Courses
The History department offers courses required to complete VIU's Bachelor of Arts Major and Minor in History.
Some History courses are offered every year while others are offered on a rotational basis. Alternating offerings allow students to select from a wider variety of courses during their second, third and fourth years. Information on the annual course selection and detailed descriptions of the courses may be obtained from the History department or from the Advising Centre. Course scheduling information is usually available by the beginning of April.
See also Adult Basic Education (ABE) Upgrading Courses.
Course offerings vary from year to year. Check Generate a Timetable for available course offerings.
Advanced Level Courses
Jump to: Canadian | American | European | Comparative
Popular Culture Courses
See HIST 356, HIST 357, HIST 471, HIST 472, HIST 491.
All courses can be taken with either third or fourth-year standing and credited to either third or fourth-year.
Introductory History Courses
HIST 101 (3) The Twentieth Century World I
A survey of world history from the late 19th Century to the eve of World War II. Forces of global significance, such as World War I, the Communist Revolution, and colonial nationalism are introduced. HIST 101 was formerly called HIST 201; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 102 (3) The Twentieth Century World II
A survey of world history from approximately World War II to the present. Forces of global significance such as the Cold War, decolonization and social revolution are introduced. HIST 102 was formerly called HIST 202; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 111 (3) Canada to 1867: Contact, Colonies, and Empires
Surveys key political, economic, social, and cultural developments in Canada up to 1867. Topics include contact with First Nations and the fur trade, Imperial struggles for control of the continent, French and British colonial societies, early Western settlement, and the political movement to unite the colonies in Confederation. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 112 (3) Canada 1867 to 1945: National Expansion in Peace and War
Surveys key political, economic, social, and cultural developments in Canada from 1867 to 1945. Topics include French-English tensions, First Nations subjugation, urban industrialization and the labour movement, immigration and social reform, the Great Depression and the two World Wars. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 113 (3) Canada since 1945: New and Changing Identities
Surveys key political, economic, social and cultural developments in Canada after 1945, including Canada's Cold War, the welfare state and neo-liberalism, Canadian and Quebec nationalism, and challenges to the established order. Topics include second-wave feminism, First Nations' activism, youth and student culture, and multiculturalism. HIST 113 was formerly called HIST 206; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 114 (3) Canadian Women's History to 1920
An examination of the diversity of the historical experience of women in Canada to the early 20th Century. Subjects may include pre-industrial life, the impact of industrialization and technology, race and ethnicity, spirituality, education, law, health, women's cultures, domesticity, and the early feminist movement. HIST 114 was formerly called HIST 210; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 115 (3) Canadian Women's History since 1920
An examination of the diversity of the historical experience in Canada since the early 20th Century. Subjects may include the impact of war and depression, girls' organizations, education, employment, home-making, politics, the law, changing reproductive patterns, advertising and consumerism, and 'second-wave' feminism. HIST 115 was formerly called HIST 211; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 116 (3) First Nations People in Canadian History since 1867
An investigation of First Nations people in Canadian society from Confederation to 1982, emphasizing reserve life in the west, the north, and British Columbia. Through lectures and readings students are introduced to demographic patterns, economic and social structures, gender, and debates on political recognition and rights. HIST 116 was formerly called HIST 231; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 119 (3) Europe in the Early Middle Ages
An examination of the history of Europe from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West to the end of the era of invasions in the eleventh century and the recovery of Europe. HIST 119 was formerly called HIST 219; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 120 (3) Europe in the High and Late Middle Ages
An examination of the cultural, political, social, intellectual, and religious developments of continental Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages, between approximately 1100 and 1450. HIST 120 was formerly called HIST 220; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 121 (3) Europe, 1500-1789
A survey of Europe's history from the Renaissance to the French Revolution. Topics may include European expansion, the printing revolution, and the centralized state. HIST 121 was formerly called HIST 221; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 122 (3) Europe, 1789-1914
A survey of Europe's history from the French Revolution to World War I. Topics may include the new imperialism, industrialization, revolution, and nationalism. HIST 122 was formerly called HIST 222; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 140 (3) World History to 1500
An examination of global political, economic, social, and cultural developments from Antiquity to the fifteenth century. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 141 (3) World History from 1500 to 1900
An examination of global political, economic, social, and cultural developments from 1500 to 1900. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 207 (3) North American Popular Culture Before World War II
An introduction to North American history through popular culture in the decades prior to World War II. Topics may include advertising, radio, cinema, ethnicity, religion, tobacco, alcohol and drug consumption, and recreation. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 208 (3) North American Popular Culture After World War II
An introduction to the forces shaping popular culture in North America in the post-war years. The Mass media, including advertising, television and movies, substance use and abuse, body images, spectator sports, and generational conflict may be examined. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 209 (3) North American Pop Culture from 1970
