Current Courses
2024-25
NB:
- Cross-listed courses: certain courses offered by the Departments of Modern Languages and Classics, Anthropology, and Religious Studies may, in special circumstances, be cross-listed and counted towards a major, minor, or concentration in History. In such cases, the student must obtain the Department's permission. Those courses automatically acceptable in History are listed in the Academic Calendar and appear below.
- The following denotes full-year courses: "1XX/2YY," "AXX/AYY," "BXX/BYY." Students must enroll for both semesters when registering. (The A and B designations denote different sections of the same course.)
- "WW" denotes web courses.
- Students are reminded that not every course listed in the Academic Calendar can be offered every year. Some classes are only offered every couple years. Students are encouraged to consult with the Department regarding course offerings in planning their schedules.
- Students are reminded that courses in History can be applicable for credit towards majors and minors in other disciplines and interdisciplinary programs and that not all courses automatically appear as such in the Academic Calendar. Students are encouraged to consult with Departmental Chairs and Program Coordinators about specific courses in History that may be eligible for credit in programs outside History.
Class locations:
| AG | Art Gallery of Nova Scotia |
| AT | Atrium |
| B | Burke Building |
| DA | Akerley Blvd., Dartmouth |
| DL | Dartmouth Library |
| DT | Spring Garden Road Library |
| HC | Homburg Centre |
| LA | Loyola Academic |
| ME | McNally East |
| MM | McNally Main |
| MN | McNally North |
| MS | McNally South |
| P21 | Pier 21 |
| SB | Sobey Building |
| WT | World Trade Convention Center |
| HIST 1000.1A - Making History (Fall) |
|
T. Stretton Course description: Through examining a small number of historical events in depth, students will be introduced to the techniques required to practice history. They will have the opportunity to ‘make history’ by applying their skills in research, analytical thinking and writing to produce their own interpretations of select events. |
| HIST 1000.1B - Making History (Fall) |
| N. Neatby MW 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Class location: LA271 Course description: Through examining a small number of historical events in depth, students will be introduced to the techniques required to practice history. They will have the opportunity to ‘make history’ by applying their skills in research, analytical thinking and writing to produce their own interpretations of select events. |
| HIST 1000.2A - Making History (Winter) |
|
L. Warner Course description: Through examining a small number of historical events in depth, students will be introduced to the techniques required to practice history. They will have the opportunity to ‘make history’ by applying their skills in research, analytical thinking and writing to produce their own interpretations of select events. |
| HIST 1000.2B - Making History (Winter) |
| M. Vance R 4:00 - 6:30 pm Class location: LA179 Course description: Through examining a small number of historical events in depth, students will be introduced to the techniques required to practice history. They will have the opportunity to ‘make history’ by applying their skills in research, analytical thinking and writing to produce their own interpretations of select events. |
| 1000.2C - Making History (Winter) |
| M. Vance TR, 10:00 - 11:15 am Course location: LA171 Course description: Through examining a small number of historical events in depth, students will be introduced to the techniques required to practice history. They will have the opportunity to ‘make history’ by applying their skills in research, analytical thinking and writing to produce their own interpretations of select events. |
| HIST 1215.1WW - Ireland: An Introduction (Fall) |
| W. Keough TR 10:00 - 11:15 am Class location: Synchronous Remote Course Description: The course is a general introduction to Ireland through a survey of the island’s history. Although it is situated on the fringes of Europe, Ireland was influenced by developments on the continent from the earliest times. In addition, the later experience of overseas migration connected Ireland to developments across the Atlantic and beyond. This course will pay particular attention to how Ireland’s history reflects these broader European and transatlantic connections. |
| HIST 1215.2 Ireland: An Introduction (Winter) |
| M. Vance TR 10:00 - 11:15 am Class location: LA 171 Course Description: The course is a general introduction to Ireland through a survey of the island’s history. Although it is situated on the fringes of Europe, Ireland was influenced by developments on the continent from the earliest times. In addition, the later experience of overseas migration connected Ireland to developments across the Atlantic and beyond. This course will pay particular attention to how Ireland’s history reflects these broader European and transatlantic connections. |
| HIST 1222.1A - Intro to East Asian History (Fall) |
|
X. Sun |
| HIST 1222.1B - Intro to East Asian History (Fall) |
| B. Wright Class location: Remote Asynchronous Course description: This introductory course explores historical change and social transformation in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam from antiquity to the present. Emphasizing especially the Chinese and Japanese experiences, this class will examine some of the most salient social, intellectual, political, and economic features apparent in the heritage of these societies, as well as some of the ways each society has influenced the others. |
