Course Descriptions
History
HIS 204
World History
3 credits
This course is a study of the major cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social events from Antiquity to the Scientific Revolution. The emphasis for this world history course is centered on Western Europe and its contacts and inter-relationships with the rest of the world including, but not limited to, the peoples of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
HIS 230
History of Art and Design
3 credits
This course studies the artistic trends and developing technologies that have influenced creative work throughout Europe and America. This course focuses on the relationship between design and art, as well as the artist's role and influence on Western Culture and Society.
HIS 300
World and Regional Geography
3 credits
This course will focus on the interactions between people within their regional physical and cultural environments and their interactions with other groups and societies around the world. Students will develop the ability to read maps, learn location and the physical and cultural characteristics of major world regions, and examine the political and economic interactions within and among world societies in the context of geographic location, economic and social well-being, mechanisms of commerce, and the environment.
To meet the objectives of this course, a thematic approach to understanding cultural and environmental interaction will entail examining world societies through the lenses of human and physical geography utilizing the 5 Themes of Geography: Location, Movement, Region, Place, and Human-Environment Interaction.
HIS 301
Women in History
3 credits
This course explores the role of women through the recorded history of the western world by focusing on specific individuals, as well as cultural trends. In the process of exploring women’s roles and contributions, students will gain a perspective on history, sociology, religion, and the arts.
HIS 302
Social Studies for Elementary Teachers
3 credits
This course will provide information that will help future elementary teachers to learn all the content that an elementary teacher will be required to teach between the grades of kindergarten through grade 6.The content for this course is broken up into 4 major sections: History (classical civilizations, European, and American); Government and Citizenship; Human and Physical Geography; and Economics. A secondary objective of this course is to prepare students to be successful when they attempt ETS 7815 – Elementary Education: Social Studies – Content Knowledge for Teachers Praxis Exam – which is one of the four assessments required by the State of Delaware in order to achieve a teaching license. Students in this course will also learn test taking strategies to help them take and pass this exam. Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of ENG 121 (with a grade of a ''C'' or higher), EDU 102, and EDU 203.
HIS 303
History of Aviation
3 credits
This course reviews the history of aviation and aerospace from the pioneer balloonists to the 21st century, including the use of air power in the Balkans and the International Space Station. Progressive developments in aerodynamics, aerospace equipment, the support structure, and the human role are considered.
HIS 316
American History
3 credits
This course will cover the history of the United States from the voyages of discovery to the complexities of the modern world. It will cover the broad categories of: Discovery and Exploration, Settlement, Forging a New Nation, Growing Pains, Civil War and Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, World War I and II, the Great Depression, Cold War, and the Challenges of the Modern World. In dealing with our complex, industrialized, and urbanized society, it is very important for us to realize that it was once more simple, more agrarian and rural in nature. Understanding how and when this transformation took place is necessary for any understanding of contemporary American society.
HIS 317
Military History
3 credits
This is a study of warfare from ancient to modern times. The course focuses on how political, social, and economic conditions shape the battle and the tools that are used in warfare. In addition, the moral and psychological aspects of war will be considered. Geography also plays an important role in shaping warfare, its causes and outcomes. The course will focus secondarily on the geographical aspect.
HIS 320
Global Civilizations
3 credits
This course will cover the progress of mankind from the rudimentary beginnings of civilization in the Yellow River Valley of China, the Indus River Valley of India, and the Tigris-Euphrates Valley of Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica to the present time. Emphasis will be placed on the causes of differences and similarities of cultures, as well as, climate and geography. Each civilization will be examined to ascertain what affect the similarities and differences had on its dealings with its neighboring cultures.
HIS 324
Delaware History
3 credits
This course examines Delaware history from the period of discovery to the present. Special emphasis is placed on the political, social, economic, and cultural forces that transformed the State as events are placed in context of larger national and global trends.
HIS 330
The Holocaust
3 credits
The focus of this course is to review the facts and attempt to answer the soul-searching questions of the Holocaust in order to provide an interpretation of the past that can help shape the present and the future. How could it have happened? How could a modern state destroy innocent men, women, and children just because of their religion/race? Why did so many people allow themselves to be killed? How could the modern world let this mass execution take place? Can and will history repeat itself? There are no easy answers to these questions, but this course invites students to look deeply at these troubling issues.
HIS 381
Contemporary Global Issues
3 credits
Students in this class will explore contemporary global social and political issues as well as the historical events that set the stage for these issues, whether they are conflicts or peaceful. Coverage of the issues will encourage students to think critically about current events, their underlying causes, and their impact on affected populations. Topics will include human rights, poverty, population trends, environmental issues, starvation, resources and scarcity, globalization, human rights, and economic pressures. The capstone project for the class will be completed on a digital platform.