An overview of various aspects of popular culture in Canada and the United States. Topics to be addressed will include entertainment, consumerism and advertising, and popular habits. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 214 (3) The Rise of Professional Sport in Canada, 1867-1945
An examination of the rise of professional sport in Canada from Confederation to the Second World War. Students will first study the history of organized team sports and then organized professional sports, considering professional players, teams and leagues and their relationship to broader currents of Canadian history. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 215 (3) The Consolidation of Professional Sport in Canada, 1945 to the Present
A history of organized professional sports in Canada, considering their cultural and economic importance and examining the relationships between professional sports and fans, communities and governments. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 224 (3) Ancient Rome: c.800 BCE-500 CE
An introduction to major events from Ancient Rome between c.800 BCE and 500 CE. It explores how the small village of Rome transformed into a Republic, and then an Empire. It ends with the collapse of the Western Empire c.476. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 228 (3) Gender and Sexuality in the Modern World
This course will explore gender and sexuality in the western world from 1800 to the present. Students will examine definitions of sex, gender, and sexuality and explore gender and sexual identities, communities, desires, and behaviours as they intersect with class, religion, age, ethnicity, and race. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 245 (3) History of the Second World War
This course is an introduction to the history of the Second World War. It will focus on military, strategic, political, social and economic aspects of the conflict from a global perspective. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 251 (3) History of Latin America: the Colonial Era
An examination of the history of Latin America from the conquest of the Americas to the wars of independence in the early nineteenth century. Focus is on social, economic, political and cultural developments. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 252 (3) History of Latin America: the National Era
An examination of the history of Latin America from independence and the formation of modern nation-states in the early nineteenth century until the modern day. Focus is on social, economic, political and cultural developments. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 254 (3) The Ottomans: State, Society and Culture, 1300-1922
Standing at the crossroads of the East and the West, the Ottoman Empire (1300-1922) was one of the major powers of the late medieval and early modern globe. This course introduces Ottoman history with reference to the political, economic, social and cultural histories of the empire. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 255 (3) The Modern Middle East
An introduction to the history of the Middle East from 1800 to the present. Topics include the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the birth of modern Turkey, the formation of Arab nation-states, the making of modern Israel, and the transformation of Iran from a monarchy to an Islamic republic. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 260 (3) Sickness and Health from Antiquity to 1800
Comparative course providing medical perspective on global events including opening of trade routes; warfare; and revolutions in religious, scientific and philosophical thought. It also focuses on changing concepts of the nature of the human body; childbirth and sexuality; family illness, madness and death; and folk cures and other magic. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 261 (3) Sickness and Health since 1800
Comparative course tracing transformations in healing from the first stethoscope to genetic engineering, providing health perspectives on the industrial revolution, migration, and warfare. We consider whether scientific advancements are necessarily beneficial to health, and ethical issues such as informed consent. Private matters including sexuality, addictions and madness also are considered. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 265 (3) Science and Technology from Antiquity to 1700
A comparative survey of scientific and technological developments from the Han Dynasty in China, to the Islamic Golden Age, to the Scientific Revolution. Using examples from the water wheel to the printing press, we will examine the relationship between science and technology and the historical development of human societies. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 266 (3) Science and Technology Since 1700
A comparative global survey of science and technology from the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment to the modern era. Using examples from the spinning jenny to the microchip, and focusing on significant groups and individuals, we will examine the consequences of science and technology on historical development. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 269 (3) Slavery in the Premodern World, 500-1800
An exploration of the history of slavery in the medieval and early modern world from 500-1800. Lectures and readings focus on the forms, contexts, and practices of slavery and highlight the diverse experiences of enslaved peoples across the premodern globe including slaves, captives, serfs, eunuchs, concubines, slave-boys, and slave-soldiers. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 270 (3) Travelers of the Premodern World
An exploration of the lives, travels, and travel writings of the celebrated travelers and explorers who traversed diverse geographies of the premodern globe (800-1800) for various purposes and with different aims. Students engage with a wide range of writings and reflect on transregional mobility, encounters, connections, and exchanges. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 272 (3) Animals and Environments in Medieval Europe
Animals played a major role in the everyday lives of people in the Middle Ages. This course will explore humans' interactions with animals, how humans' use of animals shaped landscapes and had an impact on medieval European environments and societies. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "C" in English 12 or equivalent.
