the university of bamenda faculty of...
TRANSCRIPT
1
THE UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA
FACULTY OF ARTS
FACULTY OF ARTS STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME AND COURSE DESCRIPTION
FOR THE BA IN HISTORY
2
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME FOR THE BA IN HISTORY
FIRST YEAR COURSE
CODE COURSE TITLE
CREDIT
VALUE STATUS L T P
PREREQU
ISITES
FIRST SEMESTER
HIST 203 Cameroon: Peoples, Migrations and
settlements 6 C 40 20
HIST 205 Africa in Antiquities (Old
Civilizations) 6 C 40 20
ARCH 217 Introduction to Archaeology 6 C 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
ENG 101 Use of English I 3 C 10 10
FRE 101 Functional French I 3 C 10 10
SPT 100 Sports 2 C 0 0 20
TOTAL 32 180 100 20
SECOND SEMESTER
HIST 220 Cameroon 1800-1922 6 C 40 20 HIST 203
HIST 224 Africa and the slave trade 6 C 40 20 HIST 205
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
ENG 102 Use of English II 3 C 10 10
FRE 102 Functional French II 3 C 10 10
CSC 100 Information Technology 4 C 20 20 20
TOTAL 34 200 120 20
SECOND YEAR
COURSE
CODE COURSE TITLE
CREDIT
VALUE STATUS L T P
PREREQUIS
ITES
FIRST SEMESTER
HIST 301 Developments in Asia after World
War II 6 C 40 20
HIST 303 Cameroon under the Mandate &
Trusteeship Systems: 1922 – 1961 6 C 40 20 HIST 220
HIST 305 Africa in the 19th Century:
Imperialism 6 C 40 20
HIST 315 Introduction to Historiography 6 C 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
TOTAL 30 200 100
SECOND SEMESTER
HIST 302 ResearchMethodology 6 C 40 20
HIST 304 Post Independence Cameroon 6 C 40 20 HIST 303
HIST 316 Africa Since 1900 (Modern Africa) 6 C 40 20 HIST 305
3
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
TOTAL 30 200 100
THIRD YEAR
COURSE
CODE COURSE TITLE
CREDIT
VALUE STATUS L T P
PREREQU
-ISITES
FIRST SEMESTER
HIST 401
Europe from the French Revolution to
World War II
6 C 40 20
HIST 403 Seminar Topics in World History 6 C 40 20
HIST 415 US: Colonization and Independence 6 C 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
TOTAL 30 200 100
SECOND SEMESTER
HIST 422 History of Political and Social Thought 6 C 40 20
HIST 414 Civilizations of the Eastern
Mediterranean 6 C 40 20
*** Minor or Elective 6 E 40 20
HIST 418 Academic Writing in History 2 C 15 15
HIST 498 Long Essay/Term Paper 6 C - 60 -
CVE100 Civics and Ethics 4 C 30 10
TOTAL 30 150 130
ELECTIVES COURSE
CODE COURSE TITLE
CREDIT
VALUE
STATUS
L T P
PREREQU-
ISITES
FIRST SEMESTER
HIST 219 History of Science and Technology 6 E 40 20
HIST 221 Issues in Bamenda Grass fields History 6 E 40 20
HIST 223 Africa and the Industrial Revolution in
Europe 6 E 40 20
ARCH 201 Introduction to Archaeological
Methods and Research 6 E 40 20
HIST 225 Art History 6 E 40 20
HIST 317 USSR 6 E 40 20
HIST 311 China in the 19th and 20th Centuries 6 E 40 20
ARCH 301 A Survey of Cameroon and African
Archaeology 6 E 40 20
4
ARCH 303 Introduction to Museology and
Cultural Resource Management 6 E 40 20
HIST 407 Middle East Since the 20th Century 6 E 40 20
HIST 419 Globalization Since World War II 6 E 40 20
HIST 413 Pre-Columbian America 6 E 40 20
TOTAL
SECOND SEMESTER
HIST 212 Renaissance and the Reformation 6 E 40 20
HIST 216 African Diaspora 6 E 40 20
HIST 218 Gender in AfricanHistory 6 E 40 20
ARCH 204 Introduction to Environmental
Archaeology 6 E 40 20
HIST 318 Regional Economic Development in
Africa. 6 E 40 20
HIST 320 Introduction to Public History 6 E 40 20
HIST 322 AfricanSystems of Thought 6 E 40 20
ARCH 302 Introduction to Social Archaeology 6 E 20
ARCH 304 Archaeology and the natural sciences 6 E 40 20
HIST 416 Economic History of Africa 6 E 40 20
TOTAL
CC = Compulsory courses, UC = University courses, EC = Elective courses
Total number of credits: 180
Compulsory courses: 108
University courses: 24
Elective courses: 44
Total lecture hours: 1130
Total hours of tutorials: 650
Total hours of practical: 40 TOTAL CONTACT HOURS:
1820
COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR THE BA IN HISTORY
ARCH 201: Introduction to Archaeological Methods and Research 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course aims at acquainting students with knowledge of archaeological methodology and
practice and its contributions in reconstructing history in societies predominantly of oral traditions. It also
equips students with techniques of fieldwork in archaeology.
