New Courses This Fall!

The history department made several revisions to its major this year; those revisions will go into affect next fall (2009). In general, we suggest that history majors to meet with an advisor to discuss the implications of these changes! Specifically, though, there are a few new courses that students need to know about:

History 100: This is an introductory course designed as a core option for non-majors. If you are a history major and do wish to take it, it will count for elective credit only.

History 199: This was until this semester History 291. We have changed the content slightly and now urge students to take it during their first year.

History 498: This is now the only history seminar we will offer, and is designed solely for senior history majors. This new seminar will not be a traditional "lectures and books" class. Instead, it will be entirely devoted to the writing, sharing, presenting, and critiquing of a historical research paper. The professor of record in the course will determine the fields covered by the seminar. Thus, in the fall of 2009 we will offer two of these seminars, one by Michael Zirinsky and the other by Shelton Woods. You can assume that in Zirinsky's seminar, you will be writing a paper on Middle Eastern and Islamic history, including US policy in the region. You can also assume that in Woods' seminar you will be writing a paper on East Asian history.

If you are a history major, please spread the word about these changes! There will probably be some confusion at first, but that's what advisors are for.