HIST 280 (3) The U.S. First Ladies, 1789-1885: Gender, Power and Politics
This course discusses the often-controversial lives and power of the American First Ladies from the early Republic to the Gilded Age, and situates their experiences within the gendered realities of the day. Iconic and controversial figures, such as Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Mary Todd Lincoln will be highlighted. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
HIST 281 (3) The U.S. First Ladies from 1885: Gender, Power and Politics
This course discusses the renegotiation of the American First Lady role as gender roles, and media politics evolved from the late 19th century onwards. Significant figures, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama will be highlighted. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
American History Courses
HIST 300 (3) Women in the United States, 1600-1900
A survey of major political, socioeconomic, and cultural events shaping American women's lives from colonial to industrial periods. Topics include Native American women, Colonial and Revolutionary eras, slavery, early Women's Rights, Abolitionism and Temperance, Maternal Feminism, labour movements, and Progressivism. HIST 300 was formerly called HIST 324E; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 301 (3) Women in the United States since 1900
A survey of major political, socioeconomic, and cultural events shaping American women's lives in the 20th century and beyond. Topics include participation in the two World Wars, the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression, Cold War and return to domesticity, second-wave Feminism, and conservative backlash. HIST 301 was formerly called HIST 324E; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 320 (3) America in the Colonial Era
An examination of the American colonial experience from the first English settlements to the eve of the American Revolution. Examines a range of themes and problems such as native-white relations, the colonial economy and government, slavery, and social structure. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 321 (3) America in the Gilded Age
A detailed study of the United States focusing on the rise of industrial America in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Topics include the structure of corporate capitalism, technology the entrepreneurs with their ideology, lifestyle and power, and the popular movement to curtail the worst abuses of the system. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 322 (3) America in the Interwar Years (1919-39)
An examination of aspects of American history from the end of World War I to the United States' entry into World War II. Topics include a range of themes and problems such as the Roaring Twenties, the Left, the Great Depression, the New Deal and the shift from isolationism to interventionism. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 323 (3) America in the Vietnam Era
A study of the American experience in Vietnam as well as the wider domestic scene including the concepts of an imperial presidency, Watergate and the politics of protest. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 324 (3) Selected Topics in American History
This is a special topics course involving intensive study of selected aspects of American History. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 325 (3) America in the Civil War Era
A study of the Civil War era, examining such issues as causation, the South and slavery, the nature of battle, the home front, women and war, the election of 1860 and the politics of war, and the aftermath of war. This is not a course on the War itself but on the impact of that War on American society. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
Canadian History Courses
HIST 330 (3) Canadian International Relations to 1945: Emerging Out of the Shadows
An examination of how Canadian identity, character, and public policy prior to 1945 were shaped by relations with two great international powers: Great Britain and the United States of America. It also profiles the long but ultimately successful effort to achieve Canadian independence in the conduct of external relations. HIST 330 was formerly called HIST 355F; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 331 (3) Canadian International Relations since 1945: The Triumphs and Frustrations of a Middle Power
An examination of how Canada's heavy reliance on the economic and military might of the world's largest powers, the United States of America in particular, has frequently threatened Canadian sovereignty and compromised the nation's ability to formulate a truly independent foreign policy in the decades since 1945. HIST 331 was formerly called HIST 355G; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 332 (3) Hockey and the Canadian Identity to 1952: The Development of a National Obsession
An examination of how and why the game of hockey emerged as a powerful cultural, social, and nationalistic force in Canada in the decades from Confederation to 1952 when the game first began to be televised nationally. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 333 (3) Hockey and the Canadian Identity since 1952: Canada's Game in the Cold War and Beyond
