History Home Page

History (HIS)
History seeks to understand how people lived in the past and how their experiences and institutions shaped their world and our own. History is also a way of thinking; by reflecting on the past and exploring historical problems, we deepen our understanding of the human condition. Our history majors raise historical questions, examine historical documents and share their ideas with peers and the larger community. As an intellectual discipline, history teaches us to read critically, think analytically, communicate effectively and examine issues of learning, leadership, faith and service.

History Education
Students interested in teacher certification in history must complete the following program. This certification will also allow a student to attempt to exceed the minimum score on the Social Science Composite PRAXIS exam. A student may chose to pursue only the 7-12 History Education Program and will still have the ability to become endorsed in all social studies content areas with passage of the social science composite exam. For further clarification, see “Education,” speak to your adviser or speak to the education department chair.

7-12 Social Science Composite Education Program
Students interested in teacher certification in social studies may complete the following program. However, these courses are a suggested course of study to assist in exceeding the minimum score on the Social Science Composite PRAXIS exam. A student may chose to pursue only the 7-12 History Education Program and will still have the ability to become endorsed in all social studies content areas with passage of the social science composite exam. For further clarification, see “Education,” speak to your adviser or speak to the education department chair.

7-12 History Education Endorsement
This endorsement requires a teaching major in 7-12, K-8 or K-12 and passage of the appropriate PRAXIS II test. The following courses are only suggested content in preparation for exceeding the minimum score of PRAXIS II series test. These classes are not required for this endorsement; see your adviser or the education department chair for any clarification.

Pre-law
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) does not prescribe certain courses or extracurricular activities for students planning to study law, because of the wide range of relevant pre-law preparation. Law schools seek in their students accomplishment in understanding, the capacity to think for themselves and the ability to express their thoughts with clarity and force.

When applying this philosophy to specific course areas, the AALS includes the following disciplines and comments. This list is not meant to exclude other areas.

Communications, English, Speech and Languages – “The lawyer must be able to communicate effectively in oral and written expression. The formal role of the lawyer – in court, legislature and administrative agency – and the informal roles of counselor and negotiator demand the highest skills of expression.”

History – “History study allows the thoughtful organization of human experience so as to assist understanding … Law students often encounter concepts that are intelligible only in terms of their historical roots.”

Philosophy – “A sensitivity to the enduring questions of personal and public morality forms an appropriate backdrop for the consideration of legal issues. Perhaps of even greater importance is the training in understanding transactions.”

Logic, Mathematics and Legal Decisions – “These disciplines emphasize the power of inference. They do not, however, supply the plasticity and ambiguity of fact and theory that make legal inference a different experience. For this, only the richness of verbal symbols, found in every corner of the curriculum, provides analogies.”

Economics – “Significant numbers of legal questions ultimately involve economic issues ... The use of symbols and systems in economics can be especially valuable to prospective lawyers.”

Social Sciences: Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics – “The interaction of law and social science is something with which the law student will want more than passing familiarity ... Law is a social science.”

Science and Engineering – “The traditional vigor of the training provided and the precision demanded in these fields guarantee that these students will have engaged in critical thinking before arrival at law school. However, students with science concentrations should be sure to select courses that will expose them to the broad range of skills, particularly communication skills, that are essential ingredients in law study.”

Accounting – “Prospective law students would be wise to learn basic accounting in college and certainly should be required to master at least its rudiments in law school.”

Computer Science – “One can do very well in law school with no knowledge of computers but this knowledge will affect legal work and research increasingly. The law student who has some understanding of this technology will be better equipped for legal work in the future.”

The General Education program at DWU emphasizes many of the disciplines and skills that the AALS considers desirable for prospective law students. When considering majors and minors, desirable areas of emphasis appear to be communications, history, political science and economics.

Nearly all schools of law in the United States require applicants to take a standardized Law School Admission Test. This test is administered on several specific dates each year.

Students interested in law as a profession should contact the pre-law adviser for counsel.