Content: Emphasis is placed on archaeological methodology of surveys, excavations, classification and
interpretation of data from archaeological sites.
Outcomes: It is expected that at the end of the course students should be versed with archaeological methods
and techniques which could assist them better understand man’s activities through his material remains.
5
HIS 203: Cameroon: Peoples, Migrations and settlements 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course is intended to enable students acquire an in-depth knowledge of the history of
Cameroon before German annexation. The areas of focus will include the major ethnic groups of Cameroon,
migrations, process of settlement, state formation, inter group competitions leading to the establishment of
composite polities, centralized and decentralized governing systems and early contacts.
Content: This course will survey the different migratory trends and political formations in the territory. The
different ethnic groups will be identified and their political, economic and social institutions examined. A
survey of Cameroon before the establishment of formal European control with emphasis on major ethnic
groups, migrations and domestic trade.
Outcomes: At the end of this course, students should be able to:
a) Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the pre-colonial Cameroonian ethnic groupings and their
organisation before colonization.
b) Avoid the generalisation that Cameroonian ethnic groups before colonisation were barbaric and uncivilised.
ARCH 204: Introduction to Environmental Archaeology 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course examines the role of the environment in the formation of archaeological sites as well
as its impact on the contents of archaeological sites and man.
Content: The course includes the natural formation processes of archaeological sites, environment and nature
of archaeological data and the impact of man on his environment and vice versa.
Outcomes: Students are expected at the end of the course to understand the dialectical relationship that exists
between man and his environment and how each impacts the other.
HIST 205: Africa in Antiquities (Old Civilizations) 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course aims at proving the existence of advanced civilizations in Africa over the centuries. It
deconstructs the Eurocentric and Hamitic myths that developments in Africa were engineered from Europe
and Asia.
Content: This course will make a survey of the different civilizations and centralized societies that existed in
Africa beginning with ancient Egypt and extending but not limited to kingdoms like Empires of the Western
Sudan, Great Zimbabwe and Buganda. The focus is also on the internal dynamics of change in Africa in
indigenous African societies.
Outcomes: At the end of the course, students are expected to have a mastery of the economic, social and
political organizations of African societies before active European contacts.
HIST 212: Renaissance and Reformation 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: This course examines the history of Europe from the late fourteenth to the early seventeenth
century.
Content: It focuses on cultural, intellectual, and religious history, including the Renaissance in arts and
literature, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, and philosophical and scientific innovations. It considers
the political and social contexts of these developments, including the developing territorial state, the
communications revolution brought about by printing, changes in patterns of manufacture and trade, and the
beginnings of European overseas empire
Outcomes: By the end of the course the student should be able to appreciate the Renaissance and Reformation
as major intellectual and religious developments that brought significant transformations in Europe and the
world.
HIST 216: African Diaspora 6 Credits (40-20-00)
6
Objectives: This is a survey course which emphasizes the construction of African diaspora and the
contributions of Africans in World development.
Content: This course traces the roots of the Africans in the Diaspora, looking at how they eventually got to
America, Middle East and India. The course will also focus on African identity in the Diaspora, the crisis of
African Identity and the political, economic and social rights of Africans in the Diaspora. The contributions of
Africans in the Diaspora towards Pan-Africanism and other aspects of development in Africa will also be
analysed.
Outcomes: The course should equip students with the skills to evaluate the contributions of Africans in the
diaspora to world development in the broadest sense of the word.