| HIST 1222.2 - Intro to East Asian History (Winter) |
|
B. Wright Course description: This introductory course explores historical change and social transformation in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam from antiquity to the present. Emphasizing especially the Chinese and Japanese experiences, this class will examine some of the most salient social, intellectual, political, and economic features apparent in the heritage of these societies, as well as some of the ways each society has influenced the others. |
| HIST 1252.1 – Canada to Confederation (Fall) |
|
S. Joudrey Course description: This course will examine early Canadian history from the time of the first native-European contact up to Confederation. Emphasis will be placed on the development of New France/Lower Canada, Upper Canada, and the West. Political, social, and economic themes will be considered. |
| HIST 1253.1 - Canada: Confederation to Present (Fall) |
|
D. Banoub Course description: This course will examine the shape of political culture in modern Canada; the debate between the advocates of the nation state and of federalism; and the impact of industrialization, regionalism, war, and depression on that debate. |
| HIST 1253.2A – Canada: Confederation to Present (Winter) |
|
D. Banoub Course description: This course will examine the shape of political culture in modern Canada; the debate between the advocates of the nation state and of federalism; and the impact of industrialization, regionalism, war, and depression on that debate. |
| HIST 1253.2B - Canada: Confederation to Present (Winter) |
| TBA TR 8:30 - 9:45 am Class location: Remote Synchronous Course description: This course will examine the shape of political culture in modern Canada; the debate between the advocates of the nation state and of federalism; and the impact of industrialization, regionalism, war, and depression on that debate. |
| HIST 1254.1 - The United States to 1877 (Fall) |
| S. Lurie TR, 4:00 to 5:15 pm Class location: Remote - Synchronous Course description: This course deals primarily with the major themes of American history from the colonial period to the Civil War and Reconstruction; the origins and nature of American government, politics, and society; the origins of slavery and racism; and expansion. These themes will be approached through a study of the major groups and events in American history (the New England Puritans, the Founding Fathers, Southern slaveholders; the American Revolution, the Civil War), as well as major political figures from Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln. |
| HIST 1255.2 - The United States: 1865 to Present (Winter) |
|
S. Lurie Course Description: This course will explore the history of the modern United States since its Civil War, examining the social, economic, political, and transnational developments of the last century and a half. Through lectures and reading, we will cover such themes as political economy, international relations, urbanization, social movements, migration, and the development of the state. |
| HIST 1301.1A - Intro: History of Science & Technologies (Fall) |
|
L. Digdon Course description: The modern concept of science encompasses the study of the natural world in a systematic manner to accumulate knowledge. The term “science” dates only to the early nineteenth century, however, humans’ desire to understand the world around them stretches back through human history. Throughout the term we will follow the evolution of scientific inquiry and methodology from antiquity to modernity. This course examines the major developments in the history of science and technology, including the emergence of science in antiquity, medieval science, the Scientific Revolution, the expansion of science in the modern world, the relation between science and society, and the cultural significance of science and technology. |
| HIST 1301.1B - Intro: History of Science & Technologies (Fall) |
|
L. Digdon Course description: The modern concept of science encompasses the study of the natural world in a systematic manner to accumulate knowledge. The term “science” dates only to the early nineteenth century, however, humans’ desire to understand the world around them stretches back through human history. Throughout the term we will follow the evolution of scientific inquiry and methodology from antiquity to modernity. This course examines the major developments in the history of science and technology, including the emergence of science in antiquity, medieval science, the Scientific Revolution, the expansion of science in the modern world, the relation between science and society, and the cultural significance of science and technology. |
| HIST 1301.2WW - Intro: History of Science & Technologies (Winter) |
|
L. Digdon Course description: The modern concept of science encompasses the study of the natural world in a systematic manner to accumulate knowledge. The term “science” dates only to the early nineteenth century, however, humans’ desire to understand the world around them stretches back through human history. Throughout the term we will follow the evolution of scientific inquiry and methodology from antiquity to modernity. This course examines the major developments in the history of science and technology, including the emergence of science in antiquity, medieval science, the Scientific Revolution, the expansion of science in the modern world, the relation between science and society, and the cultural significance of science and technology. |
| HIST 2201.2WW Environmental History of Europe 1300-1900 (Winter) |
|
