
  • Journalism
Course for History Major

HIS-111 Western Civilization to 1648

Beginning with the Egyptian society, this course places major emphasis on the growth and progress of Western culture and civilization and European institutions. Topics include the Hellenistic world, Rome, medieval Europe, and the Renaissance.
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HIS-113 Western Civ. Since Reformation

Beginning with the Reformation, this course places major emphasis on the growth and progress of Western culture and civilization and European institutions. Topics include the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, Romanticism, and twentieth century totalitarianism. INT111 is not a prerequisite for this course.
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HIS-121 World History

A comparative introduction to the development of cultures in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. Topics include the age of exploration from a global perspective; the rise of the West; religious, economic and political revolutions; imperialism; changes in the patterns of everyday life. No prerequisites.
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HIS-212 Introduction to History

Students familiarize themselves with methods of inquiry in history and compare these with the methodologies of other disciplines. The course asks participants to raise relevant questions about the data, sources, and conclusions of the material they examine and to conduct their own inquiry through the completion of a self-designed project.
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HIS-221 World Culture: Greece & Rome

This course studies the cultural history of ancient Greece and Rome with a focus on the interaction of diverse cultural elements which shape the metropolitan and cosmopolitan world culture of which we are heirs.
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HIS-231 USA to 1877

This survey course traces American history from colonial times through Reconstruction. The course emphasizes a broad range of topics including: colonial settlement patterns, the growth of slavery, the Revolution, the development of nationalism, the Age of Jackson, Westward expansion, sectionalism, and the Civil War and Reconstruction.
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HIS-233 USA since 1877

This survey course traces American history from Reconstruction to the present time. The course will begin by focusing on the nation's emergence as a world power and its failure to keep the promises it made in the 13th & 15th amendments. Students will also examine: America's various reform movements, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, the 1960s counterculture, Watergate, the oil and Iran hostage crises, the Reagan
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HIS-267 Introduction to Latin America

An introduction to modern Latin America, with emphasis on the post-colonial era. Beginning with a discussion of the colonial heritage, the course traces the development of Latin America, its struggle with political instability and economic dependence and the role of the United States in hemispheric development. Primary focus is on Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
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HIS-285 European History Since 1789

This comprehensive survey focuses on events and forces that have shaped European history since the French Revolution. The course will examine industrialization, the revolutions of 1848, socialism, the unification of Germany, European imperialism, the devastating world wars of the 20th century, as well as the Russian Revolution, National Socialism and the Holocaust, the Cold War standoff, and the birth and expansion of the European Community.
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HIS-320 Minnesota History

This course will examine the social, cultural, economic, and political history of Minnesota from pre-European contact to the present. Special emphasis will be placed on American Indian and European-American conflict. This course will also focus on interrelationship between Minnesota's geophysical environment and socio-cultural development. Topics will include Native American life and culture, European settlement, the fur trade, immigration, economic and industrial development, political
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HIS-325 U.S. Business History

The course will primarily examine the role of business in the American economy from the colonial period to the present. The course will focus on the development of capitalism and the corporation, with an emphasis on the interaction between business firms and other institutions in American life�including labor unions and the government. Students will study business, labor, and other economic institutions starting in the 17th century and ending with the modern global corporation. Topics will
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HIS-330 America's Civil War: 1845-1877

This course will examine the Civil War era in the United States. The class will emphasize a number of topics including: North-South social and cultural differences, the short and long-term causes of the conflict, Southern secession, slavery and emancipation, Abraham Lincoln's leadership, battles and military strategies, soldier's lives, wartime diplomacy, politics, and economics during the war, the struggles of Reconstruction and the significance of the war in American history.
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HIS331 HIS331 Religion in American Culture

From the European antecedents of Puritanism to the Moral Majority and the �Caf� Spiritualism� of the late twentieth century, this course studies the incredibly complex and often ignored interplay between religion and American politics, economics, and social policy. Christianity, Judaism, Native American spirituality, and other points of religious reference will be utilized.
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HIS-332 The Cold War: A Global Persp

This course examines the causes, actions, and results of a conflict between the world's superpowers that shaped the direction of global affairs for more than forty years. This course will allow the students to view the Cold War through the eyes of the United States, the Soviet Union, their allies, and many other countries that served as proxies during this period. Both the history and the international system will be emphasized.
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HIS-333 The Industrial Revolution