HIST 217: Introduction to Archaeology 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: This vital and indispensable course is aimed at acquainting students with the basic issues of
archaeological studies. Also, it introduces students to the study of archaeology as an emerging academic
discipline, distinct from others and used in the reconstruction of human history from the earliest times to the
present. It therefore gives them the right frame of mind and orientation for appreciating facets of the discipline
as they ascend the academic ladder.
Content: The course defines archaeology and introduces students to key archaeological concepts and
definitions such as the nature of archaeological data, excavations, archaeological sites, survey and
classification. The course also focuses on the factors militating against the practice of archaeology and
especially the interpretation of disjointed archaeological data in the course of reconstructing human history.
Outcomes: The Candidates are expected at the end of the course to grasp the basic concepts and definitions in
archaeology.
HIST 218: Gender in African History 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The course aims at examining the contributions of gender to political, economic and social
development of Africa from the pre-colonial to the post – independence era.
Content: The issues to be discussed will include the place and activities of gender in pre-colonial African
societies. The course shall also examine the colonial intrusion on African societies and how this impacted on
the role of gender. Examples of the complementary roles of gender will be discussed across the continent.
Besides, the role of women in promoting and sustaining economic and cultural developments in post-
independence Africa will be given particular attention. Above all, contemporary issues like the empowerment
of women, rights of ownership and inheritance among others and homosexual activism will be examined.
Outcomes: Students who take this course should readily appreciate the contributions of women to political,
economic and social development of Africa from earliest times.
HIST 219: History of Science and Technology 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: To acquaint students with major break-through and inventions in the field of science and
technology in the world and Africa in particular.
Content: This is a survey course highlighting the developments which have taken place in science and
technology. This includes developments in the domains of medicine, architecture, communication,
transportation and agriculture. More importantly, the course would try to bridge the gulf that exist between
Africa and western nations as well as explore ways in which we can learn from each other.
Outcomes: Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
-Identify the significance of science to humankind.
-Understand and articulate diverse views on the impact of indigenous scientific innovations and technological
developments on Africa and Cameroon in particular.
7
HIST 220: Cameroon 1800-1922 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The aim is to enable the students have knowledge of Cameroon’s contact with Islam and
Christianity. It also gives attention to the bases of European scramble and annexation of Cameroon. The course
places premium to German rule how they eventually lost the colony to Britain and France leading to its partition
and the institution of League of Nations Mandate over the territory.
Content: This course will focus on early trading activities, looking at the major trading companies and their
investments in the coastal regions and the hinterland. The establishment of colonial administration, their socio-
political policies and their economic activities will also be specifically examined. European rivalry and German
annexation.German socio-political and economic policies and the impact of World War One on former German
Cameroon.
Outcomes: At the end of the course students should be able to appreciate the impact of Islam, Christian
Missionary activities and German colonial administration on the political, socio-economic developments of
Cameroon.
HIST 221: Issues in Bamenda Grass fields History 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The course leads students to appreciate the critical issues that have shaped and continue to affect
developments in the Bamenda Grass fields from the period of mass migration, settlement and state formation
in the 19th century to the post-independence era.
Content: The course gives attention to political, economic, social, cultural and religious aspects that gives the
region a characteristic distinctiveness. In the course issues like inter village and land conflicts; farmer grazier
crisis; mechanisms of conflict prevention, management and resolution; succession disputes; local, regional and
long distance trade; agricultural economy; music, arts and culture; architectural values; science and technology
and the contacts between indigenous and alien religious contacts are brought to the fore. The course would
equally show the respond of the region to the economic crisis and the transition from single party to multi-
party politics in Cameroon.
Outcomes: By the end of the course, students would have the opportunity to better appreciate the factors and
issues that give the Bamenda Grass fields a historical characteristic distinctiveness in Cameroon.
HIST 223: Africa and the Industrial Revolution in Europe 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course will explore the contributions of Africa to the changes that affected major European
industries in the 19th century.
Content: The course will centre on the participation of Africa in the industrial revolution. In trying to analyse
the contributions of Africans, the focus will be on the supply of labour (slave trade) and raw materials.
Outcomes: Students should, at the end of the course, appreciate the contributions of Africa to the industrial
growth in Europe and the negative impact this trend has had on the growth of Africa.
HIST 224: Africa and Slave Trade 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The aim is to show the origins and practice of slave trade in Africa.
Content: This course is going to examine Africa’s participation in the internal and external slave trade between
1500 and 1800. The course examines the domestic slave trade as well as the trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic
slave trades.