L Warner Course description: From farming practices in the medieval period to the smog and blackened landscapes of the industrial nineteenth century, Europeans have had an impact on their environment. Students explore the changes and how European encounters with the new world brought disease, and an exchange of foods, animals and plants between the continents. This course provides a long-term perspective on changes in climate, water and land use, breeding as well as species extinction, and the foods available in Europe and its North American colonies from 1300-1900. |
| HIST 2202.1 Environmental History of North America (Fall) |
|
H. Green |
| HIST 2310.2 Rethinking Rural Nova Scotia (Winter) |
| K. Kehoe MW, 1:00-2:15 pm Class location: AT216 Course description: Students assess the significance of Nova Scotia’s rural landscapes by developing an understanding of their complex representations and histories. By using materials and approaches from both history and literature, students explore the value of interdisciplinary research for generating new thinking about how the past can inform the future. |
| HIST 2311.1 - Inheriting Atlantic Canada (Winter) Prerequisite: A minimum of twenty-four (24) university credit hours |
|
N. Balan Course description: Ideas, attitudes, and assumptions about Atlantic Canada have been influenced by social, cultural, political, religious, and ethnic traditions inherited from the past. The curriculum of this course covers a wide range of topics from gender, refinement, material culture, dress, food, and conspicuous consumption, to political choices and ethnic biases. Lectures, readings, class discussions, and mixed media demonstrate how historical events and previous ways of behaving and thinking continue to influence social and cultural customs and decision-making. |
|
HIST 2317.2 Africa in the 20th Century (Winter) |
|
TBA |
| HIST 2334.1 Hamilton: History & Musical (Fall) |
| S. Lurie TR, 1:00-2:15 pm Class location: Remote synchronous Course description: Students use Lin Manuel-Miranda’s "Hamilton: An American Musical" to study the history of the American Founding Era and its representation in popular culture. Students read and discuss the leading scholarship on Hamilton, as well as a selection of primary sources. |
| HIST 2336.1 Making Britain 1688-1870 (Fall) |
| M. Vance TR, 11:30 am-12:45 pm Class location: MM227 Course description: The period examined in this course is not only associated with the creation of the British state, but also its rise, by the middle of the 19th century, to the leading world power. Yet recent literature has demonstrated that this development was accompanied by profound social and economic transformations that were highly contested. In order to appreciate the nature of these struggles, this course will cover such diverse topics as the impact of overseas expansion, warfare, agricultural and industrial change, migration, political radicalism, and 19th-century Victorian morality. |
| HIST 2341.1 Atlantic Provinces History to Confederation (Fall) |
|
P. Twohig Course description: Commencing with the earliest Native-European contact in the Atlantic Provinces, students in this course will examine the interactions among the peoples who inhabited the region up until the mid-nineteenth century. Major events, such as wars, treaties, and Confederation will also be considered. |
| HIST 2342.2 Atlantic Canada since 1867 (Winter) |
|
P. Twohig Course description: Beginning with the post-Confederation era, and then moving into the phases of industrialization and deindustrialization, students will study social, economic, and political developments in the region up to the end of the twentieth century and beyond. Major events such as the two World Wars will also be considered. |
| HIST 2397.2 Imperial Britain 1870-Present (Winter) |
|
M. Vance |
| HIST 2401.1 - Canadian Political History (Fall) |
|
D. Banoub Course description: The course is an overview of Canadian political history from Confederation to the early 2000s, introducing students to the study of political power in its historical, social, and cultural context. Focusing mainly on federal politics, the course will examine expressions of authority and resistance in Canadian history, stressing the complicated interactions between governed and governors. The study of politicians and key events in Canada’s political history will be grounded in themes of inclusion and exclusion, and coercion and consent. Students are encouraged to think culturally, investigating how politics draw from and contribute to ideas about race, class, and gender. While the history of Canadian politics will be the course’s focus, lectures, assignments, and discussions will also stress the politics of history-making in Canada, focusing on how certain narratives have been politicized. |
| HIST 2452.1 Greek History II: Gold Age of Greece (Fall) |
| A. Barclay TR, 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Class location: ME110 Course description: Students are introduced to the history of the Greeks from the Persian Wars through the death of Alexander the Great. Students study the historical, political and cultural developments of the Greeks in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, including the rise and fall of Athens, democracy in action and the cultural achievements of Athens in her “Golden Age” (e.g. religion, theatre, philosophy, art and architecture). Students explore the activities of other Greek states (e.g. Sparta, Boeotia, Syracuse), the roles of men and women in Greek society, the causes and aftermath of the Peloponnesian wars, the conquest of Greece by Phillip II of Macedon and of the Persian Empire by his son, Alexander. Students read various works of ancient authors and to consider archaeological and epigraphical evidence relevant to this period of Greek history. |