An examination of hockey's rise to iconic cultural status in Canada since 1952 with particular emphasis placed on the influence of an ever-expanding sports media, the ethnic and gender implications of the Canadian hockey experience, and the nationalistic fervour inspired by Canada's record of success in international hockey. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 339 (3) Consumer Nation: Society and Business in Modern Canada
This course examines the evolution of Canada's mass consumer society, focusing on its economic, political and social implications since the late nineteenth century. Topics include: the rise of department stores, wartime rationing, consumer nationalism and activism, globalization, advertising, the commodification of nature, and labour and gender in a consumer economy. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 340 (3) Work and Workers in Canadian History
A study of the changing nature of work in Canada since the nineteenth century. Topics may include the pre-industrial work force, working-class experiences and cultures, industrialization and labour processes, and the modern union movement. Students may engage in primary research using local archives and historic sites. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 344 (3) Indigenous Peoples and the Law in Canada
This course provides an introduction to the issues involved in the historic encounter between Canadian law and the legal traditions of Indigenous peoples. It examines a range of significant historical and contemporary debates that continue to occur in an environment that is highly charged by economic, cultural, political, and social considerations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 345 (3) Tradition and Transition: Canadian Values and Ideas in the 19th Century
A thematic study of major social and intellectual attitudes, values, assumptions, and expectations in 19th Century Canada. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 346 (3) Aspects of the Modern: Canadian Values and Ideas in the 20th Century
A thematic study of major social and intellectual attitudes, values, assumptions, and expectations in 20th Century Canada. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 349 (3) Education and Childhood in Canada
An examination of the economic, social, political, cultural, and ideological context of the development of educational systems in Canada. Topics may include concepts of childhood, the interrelationships of school and society, the education curriculum, and experience. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 350 (3) Nineteenth Century British Columbia
A study of the foundations of modern British Columbia, beginning with the founding of the colony of Vancouver Island to the emergence of provincial political parties about the end of the 19th Century. Topics may include settlement patterns, the origins of institutional life, Indigenous-settler relations, and early federal provincial relations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 351 (3) Twentieth Century British Columbia
A broad overview of B.C. history after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with particular focus on such areas as transportation, immigration, organized labour, resource economics, politics, regionalism and education. An introduction to a wide range of historical resources. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355 (3) Topics in Canadian History
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355A (3) Special Topics: Canada at War in the 20th Century, 1899-1953
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355H (3) Topics in Canadian History: Canada and World War One
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355I (3) Topics in Canadian History: The Western Front
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355J (3) Topics in Canadian History: Preservation, Presentation, and Remembrance in WWI
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 355L (3) Topics in Canadian History: Soldiers on the Western Front
A special topics course involving extensive study of selected aspects of Canadian history. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 358 (3) History of Vancouver Island
An examination of the history of Vancouver Island from the first settlement era to modern times. Topics covered may include First Nations cultures and economy, colonial commerce and industrial developments, political trends (including Vancouver Island secessionist movements), demography and ethnicity, social and cultural institutions. Students engage in primary research. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
European History Courses
HIST 361 (3) Victorian England
Studies in the culture and society of England from 1837 to 1901. Topics include industrialization, social reform, leisure, education, popular literature and imperialism. Focuses on contemporary novels as well as historical texts. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 363 (3) Imperial Germany, 1871-1919
An examination of the principal themes in German history between the formation of the credited state in 1871 and the German revolution of 1918-1919. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 364 (3) Weimar and Nazi Germany
An examination of the principle themes and developments in German history between the end of Word War I and the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 365 (3) Europe between the Wars, 1919-1939