Outcomes: Students are at the end of the course expected to have a broad picture of the major trends in slave
trade in Africa. They should be able to evaluate the major impact that the activity engendered.
HIST 225: Art History 6 Credits (40-20-00)
8
Objective: Art History course introduces students to visual analysis of works of art. The course teaches
students to understand works of art through both visual and contextual analysis. Art history emphasizes
understanding works of art within their historical context by examining issues such as politics, class, religion,
patronage, audience, gender, function, science and technology and ethnicity.
Content: The course will look at development and expression of artistic works from the standpoints of the
renaissance era to the 20th century. Emphasis will also be focused on an exploration of African and American
artistic traditions.
Outcomes: At the end of the course the students should be able to decode historical data embedded in works
of art to complement other sources of history.
ARCH 301: A Survey of Cameroon and African Archaeology 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The aim of the course is to examine man’s socio-cultural history in Cameroon and Africa from
archaeological and related records during the prehistoric era
Content: The course will examine the ecological setting and man’s adaptation to and interaction with this
setting in Cameroon and Africa. It also examines fresh evidences from recent researches in African
archaeology around the continent on the origin of man, early trading and urbanization in archaeological sites
in Cameroon and Africa.
Outcomes: The students are expected to have a working knowledge of the importance of archaeological
research in the reconstruction of the early history of Cameroon and Africa.
ARCH 303: Intro to Museology and Cultural Resource Mgmt 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course seeks to introduce students to the basic knowledge of museum science and the practice
of cultural resource management.
Content: The course examines the role of the museum and the practice of cultural resource management in
the preservation and reconstruction of African indigenous cultures.
Outcomes: At the end of the course students should be able to acquire basic skills in identifying, recovering,
analysing and preserving the cultural heritage of societies.
ARCH 304: Archaeology and the Natural science 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course aims at giving a clear understanding of the relationship between science, archaeology
and history.
Content: There will be an examination of the sciences in Archaeology relevant to the reconstruction of African
cultural history. Emphasis will also be placed on the depth of scientific archaeology and how it has helped in
historical analysis.
Outcomes: It is expected the students would familiarise themselves with the tenets of scientific methods in
Archaeological research.
HIST 301: Developments in Asia after World War II 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course deals with the conditions and paths of economic development in Asia after World War
II. It illuminates the nexus of politics, economics, social change and strategic planning to the development of
the economies of the region.
Content: The course focuses on Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Asian economies which
have often been called “miraculous” or characterized as ferocious “tigers” or “dragons. It also pays attention
on the trend of economic development in Japan, China, India and Malaysia. The course illustrates the ways by
which the countries used different development strategies to build their respective economies.
Outcomes: The course helps students explore and understand the fundamental strategies and different
approaches employed by the Asian Tigers to reverse the world economic order.
9
HIST 302: Research Methodology 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The purpose of this course is to guide students through the preparation of a Term Paper in the
academic tradition. The course is partitioned into three parts. First, students will be introduced to the
methodology of data collection and the methodology of the presentation of material (or the write-up). The
second part of the course would concentrate on equipping the budding historian with an analytical and
conceptual frame of mind and will concentrate on themes of historical evidence. This third part will deal
essentially with the examination of documentary evidence.
Content: The course is partitioned into three parts. First, students will be introduced to the methodology of
data collection and the methodology of the presentation of material (or the write-up.) the second part of the
course would concentrate on equipping the budding historian with an analytical and conceptual frame of mind
and will concentrate on themes of historical evidence. The third part will deal essentially with the examination
of documentary evidence.
Outcomes: At the end of the course students should have understood and be able to put into practice the
methodology of data collection and presentation of historical data. They would also have acquired analytical
and conceptual skills to be able to appreciate historical evidence through the examination of documentary
sources.
HIST 303: Cameroon under Mandate & Trusteeship Systems: 1922-1961 6 C (40-20-00)
Objectives: This course is a continuation of HIS 220. Its objective is to expose students of history to the
political, economic and social history of Cameroon as mandated territories of the League of Nations and Trust
Territories of the United Nations. The students will be introduced to the intricacies of quest for the
independence and reunification of the Cameroons.
Content: The course outlines the separate administrations of Cameroon from 1922 to 1960/61 and the
problems which were encountered throughout this period. The developments of the Second World War are
examined in relation to how they influenced the decolonization process in the British and French Cameroons
from 1945 to 1961 when the British Cameroons gained independence. Issues of British administration of the
British Cameroons as an integral part of Nigeria and the administration of French Cameroon by France are
discussed. The course also attempts to emphasis cultural, social and economic issues that contributed to the
independence and reunification of Cameroon.
