Program Advisor: Brian Froese, Ph.D. (web page)

The study of History enables you to understand various movements and influences that, throughout time, have shaped and formed the world in which you live. It explores the influence of culture, religion, politics, economics, and other forces from the emergence of written texts to the present time. It includes inquiry into the formation of western civilization, as well as the formation and intersections of global civilizations.

At CMU, significant attention is also given to the history of Christianity, but the courses that most specifically address this area appear under Biblical and Theological Studies. Studies in History prepare you for careers in government, journalism, archival work, and education. At CMU, you can study History as a four-year major (minimum 48 credit hours), a three-year major (minimum 30 credit hours), or a minor (minimum 18 credit hours) within the Bachelor of Arts.

Go here for information about the requirements of this program
For specific questions about this program, contact the Program Advisor.

Find below a list of all the courses CMU offers in the field of History. We offer the introductory course each year. Other courses are offered in a rotation so students have opportunity to take all the courses required by their majors or minors over the years of their studies at CMU.

Courses

The following section contains a complete list of courses for its curriculum. For current course listings please see the Course Description section of our website.

HIST-1000/3 History of the West in Global Context I (Formerly: 61.100/3): This course introduces students to the development of western civilization to 1500 CE, paying particular attention to the interrelationships of social, intellectual, political, and economic developments. Through the analysis of selected ideas, issues, texts, and events in different global locations, the course critically examines common understandings of the values and institutions of western civilization.

HIST-1010/3 History of the West in Global Context II (Formerly: 61.101): This course introduces students to the continuing development of western civilization since 1500 CE, paying particular attention to how the relationships of social, intellectual, political, and economic developments among various civilizations have become increasingly enmeshed. Through the analysis of selected ideas, issues, texts, and events in different global locations, the course critically examines common understandings of the values and institutions of western civilization.

HIST-2000/6 History of Science (Formerly: 61.200/6): A survey of the development of science from ancient to modern times with emphasis on the concepts of the physical sciences. Not recommended for first year students.

HIST-2020/3 History of Colonial Canada (Formerly: 61.202/3): A study of the development of Canada from its colonial origins to the completion of national and transcontinental unification. Emphasis is on French Canada, Indian-European cultural contact, regional life and social organization, impact of colonialism, and the creation of a national state.

HIST-2030/3 History of the Canadian Nation since 1867 (Formerly: 61.203/3): A study of the national development of Canada to the present. Emphasis is placed on French Canada, the regional life and social organization of the country, the impact of continentalism, the development of the economy, and the rise of a national sentiment.

HIST-2040/3 History of Native Peoples in Canada (Formerly: 61.204/3): The contemporary cultural resurgence and political organizing of indigenous peoples invokes new perspectives on Canadian history. This historical survey will explore: pre-contact social organization, colonialism and resistance, treaties and land claims, reserves and residential schools as structures of social control, evolving public policy (e.g. Indian Act), Native identities, struggles for selfdetermination and the rights of revolution.

HIST-2060/3 Religion and Conflict in Historical Perspective (Formerly: 61.206/3): This course attends to a range of perspectives that world religions have had toward peace and conflict throughout the ages in various social environments. Students will be introduced to theories and practices related to conflict and nonviolence in such religions as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

HIST/IDS-2070/6 History of the Developing World (Formerly: 61/30.207/6): This course examines the historical roots of development and underdevelopment, processes that have led to the emergence of the contemporary developing world or Third World as a distinctive, though diverse region. It surveys trends such as colonization, industrialization, militarization and trade in the South from the 15th to the 20th century. It investigates the ways in which both external pressures and internal dynamics have contributed to continuity and change in these regions. Prerequisite: IDS-1020/3 or former IDS-1100/6 or 6 credit hours of 1000 or 2000-level History. Offered primarily at Menno Simons College.

HIST-2080/3 Mennonites in Europe (Formerly: 61.208/3): A study of Mennonite social history in Europe from the end of the sixteenth-century Anabaptist reformations to the present. Included in the study are the communities in Western Europe, Poland, Prussia, and Russia.