An examination of Western and Eastern Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. Examines political and economic upheavals, intellectual and cultural currents and social trends. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 366 (3) Popular Culture of Early Modern Europe
This course examines the transformation of early modern European society through the lens of popular culture. Topics for consideration include rural and urban life, rites and ritual, gender, and popular belief. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 368 (3) Topics in European History
Depending on the instructor, may focus on a variety of topics in European history such as women's experiences and the shaping of the modern family, transportation and technology, democracies and dictatorships, music and art, fads and fashions. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 368A (3) Topics in European History Popular Film and History
Depending on the instructor, may focus on a variety of topics in European history such as women's experiences and the shaping of the modern family, transportation and technology, democracies and dictatorships, music and art, fads and fashions. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 369 (3) Renaissance Europe
An examination of the intellectual, cultural, socio-economic, and political history of Europe during the period of the Renaissance. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 370 (3) Reformation Europe
An examination of the religious, political, social and cultural impact of the upheavals of the Protestant and Catholic reformations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 371 (3) European Cultural History 1890 - 1914
An in-depth examination of European cultural history from 1890 to 1914. International and interdisciplinary in scope, the course focuses on a number of themes, including art and society, popular culture, mass society, gender and sexuality, and the new cultural and intellectual relativism. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 375 (3) The Holocaust in Europe
An examination of the origins, development and implementation of the Holocaust in Europe during the Second World War. Topics include anti-Semitism, the role of the perpetrators and the experience of Jews during occupation, war and persecution. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 380 (3) Death and Dying in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
An examination of the history of death in medieval and early modern Europe from c. 1000-c. 1750. It will compare and contrast ways of dying, burial, perceptions of good versus bad forms of death, especially suicide, expectations of the afterlife, and the experience of famine and plague. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 381 (3) Medieval Britain
This course explores medieval Britain from the end of Roman occupation to the conclusion of the Wars of the Roses. Specific topics to be examined will include the tribes of early medieval Britain, the Norman Invasion, wars between England and Scotland, the Black Death, and the Wars of the Roses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses or permission of instructor.
HIST 383 (3) The Vikings
In 793 a group of Scandinavians raided the small monastic community of Lindisfarne. This is seen as the start of the Viking age. We will examine who the Vikings were, where they came from, their culture, where they settled, and how they converted to Christianity. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses or permission of instructor.
HIST 386 (3) Saints and Society in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
This course explores the significance that medieval society ascribed to the `very special dead' - the saints - through the close study of the range of their roles, the trade in saints' relics in medieval Europe, as well as the different types of saints. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses or permission of instructor.
HIST 387 (3) Criminals, Crime Scenes and Punishment in Medieval Britain
An exploration of how medieval men and women experienced, investigated and dealt with crime, as well as the forms that criminal justice and punishment took in Britain between the seventh and fifteenth centuries. (1.5:1.5:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100- or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 390 (3) Topics in World History
A topics-based study of world history methodologies and trans-regional connections. Topics may include colonization and colonized peoples, migration, families, gender and sexuality, industrialization, environmental change, or ideological conflicts. This course may be taken a maximum of 3 times on different topics for credit. Contact the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100- or 200-level History courses, or permission of the instructor.
HIST 401 (3) Order and Anarchy in Twelfth-Century England
An in-depth examination of England during the 1100s. Themes covered in this seminar course include anarchy and rebellion, order and stability, female rulership, the foundation of the English Common Law, the relationship between church and state, and medieval warfare. (0:3:0)
Prerequisite: One of HIST 380, HIST 381, HIST 383, HIST 386, or HIST 387; or permission of instructor.