Outcomes: At the end of the course, the second year students of history should be able to:
a) Demonstrate an understanding of the political, economic and socio-cultural history of Cameroon under the
British and French administrations
b) Appreciate the different internal and external influences on the independence of the two Cameroons
c) Avoid generalisations about the reunification of British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon and
understand the present situation of a nascent Cameroonian state on the basis of this.
HIST 304: Post Independence Cameroon 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: This course examines the political, economic and social developments in Cameroon since 1960.
The role played by the major regimes is a main preoccupation.
Content: The political, socio-cultural and economic developments of Cameroon will be critically examined
under the presidencies of Ahidjo and Biya. The issues of nation-unity and integration will also be examined in
details. Besides, one of the issues that has challenged the unity of Cameroon i.e. the Anglophone Problem will
also be discussed.
Outcomes: The candidates who take this course should be able to identify the major political, economic and
social development in Cameroon after independence.
10
HIST 305: Africa in the 19th Century: Imperialism 6 Credits(40-20-00)
Objectives: The course is designed to appraise European penetration into the continent of Africa and creation
of spheres of influences culminating to the partition and occupation of Africa.
Content: The focus in this course will be on the European interests and rivalries in the continent of Africa.
The course also shows how European imperialists safeguarded their interests which were consolidated at the
Berlin West African Conference of 1884-1885. Attention is equally placed on the impact of imperialism on
African societies.
Outcomes: At the end of the course students are expected to:
a) Appreciate the bases and process of European penetration into Africa.
b) Understand the rationale for the partition of Africa by the European powers
c) Evaluate the impact of imperialism in the political, economic and social developments
HIST 311: China in the 19th And 20th Century 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The main thrust of this course is to acquaint students with knowledge on the developments of
China as an emergent economic power.
Content: The struggle for freedom in Asia notably in India, China and Japan will be highlighted. Special
emphasis will be on the techniques used and how this has contributed to making these countries come to exert
a more effective control of their destinies.
Outcomes: At the end of this course, the students should be able to appreciate the developmental skills used
by Asian nations in an emulative manner for nation building.
HIST 315: Introduction to Historiography 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives:The course seeks to provide a firm foundation on history and the history of history
(Historiography). Special attention is given to history of African history, so as to enable the students acquaint
themselves with the basic ideas of historical studies in the African context.
Content: The course introduces students to key concepts and definitions, such as the essence and types of
history, historical periodization and sources of history. It also handles the methodology of historical writing
from the ancient to the contemporary period, dealing with the philosophy and aims of history as a discipline.
Outcomes: At the end of the course, the student should be able to appreciate the:
o meaning, concepts and essence of history and historiography
o aspects of Western historiography
o origins, evolution and different genres of African Historiography
HIST 316: Africa since 1900 (Modern Africa) 6 Credits (40-20-00) Objectives: The main
objective of the course is to examine the impact of imperialism on Africa and the problems at independence.
Content: This course is devoted to the study of the reaction of the Africans European imperialism. Emphasis
is on the development of nationalism in Africa during this period and the roles played by the external influences
and nationalist movements in the decolonisation of Africa. Global problems facing African states after
independence, especially nation building will be highlighted.
Outcomes: Students will come to better understand the impact of imperialism on Africa and the problems of
the continent at impendence; more so, the measures taken to tackle these problems will be better appreciated.
HIST 317: USSR 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: This is a survey course which seeks to acquaint students with the history of USSR since 1917.
11
Content: The course will emphasize the Bolshevik Revolution, the New Economic Policy, the death of Lenin
and the emergence of Stalinist Russia and its policies, Russia’s Development plans, Russia in the Second World
War and its emergence as a World power, the Cold War and subsequent events, i.e. the collapse of the Soviet
Union and democratization in the region.
Outcomes: The course should help students appreciate the impact of the rise and collapse of the Soviet Union
on world political and economic systems. They should also be able to relate the communist ideology to the
realities of the modern world.
HIST 318: Regional Economic Development in Africa 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: To acquaint students with some of the efforts that have been made by the various regional
economic blocs in their drive towards the development of the African continent.
Content: The course examines the various regional organisations in Africa such as CEMAC, ECOWAS and
SADC. The course spotlights some of the challenges that have militated against their smooth functioning and
measures taken to address them.
