Mar 29, 2024  
2015-2016 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2015-2016 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

BSS Courses


Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Courses

Geography

  • GEOG 505 - Urbanism and Sustainability


    3 credit hours
    History and contemporary process of urbanization; location, functions, and internal structures of cities; relations among cities and among urban, suburban, and exurban areas. Emphasis on the ecological, economic, cultural, and postmodern perspectives. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 231. (Cross-listed with GEOG 405).
  • GEOG 511 - Selected Topics in Geography


    3 credit hours
    Topics vary. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • GEOG 566 - Political Geography


    3 credit hours
    Major political structures and geopolitical implications of location, shape, area, culture, and natural environment of nations and states. Spatial analysis of voting behavior.

History

  • HIST 511 - Selected Topics in History


    3 credit hours
    Topics vary. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
  • HIST 521 - Seminar in Medieval European History


    3 credit hours
  • HIST 522 - Seminar in Early Modern European History


    3 credit hours
  • HIST 523 - Civil Rights Movement


    3 credit hours
    Traces development of Civil Rights Movement in the United States from 1954 to 1968. Emphasis on origins of segregation, community, protest movements, and Civil Rights leaders. (Cross-listed with POS 523 .)
  • HIST 524 - Colonial Latin America


    3 credit hours
    This course examines the Americas before European conquest, the nature of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism, the impact of colonialism on the American environment, the nature of chattel slavery, the formation of multiracial and multi-ethnic societies, systems of social stratification, the collapse of colonial empires and establishment of independent republics after 1808. Special attention will be paid to factors that still affect contemporary Latin America. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102. (Cross-listed with HIST 424).
  • HIST 525 - Modern Latin America


    3 credit hours
    This course surveys major themes in Latin American history after the independence was achieved from Spain and Portugal. Since it would be impossible to provide a detailed treatment of every Latin American country, the objective of the course is to give students a working knowledge of the ideas, experiences, and problems common to the region as a whole. Political ideologies, economic underdevelopment, authoritarianism, civil rights, democratic development, and the United States’ presence in the region are some of the themes that will be covered in this course. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 526 - U.S.-Latin American Relations: 1820 to present


    3 credit hours
    This course analyzes the political, social, and cultural events that have marked the relationship between Latin American countries and the United States. Students will consider the history of individual countries, while at the same time analyzing the influence of the United States policy on the region as a whole. The goal of the course is to introduce the student to factual and interpretive material useful for making informed judgments regarding the unequal interactions between the peoples of Latin America and the United States from 1820 to the present. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 532 - History of French Film


    3 credit hours
    This course will examine developments in modern French history through the analysis of French films. We shall discuss the evolution of film techniques, the elements of film history, and the role of national identity in French history. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102. (Cross-listed with FRN 423)
  • HIST 533 - Modern Brazil


    3 credit hours
    This course surveys Brazilian history beginning with the founding of an independent state in 1822. Topics covered include slavery, regionalism, immigration, the economy, the armed forces, and other major themes such as race, class, gender, politics, and religion. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 534 - Seminar in 20th Century European History


    3 credit hours
  • HIST 535 - History of Modern Japan


    3 credit hours
    A general survey of Japanese history from 1600 to the present. Examines the major events and trends in Japanese politics, economics, and society in an international context. Topics include: the Tokugawa legacy, the Meiji Restoration, the “Westernization” of Japan, Japanese relationships with China, the Second World War, and the post-war economic “Miracle.”
  • HIST 536 - Seminar in American History


    3 credit hours
  • HIST 541 - History of England I


    3 credit hours
    A survey of the political, constitutional, legal, economic, social and cultural development of England from Roman times to the Glorious Revolution.
  • HIST 542 - History of England Since 1688


    3 credit hours
    A survey of the political, constitutional, legal, economic, social and cultural development of England from the Glorious Revolution to the 20th century.
  • HIST 543 - Middle East


    3 credit hours
    Middle East political issues, culture, institutions, and their historical background. (Cross-listed with POS 543 .)
  • HIST 547 - Medieval European History, 476-1400


    3 credit hours
    European history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Emphasis will be on the religious, political, intellectual, and social development of Western Europe. Prerequisite(s): HIST 102.
  • HIST 548 - Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1653


    3 credit hours
    Will investigate the literary, artistic, intellectual, religious, and cultural achievements of Renaissance Italy, the rise and growth of Protestantism, and the Catholic reaction against the background of the economic, political, and social developments in Western Europe. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 555 - The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era, 1789-1815


