Graduate Course Descriptions

History (HIS)

HIS 5301 Twentieth Century International History 3(3-0)

This course aims to survey world history in the twentieth century from a specifically international perspective -- looking at war, diplomacy and cooperation between states. The course examines the origins and results of all major conflicts which helped shape the international scene during the twentieth century. Emphasis will be given to the rise of the superpowers and the Cold War and the various efforts at international co-operation such as the League of Nations, the United Nations, the European Union and NATO.

This is a Foundation Course in the MAISD

HIS 5302 North Africa and the Middle East in the 20th Century 3(3-0)

This course discusses the history of North Africa and the Middle East during the 20th century. It emphasizes and compares the colonial period in both regions and the context of the early independence of several Middle Eastern states, focusing on the participation of the Arab world in both World Wars. It considers the independence process of North African states and discusses the different attempts to enforce several versions of Pan-Arabism. It studies at length the Arab-Israeli conflict and finishes by highlighting the contemporary events and issues of the end of the 20th century.

This is a Foundation Course in the MAISD

HIS 5303 History of the World Economy 3(3-0)

This seminar provides a broad overview of the history of the world economy and how it has affected different parts of the globe from the “premodern” to the “modern” eras. Special attention will be paid to the economic interactions between Europe and areas such as Asia, Latin America, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The course is intended to raise a number of questions and issues about both the historical and the theoretical frameworks that relate to the study of world economy. The focus will also involve the intellectual and scholarly debates that revolve on issues such as capitalism, the division of labor, industrialization and imperialism.

This is an International Relations Course in the MAISD

HIS 5312 Modern Algeria 3(3-0)

This course surveys the political and economic origins and development of modern Algeria. It will trace the origins of Algeria from before the Ottoman regency, through the long transforming trauma of the period of French colonization, through to the establishment of the modern independent state. The state-building policies of independent Algeria's first two presidents, Ahmed Ben Bella and Houari Boumedienne, will be considered as will be the growing economic difficulties of the 1980s and their political consequences. The crisis of 1988 and the subsequent period of political liberalization (1989-1992) will be examined, along with the drift into the serious social and civil conflict of the 1990s. The course will conclude with an analysis of the return to more authoritarian policies and the search to find social and political peace in the new millennium.

This is a Concentration Course in North African & Middle Eastern Studies for the MAISD

HIS 5314 Issues in European History since 1789 3(3-0)

The course aims to provide students with an in-depth insight into the complexities of European history since the rise of the nation-state after the French Revolution. From selected topics of political, social, economic and cultural history, the students shall understand how lines of conflict emerged and developed over time both between nations and within national societies. Issues such as successes and failures of European civilization as well as the varying pace of political, economic and/or social development in different European regions will be treated in the course.

This is a Concentration Course in European Studies for the MAISD

HIS 5316 Issues in United States History 3(3-0)

The course aims to provide students with an in-depth study of United States history. From selected topics of political, social, economic and/or cultural history, the students shall understand the broad lines of the formation of the United States, including its internal contradictions. The dominant narratives of political history shall be questioned in light of the underlying internal conflicts of society and ethnicity. America’s changing role in the world shall be examined in relation to its domestic politics.

This is a Concentration Course in American Studies for the MAISD

HIS 5318 Economic and Social History of the United States 3(3-0)

This course surveys major developments in the social and economic structures of the United States since its creation. Issues of class, race and life chances will be considered as well as the changing nature of the United States economy as it moves from an agricultural to an industrial economy and finally to a technology- and service- based system.

This is a Concentration Course in American Studies for the MAISD

HIS 5325 Colonization and Decolonization in North Africa and the Middle East 3(3-0)

The course will examine the various experiences with colonization and decolonization processes in the North Africa and Middle East region from a comparative perspective. Starting with Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, case studies will present the different patterns of direct French rule in North Africa and Britain’s “informal Empire” in the Middle East. Also, the role of the Ottoman Empire as a colonizing power shall be taken into account. Furthermore, the course will compare the motivations and strategies of national liberation movements in different parts of the region, contrasting secular and religious ideologies with the pragmatic and charismatic uses of power by military leaders as the dominant agents of decolonization.

This is a Concentration Course in North African & Middle Eastern Studies for the MAISD
This is a Concentration Course in European Studies for the MAISD

HIS 5326 Diplomatic History since the Congress of Vienna 3 (3-0)

This course aims to survey world history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from a specifically international perspective - looking at war, diplomacy and cooperation between states. The course examines the origins and results of all major conflicts that have helped shape the international scene during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Emphasis will be given to the rise of the great power and later the superpowers and large-scale conflicts like the Franco-Prussian war, the World Wars and the Cold War. The various efforts at international co-operation such as the Concert of Europe, the League of Nations, the United Nations, the European Union and NATO will also be studied.

HIS 5312 Modern Algeria: 3(3-0)
This course surveys the political and economic origins and development of modern Algeria. It will trace the origins of Algeria from before the Ottoman regency, through the long transforming period of French colonization, through to the establishment of the modern independent state. The state-building policies of independent Algeria’s first two presidents, Ahmed Ben Bella and Houari Boumedienne, will be considered as will be the growing economic difficulties of the 1980s and their political consequences. The crisis of 1988 and the subsequent period of political liberalization (1989-1992) will be examined, along with the drift into the serious social and civil conflict of the 1990s. The course will conclude with an analysis of the return to more authoritarian policies and the search to find social and political peace in the new century.

HIS 5325 Colonization and Decolonization in North Africa and the Middle East: 3(3-0)
The course will examine the various experiences with colonization and decolonization processes in the North Africa and Middle East region from a comparative perspective. Starting with Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, case studies will present the different patterns of direct French rule in North Africa and Britain’s “informal Empire” in the Middle East. Also, the role of the Ottoman Empire as a colonizing power shall be taken into account. Furthermore, the course will compare the motivations and strategies of national liberation movements in different parts of the region, contrasting secular and religious ideologies with the pragmatic and charismatic uses of power by military leaders as the dominant agents of decolonization.

HIS 5361 History of North Africa: 3(3-0)

The course seeks to trace the history of the area during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by connecting it to its pre-colonial past.  The module is informed by the theoretical and conceptual tools of social and cultural history, anthropology and literary theory. Taking into consideration the political and economic history of North African societies since the advent of colonialism to the present, this course will also attempt to deal with the social and cultural history of ordinary people and the way they were affected by different historical forces. The course is intended to introduce the students to new ways of how to start conceiving the history of the Maghreb from a “bottom up” perspective. From a thematic approach, we will deal with three broadly conceived periods: the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history of North Africa. After an overview of the pre-colonial period, the course will concentrate mainly on the colonial and postcolonial periods. The students will be introduced to various themes, such as, the pre-colonial tribal system, religious legitimacy, the colonial encounter, rural and urban resistance, nationalism, working class history, women’s history, Islamic movements, democracy and the challenge of modernization and economic globalization in North Africa.