HIST-2090/3 Mennonites in Canada and the United States (Formerly: 61.209/3): A study of Mennonite social history in Canada and the United States from the first immigrations in the seventeenth century to the present, with special emphasis on Canada.

HIST/POLS-2100/3 History of the United States from 1607 (Formerly: 61.210/3): A study of the development of the United States of America from its colonial origins to its emergence, four centuries later, as a global superpower. Attention will be given to political, economic, social, and intellectual developments from Jamestown to 9/11.

HIST/POLS-2110/3 The Fifties and Sixties—North America Cold, Cool and Radical (Formerly: 61.211/3): An examination of the post-World War II decades of North America in its political, economic, social, and intellectual contexts. Individuals that may be studied include Elvis Presley, Lester Pearson, Ronald Reagan, Tommy Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., Betty Friedan, Marshall McLuhan, Rachel Carson, Charles Manson, and Pierre Trudeau. Topics may include social revolutions (Quiet Revolution, Civil Rights), politics (Cold War, Great Society, Medicare), body and technology (‘The Pill’, vaccines, organ transplants), youth protest (Beat, Berkeley), and consumer culture.

HIST-2950/3 Topics in History (Formerly: 61.295/3): The content of this course will vary from year to year, depending on the needs of students and the interests and availability of instructors.

HIST-3000/3 Renaissance and Reformation (Formerly: 61.300/3): This course traces the cultural, political, and religious developments of the renaissance and reformation period that transformed Europe from a medieval to a modern society. Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level study, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level History.

HIST-3010/3 Topics in Canadian History (Formerly: 61.301/3): An in-depth lecture/seminar course examining selected topics in Canadian History. Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level study, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level History.

HIST/IDS-3020/3 History of Globalization (Formerly: 61/30.302/3): This seminar course will explore what history contributes to our understanding of globalization and look at some of the ways historians have approached globalization. It will survey changing forms of globalization, including non- Western aspects of globalization, over the last millennium. Prerequisites: 30 credit hours of university-level studies, including either IDS-1020/3 or former IDS-1100/6 or 6 credit hours of 1000-level history. Offered primarily at Menno Simons College.

HIST-3030/3 Topics in Global History (Formerly: 61.303/3): The topic selected may be regionally oriented (e.g., African, Asian, or Latin American) or thematically oriented to include various global regions (e.g., the Atlantic Slave Trade, Globalization, or the Twentieth-Century World). Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level study, including six credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level history.

HIST-3100/3 Religion in Canadian History (Formerly: 61.310/3): A lecture/seminar course surveying religious thought and practice from the fifteenth century to the present. Topics include the Canadian religious context at European Contact, spread and institutionalization of Canadian Christianity, and the rise and implications of religious pluralism. Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level study, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level History.

HIST-3200/3 Theory and Methods of History I (Formerly: 61.320/3): This course introduces a variety of historians and their approaches to writing history. It focuses on theories of history and it traces how historians’ questions, methods, and narrative strategies have changed over time. It engages the debates about the definition of history, and provides a context for practicing the analysis of historical sources. Prerequisites: 30 credit hours of university-level study, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level history.

HIST-3210/3 Theory and Methods of History II (Formerly: 61.321/3): This course explores the various methodologies used by historians to investigate and interpret the past. Prerequisite: HIST-3200/3.

HIST-3950/3 Topics in History (Formerly: 61.395/3): The context of this course will vary from year to year, depending on the needs of students and the interests and availability of instructors. Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level studies, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level history.

HIST-4940/3 Independent Study in History (Formerly: 61.494/3): A study in a specific area of History under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite: 6 credit hours of 1000-level History, an additional 9 credit hours in History, and a minimum of 60 credit hours of university-level studies.

HIST-4950/3 Topics in History (Formerly: 61.495/3): The context of this course will vary from year to year, depending on the needs of students and the interests and availability of instructors. Prerequisite: 30 credit hours of university-level studies, including 6 credit hours of 1000- or 2000-level history.