This course traces the most explosive period of growth and change in American history. Covering the presidencies of Ulysses S. Grant through Woodrow Wilson, this course intensively examines the American metamorphosis from divided, wounded and fractious nation to industrial juggernaut and policeman of the world. Major themes include: the final days of red-white conflict, issues of black freed people, immigration, industrialization and urbanization, robber barons, labor unrest, muckrakers and
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HIS-334 US Foreign Policy

This course examines the goals and consequences of American foreign policy and diplomacy from the founding of the republic to the present day. Topics include commercial and territorial expansion, America's relationships with other states and nations, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, Vietnam, U.S. imperialism, and the current conflicts over terrorism and natural resources. The perspectives of other peoples and nations will be emphasized.
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HIS335 HIS335 Women in US

No details available

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HIS-337 Parties, Campaigns, & Election

Analysis of party organizations, campaigns, and presidential and congressional elections in the United States. Attention will be given to state and local party structures and activities, third-party movements, and historical patterns of voting behavior.
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HIS-339 Race & Ethnicity inUS Hist

This course examines those who came or were brought to the United States through the slave trade, economic, social, and political dislocations in different parts of the world and more personal factors. Various modes of assimilation and diversity will be discussed, as will the stories of many of the different peoples who have served to create the citizenry of the United States.
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HIS-340 Slavery & Freedom the Americas

This course explores the history and demise of chattel slavery in the Americas by using a global approach to examine developments and conditions of slavery and emancipation in Latin America, the Caribbean region, and the United States. By comparing slavery in the U.S. to other slave systems the class will explore whether the legacy of race relations in the Southern U.S. was exceptional or typical. Topics will include: the Atlantic slave trade, slave life and slave culture, the expansion of
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HIS-341 Civil Rights Movement in U.S.

This course will explore the major campaigns, personalities, organizations, and guiding themes of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. This course will focus on the long civil rights movement; that portion of the struggle characterized by an organized mass movement(s) from World War II through the 1970s, highlighting the shift from protest to electoral politics. The class will place the civil rights movement within the context of American political, economic, and social
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HIS342 HIS342 Reformation

This course traces the social, political and economic trends in Europe from 1500�1648 as they interrelate with the Reformation of the Church. Particular attention is focused upon the work of Luther, Calvin, the Anabaptists, and Loyola in order to illustrate the many facets of religious reform in this era.
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HIS-351 Themes in US History

This course will explore a specific topic or topics selected by the instructor, and will expand the student's understanding and appreciation of the history and historiography of the given subjects(s). (Pre-Req. waiver can be signed by professor.)
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HIS353 HIS353 Themes in European History

This course will explore a specific topic or topics selected by the instructor, and will expand the student's understanding and appreciation of the history and historiography of the given subjects(s). (Pre-Req. waiver can be signed by professor).
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HIS-355 Themes in World History

This course will explore a specific topic or topics selected by the instructor, and will expand the student's understanding and appreciation of the history and historiography of the given subjects(s). (Pre-Req waiver can be signed by professor).
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HIS-357 History on Film

This course will utilize films to examine and analyze various historical topics, eras, and subjects. Students will speculate and consider how films from the past and the present have judged and interpreted history. The thematic focus for this course will vary.
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HIS-362 Mexican History

This course looks at the structures, forces and individuals that have shaped the history of Mexico. Beginning with pre-Columbian civilizations and the conquest, the course then covers the colonial period, independence in 1821, 19th century liberal modernization and the Revolution (1910�20) before concluding with an assessment of contemporary Mexico. Relations with the United States receive special emphasis.
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HIS-372 The Second World War

The Second World War seen from economic, social, military and political points of view; other topics include the causes of the war and the various post-war problems. European or American perspective depending on the instructor. No prerequisites.
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HIS-382 Hitler's Germany

From the unification of Germany in 1871 to the reunification in 1990, stressing the origins and consequences of the National Socialist period, 1933-45. Topics include Bismarck and his political legacy and the divergent paths taken by the two German states in the midst of the East-West conflict after 1945. Emphasis is placed on understanding Germany's role in a larger European context.
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HIS383 HIS383 Modern France

The political, social, and economic history of France from Napoleon to the Fifth Republic, stressing the impact of revolution, industrialization, and war on French society in the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasis is placed on understanding France�s role in a larger European context.
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HIS385 HIS385 Britain since 1688

Beginning with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, this course explores themes such as the rise of Britain to a world power in the eighteenth century, the impact of the Industrial Revolution and imperialism, the Victorian world view, two world wars and the Thatcher Revolution of the 1980s. Emphasis is placed on understanding Britain�s role in a larger European and world context.
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HIS-389 The Holocaust