Outcomes: At the end of the course, students should be able to appreciate the workings of regional economic
blocs in solving political, social and economic problems in Africa.
HIST 320: Introduction to Public History 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course seeks to provide students with two important benefits: an awareness of the tangible
and intangible historical resources available to a historian out of formal classroom setting.
Content: The course gives attention to the tangible historical evidence such as landscapes, sites, monuments,
objects, photographs, museums, manuscript collections, and folk life practices and archives. In essence, the
course will examine theories and practice of historic preservation, historic sites interpretation, material culture,
heritage conservation, archival administration, museum education and exhibition development.
Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course the students should be able to:
_ understand and articulate diverse views on the theory and practice of public history;
_ acquire professional skills in preservation of historical sites, archival materials, museum management,
cultural resources management, monument presentation and exhibition of cultural objects of intrinsic values.
HIST 322: African Systems of Thought 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The aim of the course is to acquaint students with African views on religion, society and world
view.
Content: The issues to be examined will include African religion, the search for new values, identity and
security. Also the major ideas of thinkers like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amilcar Cabral and Frantz
Fanon will be explored.
Outcomes: Students should be able to better appreciate African religions, the search for new values, identity
and security as well as the philosophical ideas of icons like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amilacar Cabral
and Frantz Fanon.
HIST 401: Europe from the French Revolution to WW II 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: A survey course which seeks to give the students an insight into the socio-economic and political
history of Europe since the French Revolution.
Content: The main issues to be examined include the revolutions of the mid-19th century, the unifications of
Italy and Germany, the World Wars, Nazism and Fascism, new power bases. It also examines the factors that
provoked this new dispensation, the new states that were created and the modification of the European Map.
12
Outcomes: As a survey course, students are expected to acquire an insight into the socio-economic and
political history of Europe.
HIST 403: Seminar Topics in World History 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The purpose of these Seminars in World History is to introduce students to critical research and
presentation of facts in a logical and critical order. In such studies, students learn how to present opinions and
defend their positions in an atmosphere of criticism; this art is not easy but absolutely necessary for a truly
educated person. The themes for study will be selected from World History from the Earliest Times to the
present.
Content: The themes for study will be selected from World History from the earliest times to the present and
will cover major topics and areas not given detailed treatment in the regular lecture courses. Such studies will
widen the students’ outlook in world affairs, past and present.
Outcomes: This course should offer students preliminary skills in carrying out research and reporting their
research findings.
HIST 407: Middle East since the 20th Century 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The study of the Middle East Since 1900 emphasizes increased European interest in that area
which resulted in imperialism, colonial nationalism and neocolonialism.
Content: A study of the Middle East in the 20th Century that emphasizes the changes in the economic activities
of the countries of the region from the period of colonial rule to independence. The cultural and political
activities of the people will also be a subject of discussion. Political issues include the Zionist Movement, the
Arab-Israeli conflicts and intra-Arab disagreements. The international significance of the area and the role of
oil in geopolitics of the Middle East will also be examined. Above all, the Cold War and post-Cold War politics
as it affected the Middle East are also given serious attention.
Outcomes: At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
a) Demonstrate an understanding of the basis of the crisis in the Middle East
b) Appreciate Western exploitation of the region through divide and rule by appreciating low Western influence
has either mitigated or accentuated the crisis.
HIST 413: Pre-Columbian America 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course acquaints students with the civilizations and cultures of Latin America with an
emphasis on Pre-Columbian civilizations that existed before the arrival of the Spaniards, including the Olmec,
Maya, Toltec and Aztec civilizations. The destruction of the Pre-Columbian civilizations by the Conquistadors
will also be analyzed.
Content: The course places attention on the epochs & major elements in the rise of civilization in Mesoamerica
- from nomadic and hunting and gathering tribes to the rise of villages, city states and, finally, empires. It
compares the Pre-Columbian civilizations way of life with that of the Spanish culture of that era and looks at
the cultural interaction between Pre-Columbians and Europeans as they clashed in war, religion, philosophy
and way of life, and the resultant amalgamation and assimilation of the two cultures.
Outcomes: At the end of the course the students should be familiar with the historical origins of the
Mesoamerican Indians and articulate an informed reaction to artistic works and examine how these differed
from European equivalents from the same era. Comprehend how a small group of Spanish soldiers managed
to conquer the most powerful city-state in Mexico.