Course Descriptions
101 World History I 3 hours F
This course is the first half of a general survey of the development of civilizations from ancient times to the present, including discussion of the nature of history, the political and cultural advancement of civilizations and their interactions. HIS 101 covers the time period to approximately 1600 A.D.
General Education: History

102 World History II 3 hours S
This course is the second half of a general survey of the development of civilizations from ancient times to the present, including discussion of the nature of history, the political and cultural advancement of civilizations and their interactions. HIS 102 covers the time period since approximately 1600 A.D.
General Education: History

170 United States History 3 hours TBA
This course introduces US History through instruction in interpreting documents, mastering and discussing the factual information that makes up US history from different viewpoints. HIS 170 is open only to high school students in an approved DUW dual-credit program. Refer to “Academic Programs” or contact the office of academic affairs for further information.
Comparable to: HIS 201

201 U.S. History I 3 hours F
This course is the first half of a study of U.S. history from the colonial period to the present. HIS 201 covers the time period to approximately 1877.
General Education: History

202 U.S. History II 3 hours S
This course is the second half of a study of U.S. history from the colonial period to the present. Special emphasis is given to problem-solving techniques using historical case studies. HIS 202 covers the time period since approximately 1877.
General Education: History

299 Selected Topics - Basic 1-3 hours TBA

301 American Colonial History 3 hours F06
This course comparatively explores the colonial experience in North America. The colonial histories of the Spanish, French, British, Dutch and Russians will be examined. The course will focus on the political, social, economic and cultural interactions of Native Americans, Europeans and Africans. Students will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of America’s diverse colonial roots.
General Education: History

302 America since the 1920s 3 hours S07
This course examines the historical evolution of the modern United States. Students will explore the political, social, economic and cultural history of the United States from the 1920s to the present. Themes of special consideration include the rise of mass culture, the growth of government, major social reform movements, and the domestic impacts of international conflict and global change.
General Education: History

310 History of the British Empire 3 hours F07
This course explores the origins, rise and fall of the British Empire. The course covers nearly the entire globe and spans from the 16th century into the 20th century. The course examines the British imperial experience in both hemispheres. The history of British imperialism will be considered from the perspective of the colonizer and the colonized in ways that improve our understanding of the modern world.

311 Europe Since World War I 3 hours S06
This course explores political, economic, and social developments in 20th-century Europe and Russia. Major topics will include World War I, the Russian Revolution, fascism and authoritarianism, World War II, the Cold War, and the European Union.
General Education: Cultural Awareness

313 Latin American History 3 hours TBA
This course surveys the political, social, economic and cultural history of Latin America from precolonial times to the present. It examines Latin America’s indigenous foundations, colonial experience, independence movements, 19th-century nation building and national developments in the 20th century. The course will also address the historical relationship between the United States and Latin American nations.
General Education: Cultural Awareness

330 History of South Dakota and the West 3 hours F07
This course is a survey of the American West with an emphasis on South Dakota. Topics include geography, early explorations, American Indian life, and the political, economic, and cultural developments after white settlement.
General Education: History

335 Native American History and Culture, 3 hours, F,S
(Refer to CST 335)

337 African American History 3 hours F06
This course traces the history of the African American experience from 1607 to the present. Topics include slavery and slave life, free blacks in the antebellum period, the effects of Reconstruction and the white supremacy movement, black leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Civil Rights movement, and blacks’ political and economic progress.
General Education: Cultural Awareness

342 Social Studies Content and Methods 2 hours F
(Refer to EDU 342)

351 American Foreign Policy 3 hours F07
(Refer to POL 351)

385 African History 3 hours S06
Students will examine the history of sub-Saharan Africa from prehistoric times to the present. Though the course is arranged chronologically, special emphasis is placed upon the themes of Islam in Africa, African slavery and the slave trade, the colonial period, the South African experience, and political and economic challenges.
General Education: History, Cultural Awareness

386 Asian History 3 hours S07
This course is a survey of Asian history from ancient times to the present with an emphasis on China, India and Japan. Students will explore cross-cultural currents and the countries’ institutional and social evolutions. Studies of Asian religions, dynastic change, imperial growth and nationalism serve as frameworks for assessing modern historical problems.
General Education: History, Cultural Awareness

401 Historical Research and Writing 3 hours S
In this capstone course, students will practice the art and craft of historical writing. A research project is required.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing or consent of the instructor. Required for all history majors/minors and for students who plan to teach.

450 Practicum or Internship 1-3 hours F,S
Students may develop internships in consultation with the instructor in such areas as museums, historical societies and archives.

460 Independent Study 1-3 hours F,S
On an individual basis, students may arrange research with the instructor. The instructor must approve the topics for study.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and a history major/minor or consent of instructor.

499 Selected Topics - Advanced 1-3 hours TBA
Topics include, but are not limited to, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Comparative history, imperial history, and environmental history.