    3 credit hours
    Deals with the origin of the French Revolution in the institutions of the old regime and the ideas of the Enlightenment, and traces the course of revolutionary events in France and their impact throughout Europe. It also examines the rise of Napoleon, the Napoleonic wars, the impact of Napoleonic France upon Europe, the eventual defeat of Napoleon, and the general peace settlement.
  • HIST 558 - History of Germany, 1871-1945


    3 credit hours
    A survey of German history beginning with the Second Reich, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. Emphasis on the cultural, social, and political origins of Nazism and the Holocaust.
  • HIST 560 - History of the South


    3 credit hours
    This course will examine the principal social and cultural factors that have contributed to the unique development of the South from colonial times to the present. Some attention will be given to the political and economic development of the region.
  • HIST 561 - History of Early Modern Europe, up to 1789


    3 credit hours
    A survey of European history from the Renaissance up to the outbreak of the French Revolution. Emphasis will be on the growth of Nation States, conflicts between Absolutism and Constitutionalism, the Scientific Revolution, changing social and economic patterns, and the Enlightenment. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 565 - History of France Since 1815


    3 credit hours
    A continuation of HIST 555 . Examines the major trends in French history in a European and international context. Topics include: The Bourbon Restoration, the Second Empire, the Third Republic, the Two World Wars, the Fourth and Fifth Republics, Reconstruction, Decolonization, and the European Union.
  • HIST 566 - Political Geography


    3 credit hours
    Major political structures and geopolitical implications of location, shape, area, culture, and natural environments of nations and states. Spatial analysis of voting behavior.
  • HIST 570 - Colonial America


    3 credit hours
    A history of the American colonies, covering the social, cultural, economic and political development of the region and its peoples to 1763.
  • HIST 571 - Revolutionary America


    3 credit hours
    This course covers the origins, development and consequences of the American Revolution from 1763 to 1800.
  • HIST 572 - History of Alabama


    3 credit hours
    A survey of the political, economic, social and cultural developments of the region that comprises Alabama from pre-historic times to the present. Emphasis is placed upon local developments within a framework provided by the whole of American history.
  • HIST 573 - African-American History


    3 credit hours
    Examines the experience of blacks in America from 1619 to present, with special attention to slavery, emancipation, segregation, race, leadership, and the Civil Rights Movement.
  • HIST 574 - Jeffersonian-Jacksonian America


    3 credit hours
    Traces the development of the United States through the early national period, 1800-1850. Focuses on Jeffersonian Republicanism, Jacksonian Democracy, and growing sectionalism in the early nineteenth century.
  • HIST 575 - Constitutional Law


    3 credit hours
    An examination of the role of the Supreme Court in constitutional interpretation, with emphasis upon a study of the historical landmark decisions from the Marshall Court to the Rehnquist Court. (Cross-listed with POS 575 ).
  • HIST 576 - Civil War and Reconstruction


    3 credit hours
    A study of the events leading to the Civil War; the major military, diplomatic, economic, and social issues associated with the war; and the developments during Reconstruction.
  • HIST 577 - The Gilded Age


    3 credit hours
    This course examines the political, economic, social, and technological developments of the United States from 1877 to 1920. Topics will include industrialization, labor unions, the New South, Populism, and Progressivism.
  • HIST 579 - History of Alabama’s Constitutions


    3 credit hours
    This course explores the historical basis for Alabama’s constitutions and considers the need for reform of the state’s 1901 constitution. (Cross-listed with HIST 479, POS 479 and POS 579 ).
  • HIST 580 - Diplomatic History of the United States


    3 credit hours
    Foundations of American diplomacy and America’s expanding role in international affairs.
  • HIST 581 - The United States, 1900-1945


    3 credit hours
    This course is a survey of the history of the United States, 1900-1945, with special emphasis on the economic, political and social problems of the period.
  • HIST 582 - The United States Since 1945


    3 credit hours
    This course surveys the beginning of the Cold War and the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Domestic economic, political, and social problems of the period are also covered.
  • HIST 583 - History of Africa


    3 credit hours
    African geography, culture, and people. Prerequisite(s): HIST 101 and 102.
  • HIST 584 - U.S. Wars-Korea and Vietnam


    3 credit hours
    This course examines recent military experiences of the United States in terms of the traditional American way of preparing for and waging war. To do this the course considers the emergence of a military policy following World War II that was unique in the American experience. As national policy changed in response to the communist threat, the armed services adapted to the new demands of a hostile world. Thus, permanent readiness for war became a part of American life during the Cold War. Historical inquiry will focus on military tactics, operations, and strategies; grand strategy; foreign policy; domestic politics; international diplomacy; social impacts; and lessons learned. (Cross-listed with HIST 484, POS 484 and 584 ).
  • HIST 590 - Directed Reading


    3 credit hours
  • HIST 595 - Internship in History


    Up to 6 credit hours
    Individual reading and study with a faculty member and work on an approved project with the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the Archival Department of the Birmingham Public Library, and the Alabama Historic Commission or a similar cooperating institution.