| HIST 2454.2 - Bloody Caesar's: Roman Hist II (Winter) |
|
TBA Course description: An introduction to the history of the Roman world from the establishment of the Principate under Octavian/Augustus to the decline of the Roman empire in the western Mediterranean and Europe. This course will explore the evolution of the Principate and its eventual replacement by the Dominate, the nature of Roman imperialism, the role of the emperor as a political and religious figure, the interaction among the Romans and their neighbours in central Europe and the Near East, and the eventual political and economic disintegration of the imperial system. Students will be asked to consider such topics as different models of Roman economic, social, and political organization, the role and status of women in the Roman world, the codification of the Roman legal system, and the intellectual and religious developments that laid the foundations for subsequent historical periods in Western Europe and the Mediterranean. Students will be asked to read the works of various ancient authors and to consider archaeological and epigraphic evidence relevant to the history of the Roman imperial period. Content will vary from year to year. |
| HIST 2472.1 - History of Hockey (Fall) |
|
L. Pattison Course description: Students analytically examine the evolution of sports such as shinty, hurling, field hockey, ice hockey, and sledge hockey from the nineteenth century onwards, commencing with the earliest forms of vernacular stick sports. Although the scope will be international, special attention will be paid to Atlantic Canada. |
| HIST 3000.1 - The Discipline of History (Fall) |
| T. Stretton MW, 1:00 - 2:15 pm Class location: B201 Course description: This course addresses the theories, methods, principles and problems associated with the discipline of history. It examines the following basic areas of historical inquiry: the purposes of historical study; the relevance of the past; the relationship between the past and present; the nature and validity of historical knowledge; the relationship of history to other disciplines; and the development of historical interpretation. |
| HIST 3000.2 - The Discipline of History (Winter) |
|
T. Stretton Course description: This course addresses the theories, methods, principles and problems associated with the discipline of history. It examines the following basic areas of historical inquiry: the purposes of historical study; the relevance of the past; the relationship between the past and present; the nature and validity of historical knowledge; the relationship of history to other disciplines; and the development of historical interpretation. |
| HIST 3100.2 - History of Gender, Feminism and Sexuality in Canada (Winter) |
|
W. Keough |
| HIST 3202.2 - History of Medicine |
| L. Digdon TR, 1:00 - 2:15 pm Class location: LA274 Course description: Students examine the history of medicine, with an emphasis on Europe and North America . Topics considered include changing ideas of disease causation and treatment, the impact of pandemic, epidemic, and endemic disease, the role of practitioners and institutions, and concepts of public, international, and global health. |
| HIST 3300.1WW - British Pop Music & Culture (Fall) |
|
A. Knapp Course description: This course will explore popular culture in the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries through the study of popular music. Attention will be given to the youth culture that emerged after the Second World War and its importance for the spread of Rock and Pop music. In addition to developments in the United Kingdom, American and Imperial cultural influences will also be examined through musical styles and movements such as Rock and Roll, Punk, and Reggae. |
| HIST 3300.2WW - British Pop Music & Culture (Winter) |
|
A. Knapp Course description: This course will explore popular culture in the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries through the study of popular music. Attention will be given to the youth culture that emerged after the Second World War and its importance for the spread of Rock and Pop music. In addition to developments in the United Kingdom, American and Imperial cultural influences will also be examined through musical styles and movements such as Rock and Roll, Punk, and Reggae. |
| HIST 3301.1 - Crime & Punishment in England (Fall) |
|
T. Stretton |
| HIST 3341.2 - History of American Present (Winter) |
|
S. Lurie |
| HIST 3394.1 - History of Korea (Fall) |
| B. Wright Remote Asynchronous Course description: After briefly surveying the rise of Korean civilization since antiquity, students examine three turbulent eras in Korean history: (1) the long era of gradual change during the Yi dynasty that culminated in confrontation with imperialist powers, (2) the half-century of Japanese domination, and (3) the era of civil war and continuing division. Students will consider political, economic, intellectual, and social issues in each era. |
| HIST 3400.2 - Age of Augustus (Winter) |
|
TBA |
| HIST 3406.2 - The Renaissance in Europe (Winter) |
|
L. Warner |
| HIST 3422.2 - Asia-Pacific War, 1937-45 (Winter) |
|
W. Sewell |
| HIST 3451.0YY Film and History (Winter) 6 credits in one semester |
|
W. Sewell Class description: Students will have the opportunity to explore the relationships between cinema and historical events and contexts. Films for study, class readings, time periods, and geographic areas will be selected by the instructor. In winter 2025 the course will examine Japanese films and the history of Japan.
