Global History, Bachelor of Arts
The Global History major is derived from the field of global history, which emphasizes interactions and collisions between and among cultures. The major offers undergraduates the chance to become specialists in their chosen period of the history of the world, either prehistory–500 CE, 500–1650, or 1650–the present. After completing the required three–part survey in global history, students choose the period that most interests them and pursue electives and research topics from it. Electives cover a wide range of topics, but all of them embrace the principles of global history rather than producing students with a narrow and specialized geographic focus. The required skills courses introduce students to the major schools of historical thought, varied techniques and approaches to doing historical research, and provide them with the opportunity to do original research in their capstone seminars.
Learning Outcomes. Students will:
- Recognize and apply different historical approaches.
- Determine the interrelationship among themes, regions, and periodization.
- Formulate historical questions.
- Locate an event and sources in historical context.
- Explain the significance of different kinds of historical change.
- Trace historical trajectories.
- Evaluate the reliability and usefulness of different forms of historical evidence.
- Construct a historical argument grounded in evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.
Credits Required.
| Global History Major |
39 |
| General Education |
42 |
| Electives |
39
|
| Total Credits Required for B.A. Degree |
120 |
Coordinator. Professor Michael Pfeifer, Department of History (212.237.8856, mpfeifer@jjay.cuny.edu)
Advisor. Professors James DeLorenzi (646.557.4653, jdelorenzi@jjay.cuny.edu), and Anissa Helie (646.557.4646, ahelie@jjay.cuny.edu), Department of History
Advising information. Global History Major Advising Resources. Sample Four-year Plan of Study. Major Checklist. Handbook for Global History Majors.
Honors option. To receive Honors in Global History, a student must complete an extended senior thesis over the course of their senior year (two semesters) while achieving a 3.5 grade point average in their major courses. Eligible students may enroll in the honors track as upper juniors (having accumulated at least 75 to 90 credits) by meeting with the major coordinator.
Additional information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College in September 2014 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the major. A copy of the earlier version can be obtained in the Undergraduate Bulletin 2013-14.
Part One. Introductory
Required
Total Credit Hours: 3
Part Two. Survey of Global History
Required
| HIS 203 | The Ancient World (was Global History: Prehistory to 500 C.E.) | 3 |
| HIS 204 | The Medieval World (was Global History: 500 to 1650) | 3 |
| HIS 205 | The Modern World (was Global History: 1650 to Present) | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 9
Part Three. Research and Methodology
Required
Total Credit Hours: 6
Part Four. Chronological Tracks
Students will complete six elective courses (18 credits). History majors who are in the Honors track will complete five elective courses (15 credits). Two of the elective courses for all students must be at the 300–level or above. Students will choose one of three chronological tracks: Prehistory to 500 CE; 500–1650; or 1650 to the Present. At least four elective courses (12 credits) must be taken from the declared chronological track. A maximum of one course from Category D (General Electives) may be applied to the elective requirement.
Category A. Prehistory to 500 CE
| ART 222 | Body Politics | 3 |
| HIS 252 | Warfare in the Ancient Near East and Egypt | 3 |
| HIS 254 | History of Ancient Greece and Rome | 3 |
| HIS 264 | China to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 269 | History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE) | 3 |
| HIS 270 | Marriage in Medieval Europe | 3 |
| HIS 282 | Selected Topics in History | 3 |
| HIS 323 | History of Lynching and Collective Violence | 3 |
| HIS 354 | Law and Society in Ancient Athens and Rome | 3 |
| HIS 362 | History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 364/GEN 364 | History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 366 | Religions of the Ancient World | 3 |
| HIS 368 | Law and Society in the Ancient Near East | 3 |
| HIS 370 | Ancient Egypt | 3 |
| HIS 374 | Premodern Punishment | 3 |
| HIS 375 | Female Felons in the Premodern World (was Female Felons in Premodern Europe & Americas) | 3 |
HIS 282: When topic is appropriate.