Political Science

  • POS 511 - Selected Topics in Political Science


    3 credit hours
    Topics vary. Course may be repeated for credit as often as topic changes. (Cross-listed with POS 411, GEOG 411 and 511 , HIST 411 and 511 , and SOC 411 and 511 ).
  • POS 522 - American Political Thought


    3 credit hours
    An examination of political philosophy and thought in America, with emphasis on a comparison of the development of “liberal” and “conservative” ideological variations.
  • POS 523 - Civil Rights Movement


    3 credit hours
    Traces development of Civil Rights Movement in the United States from 1954 to 1968. Emphasis on origins of segregation, community, protest movements, and Civil Rights leaders. (Cross-listed with HIST 523 .)
  • POS 543 - Middle East


    3 credit hours
    Middle East political issues, culture, institutions, and their historical background. (Cross-listed with HIST 543 .)
  • POS 544 - Public Policy


    3 credit hours
    Focuses on the role of government and non-government participants in the policy-making process at the federal level. In-depth explorations of certain substantive policy areas, such as education policy and environmental policy.
  • POS 550 - Global Policy Studies


    3 credit hours
    Students will engage political issues related to contemporary globalization, including the decline of the nation-state, the power of multinational organizations, global citizenship and direct-action politics, environmentalism, indigenous peoples, and human rights.
  • POS 555 - International Relations


    3 credit hours
    A broad range of traditional and contemporary theories of international relations will be investigated. Students will discover that the evolution of thinking about international relations is marked by both change and continuity, and they will gain new perspective on current events in world affairs through application of the theoretical method.
  • POS 575 - Constitutional Law


    3 credit hours
    An examination of the role of the Supreme Court in constitutional interpretation, with emphasis upon a study of the historical landmark decisions from the Marshall Court to the Rehnquist Court.
  • POS 579 - History of Alabama’s Constitutions


    3 credit hours
    This course explores the historical basis for Alabama’s constitutions and considers the need for reform of the state’s 1901 constitution. (Cross-listed with POS 479, HIST 479 and 579 ).
  • POS 584 - U.S. Wars-Korea and Vietnam


    3 credit hours
    This course examines recent military experiences of the United States in terms of the traditional American way of preparing for and waging war. To do this the course considers the emergence of a military policy following World War II that was unique in the American experience. As national policy changed in response to the Communist threat, the armed services adapted to the new demands of a hostile world. Thus, permanent readiness for war became a part of American life during the Cold War. Historical inquiry will focus on military tactics, operations, and strategies; grand strategy; foreign policy; domestic politics; international diplomacy; social impacts; and lessons learned. (Cross-listed with POS 484, HIST 484 and 584 ).
  • POS 590 - Directed Reading


    3 credit hours
  • POS 595 - Government Internship


    3-6 credit hours
    Practical experience working in a politically related position under the guidance of a faculty member in political science.

Sociology

  • SOC 501 - Social Gerontology


    3 credit hours
    Comprehensive examination of aging in contemporary society, with emphases on the theories and social consequence of aging for individuals, groups, and society.
  • SOC 502 - Sociology of Education


    3 credit hours
    Comprehensive study of education as an institution of enculturation, with emphasis on the relationship of education and other social institutions, schools as experienced by students, and contemporary crisis in education.
  • SOC 505 - Urban Geography


    3 credit hours
    Locational aspect of urbanization; functions of and relations among cities and between urban, suburban, and exurban areas of metropolitan areas. Internal structure of urban areas.
  • SOC 511 - Selected Topics in Sociology


    3 credit hours
    Topics vary. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes.
  • SOC 545 - Sex Roles, Gender, and Culture


    3 credit hours
    Study of sex roles within broader cultural patterns in various societies.Topics include: acquisition of gender, interactional styles, and political/economic consequences of gender differences.
  • SOC 580 - Development of Sociological Theory


    3 credit hours
    Origins and development of prominent sociological theories and the contributions of outstanding theorists.
  • SOC 590 - Independent Study in Sociology


    3 credit hours