|
| HIST 3465.1 - Scotland's Histories (Fall) |
| M. Vance T 4:00 - 6:29 pm Class location: MN219 Course description: This course examines Scottish historiography in order to illustrate the development of Scotland’s competing identities from the early modern period to the present. Tensions along regional, ethnic, gender and class lines will be highlighted. Contemporary associations such as: Golf, whisky, Mary Queen of Scots, sober Presbyterians, the Highland Clearances, Glasgow’s football rivalry, and Trade Union radicals will be discussed. |
| HIST 3475.1 Histories of Indigenous & Settler Relations (Fall) |
|
H. Green |
| HIST 3505.2 Museum Studies (Winter) |
|
S. Joudrey Course description: Students are introduced to the world of museums and museum studies. They will learn about the history of museums, the constantly evolving purpose of such institutions, particularly during the twentieth century and in the contemporary world, their role in public education, archival and collections management, exhibitions, funding models, governance, and current debates in the field. This course is a combination of seminars and site visits to museums, which will require that students engage with the museum community in Nova Scotia. |
| HIST 4301.1 Community Leadership in Atlantic Canada (Fall) |
|
K. Kehoe |
| HIST 4500.1XX/2YY - The Honours Seminar (Fall/Winter) 6 credits (full-year course) |
|
N. Neatby Course description: Honours History students have the opportunity to engage in independent research and write an honours thesis with the help and direction of a supervisor. The Honours Seminar provides a framework to assist each student in the preparation of the thesis. The seminar places an emphasis on research skills, historical methods and approaches, theories of history and the use of sources and evidence in order to help students develop and write the honours thesis. Students will be evaluated on their course work and presentations as well as the honours thesis. |
| HIST 4501.0YY Public History (Winter) |
| N. Neatby R, 1:00 - 3:45 pm Course location: MM219 Course description: Public history includes the practices and presentation of history outside academia involving a wide range of practitioners - from historians, museum curators, and film makers, to researchers, journalists, and archivists. This course will examine the evolution of public history as a discipline and a practice through both a classroom and a workplace component - including mentored volunteer work in a public history setting. |
| HIST 4572.2 - Memories of WWII in Asia (Winter) |
|
X. Sun Course description: Students explore the memories of the Asia-Pacific War in China, Korea, and the impact of collective and individual memories of the conflict on the history and politics of the region is emphasized. |
|
HIST 4631.2 - Environmental History of Atlantic Canada (Winter) |
|
H. Green |
|
HIST 4800.0XX - Special Topic: Difficult Heritage Europe (Fall) |
|
K. Freeman |
|
HIST 4830.1 - Special Topic: Writing History (Fall) |
|
S. Lurie |
| HIST 6301.2 Community Leadership in Atlantic Canada (Winter) |
|
K. Kehoe |
| HIST 6572.2 - Memories of WWII in Asia (Winter) |
|
X. Sun |
| HIST 6631.2 - Environmental History of Atlantic Canada (Winter) |
| H. Green R, 1:00 - 3:45 pm Class location: MN219 Course description: This interdisciplinary seminar course is an examination of the changing ways nature has been viewed and transformed in Atlantic Canada before and after European settlement, surveying environmental history up to the mid-20th century. Topics range from historic aboriginal resource use to colonial perceptions of nature and the early conservation movement. |
| HIST 6650 1XX/2YY - Seminar in Advanced Historiography (Fall/Winter) - Required 6 credits (full-year course) |
|
N. Neatby Course Description: This seminar will examine selected contemporary historiographical issues and guide Masters students in the preparation of their thesis proposals. |
| 6670.1 - Writing History (Fall) |
|
S. Lurie |
| HIST 6675.0XX - Special Topic: Difficult Heritage Europe (Fall) |
|
K. Freeman F, 10:00 am - 12:29 pm Course description: This course comprises an on-campus seminar and a 10-day field school. The field school visits Western European heritage sites associated with the Third Reich and the Second World War. The seminar focuses on stories of perpetrators, collaborators, resisters, bystanders and victims and how they have been commemorated and contested in material memoryscapes. The course also includes predeparture orientation and post-trip assignments. |
| HIST 6690 1XX/2YY – Thesis Research (Fall/Winter) - Required 6 credits (full-year course) |
|
N. Neatby |