HIST 200 | Doing History: An Introduction

This course is designed to introduce prospective majors to the discipline and Department of History. In it, students learn what history is and how historians think and work. The course teaches students to do the two things that historians do: develop interpretations from primary sources and critically evaluate the interpretations advanced by other historians. Emphasis is placed on the methods and skills of reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing history. Reading assignments expose students to a variety of current approaches to history. Writing assignments give students practice in the types of historical writing that are expected of them in upper-division history courses. History 200 is intended to be taken in the sophomore year or as soon as a History major is declared. At least one prior course in History is desirable but not required. Students minoring in History or majoring in other disciplines are also welcome.