Category B. 500–1650
| ART 222 | Body Politics | 3 |
| HIS 201 | American Civilization- From Colonialism through the Civil War | 3 |
| HIS 208 | Exploring Global History | 3 |
| HIS 217 | History of NYC (was Three Hundred Years of NYC) | 3 |
| HIS 224 | A History of Crime in New York City | 3 |
| HIS 256 | History of Muslim Societies and Communities | 3 |
| HIS 264 | China to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 269 | History of World Slavery (to 1650 CE) | 3 |
| HIS 270 | Marriage in Medieval Europe | 3 |
| HIS 282 | Selected Topics in History | 3 |
| HIS 323 | History of Lynching and Collective Violence | 3 |
| HIS 356/GEN 356 | Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies | 3 |
| HIS 359 | History of Islamic Law | 3 |
| HIS 362 | History of Science and Medicine: Prehistory to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 364/GEN 364 | History of Gender and Sexuality: Prehistory to 1650 | 3 |
| HIS 374 | Premodern Punishment | 3 |
| HIS 375 | Female Felons in the Premodern World (was Female Felons in Premodern Europe & Americas) | 3 |
| HIS 381 | Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIS 383 | History of Terrorism | 3 |
| HIS 3XX | African Diaspora History II: Since 1808 | 3 |
| MUS 310 | Comparative History of African American Musics | 3 |
HIS 208: If topic meets appropriate time period.
HIS 282: When topic is appropriate.
Category C. 1650 to the Present
| ART 222 | Body Politics | 3 |
| HIS 201 | American Civilization- From Colonialism through the Civil War | 3 |
| HIS 202 | American Civilization - From 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| HIS 206/MUS 206 | Orchestral Music and the World Wars | 3 |
| HIS 208 | Exploring Global History | 3 |
| HIS 217 | History of NYC (was Three Hundred Years of NYC) | 3 |
| HIS 219 | Violence and Social Change in America | 3 |
| HIS 224 | A History of Crime in New York City | 3 |
| HIS 225 | American Problems of Peace, War, and Imperialism, 1840 to the Present | 3 |
| HIS 242/POL 242/LLS 242 | U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America | 3 |
| HIS 256 | History of Muslim Societies and Communities | 3 |
| HIS 260/LLS 260 | History of Contemporary Cuba | 3 |
| HIS 265/LLS 265 | Class, Race and Family in Latin American History | 3 |
| HIS 274 | China: 1650-Present | 3 |
| HIS 277 | American Legal History | 3 |
| HIS 281 | Imperialism in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East | 3 |
| HIS 282 | Selected Topics in History | 3 |
| HIS 320 | Topics in the History of Crime & Punishment in U.S (was History of Crime & Punishment in U.S.) | 3 |
| HIS 323 | History of Lynching and Collective Violence | 3 |
| HIS 325 | Criminal Justice in European Society, 1750 to the Present | 3 |
| HIS 340 | Modern Military History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present | 3 |
| HIS 356/GEN 356 | Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Muslim Societies | 3 |
| HIS 359 | History of Islamic Law | 3 |
| HIS 381 | Social History of Catholicism in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIS 383 | History of Terrorism | 3 |
| HIS 3XX | African Diaspora History I: To 1808 | 3 |
| HIS 3XX | African Diaspora History II: Since 1808 | 3 |
| MUS 310 | Comparative History of African American Musics | 3 |
HIS 208: If topic meets appropriate time period.
HIS 282: When topic is appropriate.
Category D. General Electives
One course from Category D may be applied to Part Four. Electives
| HIS 100 | Criminal Justice and Popular Culture | 3 |
| HIS 106 | Historical Perspectives on Justice & Inequality | 3 |
| HIS 127 | Microhistories: A Lens into the Past | 3 |
| HIS 131 | Topics in History of Science, Technology & Medicine | 3 |
| HIS 144 | Reacting to the Past | 3 |
| HIS 208 | Exploring Global History | 3 |
| HIS 352 | History & Justice in Wider World | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 15-18
Part Five. Capstone Seminar
All Global History majors will complete a capstone seminar in their fourth year, which unites students from all three chronological tracks in the study of a particular theme, complete a research paper, and present their work at a departmental colloquium.
Required
HIS 489: For Honors Track students only - required
Note: Students in the Honors track will enroll in an Independent Study (HIS 489) with a faculty mentor in the first semester of their senior year, and then in HIS 425 the following semester.
Total Credit Hours: 3-6
Total Credit Hours: 39