UNKEPT WOMEN: Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris
Lecture by NINA KUSHNER D'90, Assistant Professor of History, Clark University
TOPPLING KUCHUM, CROSSING A CONTINENT: Russia's Conquest of Siberia and Expansion Across Eurasia
Lecture by Erika Monahan D'96, Assistant Professor of History, University of New Mexico
The standard History Major requires you to devise a Concentration of 5 courses plus a seminar (Hist. 96); the modified History Major requires a Concentration of 3 courses plus a seminar; a History Minor requires a Concentration of 2 courses plus a seminar.
A concentration within the History Major is a theme, subject or perspective that courses have in common. A concentration both links the courses together and also reflects your particular interests in history. Some examples of such linking themes are: economic history; race and ethnicity in history; imperialism; politics; intellectual history; modern America, gender; conflict and resistance; nation building, African history. I could go on and on; the possibilities are nearly endless.
While looking through descriptions of the courses that the History Department is offering in the next two years, note the courses that are most interesting to you. Also consider the History courses that you have already taken. Think about why these courses interest you. You will find that several of them interest you for the same reason; they investigate similar issues, look at history from a similar perspective, or focus on the same time period or the same region of the world. You may then use these courses as the core of your concentration. Look through the History course offerings again to find other courses that also share this focus. Discuss your proposed concentration with your major adviser. Your adviser may be able to suggest other courses you have not considered that would be appropriate to your concentration.
In devising your concentration, you must consider which of the seminars that the History Department is offering is most appropriate for your concentration. You should plan your major so that you have the necessary background for the advanced work that a seminar entails. For example, if you are devising a Concentration in Asian History, and you are planning to cap it with Professor Ericson's "The American Occupation of Japan," you should be sure to include HIST 5.5: "The Emergence of Modern Japan," or HIST 6: Science and Technology in the Making of Modern Korea or HIST 9: Introduction to Korean History and Culture or HIST 72: Late Imperial China in a Global Context in your concentration. Another example: if you are devising a Concentration in Imperialism and Resistance and planning to cap it with Professor Trumbull's seminar “Topics in the History of Islamic Africa,” you should be sure to include in your major plan HIST 5.8: "Africa and the World" or HIST 6: Nationalism and State-Building in the Middle East" or HIST 6: "Conflict and Violence in the Middle East."
N.B. If you are planning a standard History major, any faculty member of the History Department can serve as your advisor. All you need to do is to visit a professor during his/her office hours or make an appointment. If you are planning a modified major or double major, then you must consult with the chair or vice-chair of the History Department.
