University of Saskatchewan

University Course Calendar 2011-2012

History

What is history? Interest in the past is almost as old as society. The past may be close at hand. We can find it in old photographs of our family and our town. The past may also be so remote that reaching it at all is a challenge. We can study cultures that ceased to exist many centuries ago and have left scant traces. But does the past matter? It matters when we are curious about ourselves and believe that our existence is rooted, not only in genes, but also in a cultural heritage.

History seeks to discover the past through the methodical study of written and oral sources, increasingly in conjunction with artifacts. History is not a science. Our collective past cannot be analyzed in terms of constant laws and processes that invariably produce the same results. Attention to history rarely prevents old mistakes from being made all over again. But history brings us face to face with real people and the things they did and suffered. Studying them from a distance, we can often understand them better than was possible at the time and better than we can understand developments in our own time.

The principal goals of the history program are to help students:

  • develop the ability to read and think critically, write effectively and originally, express ideas, and advance arguments orally
  • appreciate the variety and diversity of the past
  • find meaning in past events which inform the present
  • acquire a "common store" of culturally important knowledge
  • appreciate history as an evolving discipline which constantly generates new insights
  • understand how Canada and the world became as they are today.
For information or brochures on undergraduate programs and courses, on the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in history, and on career opportunities, students can contact the Department of History at 721 Arts Building, Tel: 306-966-5792, Fax: 306-966-5852, E-mail: hist.dept@usask.ca, Website.

The History Undergraduate Students' Association (HUSA) is open to all students and offers a program of academic and social events. The History Department blog What's Up, http://usask-history-whatsup.blogspot.com/, announces departmental events and celebrates the achievements and all the news relating to History students, alumni, faculty, and friends.  For the latest details about anything to do with the department and our programs, be sure to see our official departmental website at http://artsandscience.usask.ca/history/.

St. Thomas More College

Sections of some courses are taught by faculty in the Department of History at St. Thomas More College. These course sections are designated as STM sections in the online Course Offerings.

Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies

The College of Arts and Science and St. Thomas More College offer a Four-year, Honours and Minor program in Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies that examines the earlier cultures and societies that lay the foundations of what today is commonly known as the Western Tradition. Drawing on the resources of twelve departments in Arts & Science and St Thomas More College, it offers an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that allows students to bring a broadly informed perspective to the study of a cultural tradition that ranges from the eastern Mediterranean in the 8th century BCE to 17th-century Italy and the England of Shakespeare, Bacon and Hobbes. Students interested in these Four-year, Honours or Minor programs should see the separate entry under Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Bachelor of Arts Four-year (B.A. Four-year) - History

Bachelor of Arts Three-year (B.A. Three-year) - History

Bachelor of Arts Honours (B.A. Honours) - History

Double Honours in History

Minor in History

Equivalent History Courses

Courses in Other Departments

St. Thomas More College