Department of History 1 won individual awards for their teaching, such as the Kemper Prize and Department of History Distinguished Professor awards. • Our Faculty (http://history.ku.edu/faculty/alphabetically/) are nationally Studying history at the University of Kansas will expand your mind. Our and internationally recognized leaders in their field, and they bring this course offerings introduce students to medieval witches and Samurai advanced knowledge into the classroom. warriors, conspiracy cranks and Native American prophets, Chairman • Courses (http://catalog.ku.edu/liberal-arts-sciences/history/ Mao and the Black Panthers. Students can take courses on the history #courseinventory) in the department are usually small, and the larger of sexuality, or, if that isn’t exciting enough, courses on natural disasters, courses always include Teaching Assistants, so students can receive wars, and plagues. With 29 tenured and tenure-track faculty, the individual attention and feedback on their work. Department of History covers the globe. • Flexibility is a given in the department: students have only two But studying history is more than just an entertaining adventure. Training required courses—a course on historical methods (HIST 301) and in historical research, analysis, and writing develops skills that are a senior research seminar (HIST 696 or HIST 690/HIST 691)— essential in our information economy, and this preparation is especially and a choice of concentrating on any of ten fields. The department useful to students planning to pursue graduate training and careers in law, and faculty also have strong connections to interdisciplinary work public policy, journalism, education, and a universe of other possibilities, in Environmental Studies, African and African-American Studies, as our recent undergraduate and graduate alumni throughout the world Indigenous Nations Studies, and other area studies programs. can attest. • Resources for historical research at KU are rich. Watson and Anschutz libraries help make up a major research library collection, The Department of History at KU offers an outstanding undergraduate and the Spencer Library offers such resources as the Wilcox program (http://history.ku.edu/undergrad-overview/) with approximately Collection on extremist politics, the University Archives. 250 History majors and minors. These students are taught by faculty who consistently win awards for their teaching as well as their research. • For more information, see the History Major Program Description Beyond the introductory level, class sizes are small, including two (http://history.ku.edu/curriculum/). required seminars that are capped at fifteen students each, and the optional Senior Honors Thesis, which features direct one-on-one advising Courses for Nonmajors with a faculty mentor. The department welcomes nonmajors in all of our courses and offers a variety of cross-listed classes. Nonmajors may enroll in History courses at Our graduate program (http://history.ku.edu/ma-overview/) has any level. consistently ranked in the top 25 among public research universities. With an average of 35 graduate students enrolled, we are primarily a doctoral Graduate Programs program, granting Ph.D. degrees in geographical areas such as the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, The Department of History (http://history.ku.edu/) at the University of as well as in thematic fields such as military, environmental, and gender Kansas is a dynamic place, with a proud tradition of training scholars and sexuality. Recent Ph.D. recipients have gone on to tenure-track from across the globe who have transformed the practice of history. positions at research universities, liberal arts colleges, junior colleges, and The program offers major or minor concentrations in the areas of United a variety of careers in other sectors. States, African American, Modern European, British & Imperial, Russian/ East European, East Asian, Latin American, African, Medieval, Women Finally, faculty in the Department of History are nationally and even and Gender, Military, and Environmental History. KU offers its graduate internationally known for their research. The books and articles they students great flexibility in their choice of fields, as defined both by have published just in the last two years are too numerous to list here, traditional geographical and chronological parameters and thematic but you can scroll through the faculty page (http://history.ku.edu/ topics. Students also have the opportunity to take coursework outside faculty/alphabetically/) to gain a sense of their significance shaping our the department in fields such as Public History, Museum Studies, knowledge about the world. Their productivity plays an important role in Environmental Studies, and the History of Medicine. helping KU maintain its position in the prestigious American Association of Universities. Primarily a doctoral program, the Department currently enrolls approximately 80 graduate students from throughout the United States Take some time to search through our website (http://history.ku.edu/) . and the world, including Japan, China, Peru, and Russia. Our students You’ll find information about our programs, our courses, and our prolific make up a very diverse group, and we encourage applicants from faculty, and you can hear the voices of undergraduates and graduate traditional and non-traditional backgrounds. students who have passed through the Department. Please feel free to contact (http://history.ku.edu/contact/) any of the administrative staff, Students who are interested in enrolling in graduate level coursework in faculty, and faculty officers with your questions. the Department of History without formal admission to a graduate program at KU are encouraged to apply for graduate non-degree seeking student Undergraduate Programs status. See the department’s admission (http://history.ku.edu/admission- grad/) webpage for further details. The Department of History at the University of Kansas is particularly distinguished in undergraduate teaching and is a recipient of the For statistics regarding our program, please see our Doctoral Program Excellence in Undergraduate Advising Award from the College of Liberal Profile (http://www.graduate.ku.edu/sites/graduate.drupal.ku.edu/files/ Arts and Sciences. The Department ranks well above the University docs/dpp/DPP_A_HIST.pdf), which demonstrates our success at funding average in student evaluations, and many History faculty members have and placing current and recent graduates. 2 Department of History Courses HIST 110. Introduction to Non-Western History: _____. 1-3 Hours GE11 / H. HIST 101. Introduction to Western History: _____. 3 Hours HT GE11 / An introduction to the study of history focusing on a topic in non-Western H. History. The course will expose the student to the major issues and An introduction to the study of history focusing on a topic in Western methods of historical study through the study of a specific historical History. The course will expose the student to the major issues and period or topical area. In the study of this period or topic, students will be methods of historical study through the study of a specific historical introduced to schemes of interpretation, critical readings and analysis, period or topical area. In the study of this period or topic, students will be primary sources, and evaluation of evidence. This course grants HIST introduced to schemes of interpretation, critical readings and analysis, Category II credit. LEC. primary sources, and evaluation of evidence. This course grants HIST Category I credit. LEC. HIST 111. Introduction to African History, Honors. 3 Hours NW GE3H / H/W. HIST 102. Introduction to History, Honors: _____. 3 Hours HT / H. An intensive version of AAAS 105/HIST 104. An introduction to important An introduction to the study of history. The course will expose the student historical developments in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara. Topics to the major issues and methods of historical study. This will be done include early history, empires, kingdoms and city-states, the slave trade, through the study of a specific historical period or topical area. In the southern Africa, partition and colonialism, the independence era, military study of this period or topic, students will be introduced to schemes and civilian governments, and liberation movements. Approaches include of interpretation, critical readings and analysis, primary sources, and literature, the visual arts, politics, economics, and geography. Open only evaluation of evidence. Prerequisite: Membership in the College Honors to students in the University Honors Program or by consent of instructor. Program or consent of department. LEC. (Same as AAAS 115.) LEC. HIST 103. Environment and History. 3 Hours H. HIST 112. Introduction to British History. 3 Hours GE11 / H. Nature is our oldest home and newest challenge. This course surveys This course will introduce students to the concepts, issues, and methods the environmental history of the earth from the extinction of the dinosaurs of historical study, at the same time as it explores the main processes and to the present with a focus on the changing ecological role of humans. It events which shaped the history of Britain and its imperial dependencies. analyzes cases of ecological stability, compares cultural attitudes toward Students will be introduced to the nature and validity of different historical nature, and asks why this ancient