This course will introduce students to the history of the Holocaust and to individuals who embodied those issues. We will examine the historical development of anti-Semitism, German political and cultural history of the 19th and 20th centuries and the actions taken against Jews that culminated in the attempted implementation of a final solution to the Jewish question. Course will consist of lectures, readings and discussion, with occasional guest speakers and films.
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HIS-390 Vietnam War

This course examines, from historical and political perspectives, the Vietnam War era. While an emphasis will be placed on America's role in the conflict; international geopolitical factors will also be investigated. Other topics might include the development of Vietnamese nationalism, the Cold War, French colonialism, Washington's initial commitment to Vietnam, the increase in American involvement from 1954-1965, the Gulf of Tonkin, the failure of military strategy, antiwar protests, the war's
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HIS391 HIS391 Modern Japan Since 1853

This course traces the dramatic social, political, economic, cultural, military, and other changes in Japan, beginning with Japan�s first contacts with the west in the nineteenth century. Japan�s 1868 revolution against the shogun, establishment of an authoritarian oligarchy, wars with China and Russia, creation of an empire, social and political struggles, wars in China, confrontation with and loss to America, rebuilding, and economic emergence will be discussed. Student participation is
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HIS-393 Modern China, 1911-present

This course will study the effects of Western colonialism, the Sino-Japanese War, and World War I on China, and trace the development of the modern Chinese state, including the formation of the People�s Republic of China and Taiwan. Empahsis will also be placed on China�s relations with other countries around the world, as well as its treatment of ethnic minorities within its own borders.
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HIS-401 Research & Writing in History

This serves as the research and writing capstone course for History majors and minors. After reading other scholars' ideas and interpretations in various classes, students will now have the opportunity to research, analyze, and write their own original work of scholarship. Students will do original research projects using primary source materials (newspapers, oral history interviews, government documents, letters, diaries, etc.), rather than scholarly articles or books. Student can select their
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HIS-403 Intro. to Professional Studies

History, Political Science, and pre-law students will be introduced to and given opportunities to tour and work in a variety of professional settings: archives, museums, professional record-keeping centers, law offices, etc. Students may use this class to select, an internship site or think more broadly about vocational opportunities in the discipline.
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HIS434 HIS434 1960s in America: 1954 - 1975

This course studies the many strains of change and revolution in American life from 1954 to 1975. Topics include: Civil Rights, Cold War, presidential politics, foreign policy, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, literature and drama, counterculture and alternative lifestyles, women�s rights and feminism, �Middle America�s Sixties,� black power, and the space race. Student participation is emphasized.
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HIS436 HIS436 Topics in US History

Selected topics will be treated using primary and historiographical materials. Students participate in the presentation, analysis and, interpretation of the topics which include: World War One and the Treaty of Versailles, the 1920s, the New Deal, World War Two diplomacy, McCarthyism, the 1960s, Vietnam, Watergate, and the Reagan Revolution.
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HIS-482 French Rev & Napoleonic Era

This seminar uses scholarly and primary source materials to provide an in-depth look at one of the most influential events of the modern era: the French Revolution. Topics include the origins of the revolution, the use of terror, mob violence, and the historiography of the revolution. Student participation is emphasized.
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HIS484 HIS484 Russian Revolution, 1917-1938

This seminar uses scholarly and primary source materials to explore one of the most influential events of the modern era: the Russian Revolution. Topics include the origins of 1917, the role of personalities (Lenin, Trotsky, Kerensky, Stalin), and differing interpretations of the revolution. Student participation is emphasized.
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HIS486 HIS486 Topics in European History

Selected topics will be treated using primary and historiographical materials. Students participate in the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the topics which include: the origins and consequences of World War One and the Revolutions of 1989. Student participation is emphasized.
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HIS-487 Readings Seminar:Tpcs in Hist.

Readings/Research Seminar in History covering various, selected topics. This course will emphasize the use of scholarly and primary source materials; historiography and interpretation, archival research, and student participation. Recent readings-seminar topics include: America in the 1960s; the French Revolution and Napoleon, Minnesota History, and the Russian Revolution.
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HIS-488 Independent Study

Independent study provides a more flexible educational experience for the student as well as college credit for work done outside the conventional classroom setting. These courses are generally designed and supervised by a faculty member. Students are responsible for completing an application form that specifies course goals, objectives, projected outcomes, learning strategies, and evaluation procedures. The student's advisor, course instructor, department chair, and the dean must approve
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HIS-498 History Internship

Students participate in internships in state and local government agencies, archives, museums, and related fields of interest under supervision of staff members of the department of history.
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HIS499 HIS499 Readings

No details available

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