HIST 414: Civilisations of the Eastern Mediterranean 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course is designed to introduce students to an understanding of the Hellenic (or Greek)
Civilization (ca. 1000-4th century BC); Hellenistic Civilization (4th-1st Centuries BC); Roman Civilization
(753 BC-AD 476) often referred as classical civilizations.
13
Content: Major themes and emphases are placed on: Athenian (direct) democracy, the Golden Age of Athens
(5th century BC), and Hellenic Civilization; Hellenistic Civilization as a blend of the Greek and the ancient
Near Eastern; Roman Civilization with its political genius that allowed it to conquer and rule for almost five
centuries a vast empire centered on the Mediterranean Sea; Rome as the assimilator of the classical tradition;
Rome as the cultural context in which Christianity was born, and Rome as the cultural bridge that transmitted
both classical civilization and Christianity to Europe.
Outcomes: The course should equip students with knowledge on how the two civilizations have influenced
developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the rest of the world.
HIS 415: US: Colonization and Independence 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course provides students with background knowledge of America’s path towards
independence.
Content: The course is concerned with a study of the emergence of the British colonies in America, the rise
of mercantilism, the factors which gave rise to the United States of America. It examines the problems of the
new nation – confederation, political parties. The course ends with a discussion of the problems of slavery, the
civil war and reconstruction
Outcomes: Students of this course should be able to appreciate how the United States of America evolved
from colonies to an independent nation. Students should also be able to understand how the foundations of the
modern American state were constructed.
HIST 416: Economic History of Africa 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course is aimed at tracing the factors which have been responsible for the relative economic
retardation of the African continent.
Content: The problems of Africa’s economic progress will be traced systematically from the colonial period.
This will be done within the scope of contemporary theories and scholarship on Africa and world economic
development.
Outcomes: The candidates should be able to master the African economy especially as has been shaped by
both internal and external influences.
HIST 418: Academic Writing in History 2 Credits (20-10-00) Objectives: The course is
to help students who are non-native English speakers learn the basics of academic writing and develop their
English skills for effective articulation and construction of historical narratives and analyses.
Content: This course will provide students with essential clues on academic writing that will enable them to
gain awareness and understanding of some key features of historical writing. They will develop proficiency in
certain key areas of ‘academic’ grammar and learn about the stages in essay writing. They will be taught how
to organize an essay and use academic writing style. The course will centrally give priority to the areas of
content, organization, language and the process of planning and drafting an essay.
Outcomes: By the end of the course they will be able to communicate historical results by writing good, basic
academic essays.
HIST 419: Globalization since World War II 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The course aims at developing a specific and distinct concept of globalization to offer a
multidimensional understanding of globalization, to advance questions concerning causation and
consequences, to appreciate the intricate interplay of continuity and change in globalization and to nurture a
historical perspective that situations contemporary developments in a long – term context.
14
Content: The major argument is developed in three parts. The first phase establishes a framework for analysis.
The second part examines the impact of globalization on social structures; and the last explores normative and
policy implications.
Outcomes: The course should equip students with a sound grounding on the concept of Globalisation and how
the phenomenon has impacted the world.
HIST 422: History of Political and Social Thought 6 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: This course surveys the development of nineteen and twentieth century’s political and social
thoughts. It shows how these ideas reflected and promoted change in modem society.
Content: It emphasises the ideas and social theories of selected thinkers in Africa (Cameroon included) and
other continents of the world. Great figures like Jean Jacque Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, John Locke,
Karl Marx, Adam Smith, Lionel Robins, Adams Stuart Mills, Mao Tse Tung and Gandhi would be appreciated
in the light of their ideas.
Outcomes: It should give students a critical understanding of the power of ideas in society, especially in the
development of movement for social reform and change.
HIST 498: Long Essay/Term Paper 12 Credits (40-20-00)
Objectives: The essence of a Term Paper in History at the undergraduate level is to train and test the students’
skills in investigating, collecting, analyzing and synthesizing historical information and presenting it in a
logical and objective form.
Content: Students choose research topics based on their interests. They are expected to work very closely with
their supervisors as they go about collecting data and writing up their findings. Three copies of the essay must
be submitted in typescript and bound.
Outcomes: At the end of the Term paper, the students would have received training and acquired skills in
investigating, collecting, analysing and synthesizing historical information and presenting it in a logical and
objective form.