Comparative History Courses
HIST 471 (3) Modern North American Popular Culture to 1950
A comparative analysis of various aspects of Canadian and American cultural trends in the 20th Century. Topics may include fads and everyday habits in the areas of diet, smoking, alcohol and drug consumption; the influence of movies and television and of multi-nationals such as the automobile corporations; and leisure activities like baseball, comics and musical drama. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 472 (3) Modern North American Popular Culture from 1950
An examination of the youth culture of the 'baby-boom' generation. Topics include demographic studies, youth culture, the heroes and gurus, protest and violence, the attitudes towards authority and the wider changes in the social, cultural, political and economic spheres. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 475 (3) Modern Childhood: The 19th Century
A comparative study of the history of childhood in Europe and North America in the 19th Century, examining the experience of childhood and the political, social and the economic contexts of children's lives. Topics include child abandonment, child labour, enslaved children, the child reform movement, the nature of play, and the relationship of the child, family, and school. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 476 (3) Modern Childhood: The 20th Century
A continuation of HIST 475 into the 20th Century. Topics include the increasingly complex relationship between children and the state, the development of child psychology, the emergence of adolescence, the education of native and African-American children, childhood during the wars and the depression, and the popular culture of childhood. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 477 (3) Social History of Health Care
A thematic course on 19th and 20th Century health issues, including the therapeutic revolution, transformation of the hospital, public health, epidemics, asylums, midwifery, surgery, medicare, native medicine and the medical professions. Content includes both North American and European material. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 478 (3) Gender Issues in Health Care
A thematic course on 19th and 20th Century women's health issues, including midwifery and modern obstetrics, male and female sexuality, psychiatry, nursing, women in medicine, substance abuse and reproductive technology. Content includes material from North America and Europe. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 479 (3) Topics in Comparative History
Involves intensive study of selected aspects of Comparative History. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses.
HIST 479 (3) Topics in Comparative History (Effective Sep 2017)
Involves intensive study of selected aspects of Comparative History. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 479J (3) Topics in Comparative History: Christianity & Islam 600-1700
Involves intensive study of selected aspects of Comparative History. Content varies from year to year. Please consult the department for details. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 480 (3) Public History
Students will examine the theory and practice of public history. Topics may include interpretation, commemoration, preservation, heritage sites, oral history, and memory. The course draws on local, national, and international examples of museums, archives, and heritage sites, and engages students in a public history project in the community. (3:0:0 -15)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 482 (3) The First World War
A study of World War I in a comparative global context. This is a comparative course about the First World War and different ways of looking at the war. Through lectures and assigned readings, this course will explore topics such as the argument for war, propaganda, the literary war, the soldiers' experiences, the nature of battle, and gender and war. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 483 (3) The Family in the Western World
An introduction to the major works and debates in the history of the family in Europe, the United States and Canada. Approaches to be considered include demography, sentimentality, and the family economy. Topics include household composition; the rise of privacy and domesticity; parenthood and childhood, and the proletarianisation of labour. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 485 (3) Issues in the Social History of Nursing
Provides socio-historical contexts to contemporary nursing and health professional issues. Topics include: historical methodologies; Nightingale revolution; military, private duty, hospital, community, and psychiatric nursing; missionaries; professionalization; race, immigration, and globalization; outpost nursing and First Nations and Aboriginal health. Canadian focus with reference to United States, Britain, and Europe. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.
HIST 486 (3) Health, the State and the Other
An investigation of how health issues and medical technologies shaped and were exploited to support public policies such as immigration, economic advancement, militarism, imperialism and socio-cultural homogeneity. Eugenics and compulsory vaccination will be highlighted. HIST 486 was formerly called HIST 479H; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Six credits of 100 or 200-level History courses, or permission of instructor.
HIST 490 (3) Honours Historiography and Historical Research Methods
An introduction to historical research methods and historiography. HIST 490 is a prerequisite for the completion of the HIST 491 Honours Thesis and is open only to Honours students. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "A-" (3.67 GPA) earned for the last 45 credits taken.
HIST 491 (3) Honours Thesis
An extended research project or applied history project developed in consultation with a faculty supervisor. Completion of this course is a requirement for those seeking a B. A. Honours in History degree. (0:0:0)
Prerequisite: Min. "A-" (3.67 GPA) earned for the last 45 credits taken, and successful completion of HIST 490.