Current Undergraduate Fall/Winter Courses

Fall/Winter Courses 2023-2024

The Department offers 100-level, 200-level, 300-level, and 400-level History (HIS) courses.

Please Note:

  • Course descriptions are not final and may be changed at or before the first class.
  • For enrolment instructions, students should consult the 2023-2024 Fall/Winter Timetable Builder.
  • Prerequisites will be enforced rigorously. Students who do not have the relevant prerequisite(s) may be removed from the course after classes begin. Specific questions regarding prerequisites for a course can be answered by the course instructor. Where there are two course instructors, an asterisk (*) indicates the Course Coordinator.

Course Timetable

Course numbers are linked to course descriptions. The courses below are listed in numerical order. The descriptions here are fuller than those in the Faculty of Arts & Science Calendar.

These lists show only those courses which will be offered in the 2023-2024 academic session. For brief descriptions of courses not offered in the current year, refer to the Arts & Science Calendar: History.

Course Nomenclature

  • H1-F = "First Term"; the first term of the Fall/Winter Session (September - December)
  • H1-S = "Second Term"; the second term of the Fall/Winter Session (January - April)
  • Y1-Y = full session (September - April)
  • Students should note that courses designated as "...Y1F" or "...Y1S" in the Timetable are particulary demanding.

Delivery Methods

  • In Person - A course is considered In Person if it requires attendance at a specific location and time for some or all course activities.**** Subject to adjustments imposed by public health requirements for physical distancing.
  • Online - Synchronous - A course is considered Online Synchronous if online attendance is expected at a specific time for some or all course activities, and attendance at a specific location is not expected for any activities or exams.
  • Asynchronous - A course is considered Asynchronous if it has no requirement for attendance at a specific time or location for any activities or exams.

100-level HIS courses are designed for students entering university. They take a broad sweep of material, and introduce students to the methods and techniques of university study. Each week, students will attend two lectures given by the course professor, and participate in one tutorial led by a teaching assistant. First year courses are not considered to be in an "area" for program requirements. All 100-series HIS courses are mutually exclusive, with the exception of AP, IB, CAPE, or GCE transfer credits.  Students may enrol in only one 100-series History course.  Students enrolled in more than one of these courses (or who have completed one of these courses or a previous HIS 100-series course with a mark of 50% or greater) will be removed at any time.  First-Year students can also enrol in 200-series HIS courses. ALL students enrolled in a History Specialist, Major, or Minor program must take ONE 100-level HIS course.

First-Year Foundation Seminars

First-Year Foundation Seminars are open only to newly-admitted, Faculty of Arts & Science students (3.5 credits or less). They are 1.0 credit or 0.5 credit courses that focus on discussion of issues, questions and controversies surrounding a particular discipline (or several disciplines) in a small-group setting that encourages the development of critical thinking, writing skills, oral presentation and research methods. FYF seminars are as rigorous and demanding as any other first-year course and require in addition the acquisition of those skills expected of successful undergraduate students. With a maximum enrolment of 30 students each, they are an ideal way to have an enjoyable and challenging small-class experience in your first year. Details can be found at the First-Year Opportunities website.

First-Year Foundation Seminars:

  • Count as 1.0 or 0.5 of the 20 credits required for an Hon. B.A., Hon B.Sc. or B. Com.
  • First-Year Foundation Seminars are not required to get into any Program of Study. However, they may count towards your Program. Please check with your college registrar for further details.
  • Can be counted towards the breadth requirement.
Course Code & Section Title Temporal Credit
(prior to 1800)
Day/Time Instructor
HIS101Y1-Y, L0101 Histories of Violence 0.5 Tuesday 4-5
Thursday 4-5
L. van Isschot/M. Meyerson
HIS102Y1-Y, L0101 Empires, Encounters and Exchanges 0.5 Tuesday 3-4
Thursday 3-4
C. Chin
HIS111H1-F, L0101 History and Social Media - Wedneday 11-1 L. Bertram
HIS112H1-S, L0101 Ten Events that Changed the World - Monday 1-2
Wednesday 1-2
A. Smith
HIS190H1-F, L5101 Freedom Schools - Thursday 5-7 C. Johnson
HIS192H1-F, L0101 A History of Queer Asia - Wednesday 1-3 Y. Wang
HIS194H1-S, L0101 Power, Resistance, and the Graphic Novel - Tuesday 11-1 M. Mishler
HIS195H1-S, L0101 Remembering & Forgetting - Monday 11-1 J. Jenkins

200-level HIS courses are surveys that introduce in broad outlines the history of a particular country, region, continent, or theme. Most are essential background for further upper-level study in the area. Students will generally attend two lectures and participate in one tutorial each week. The 200-level courses are open to first year students as well as those in higher years.

The department regularly offers a number of 299Y Research Opportunity Programs, which are open only to students in their second year. In this course, you work as a Research Assistant to a professor on a particular subject. In past years, students in 299Y courses have done oral history interviews, sought out manuscripts in provincial archives, and gathered primary source documents in the university libraries. Students in their first year should check with the Faculty Registrar in February for the list of ROPs that will be offered in the following academic year.

Course Code & Section Title Geographic Area Temporal Credit
(prior to 1800)
Day/Time Instructor
HIS200H1-F, L5101 Drunk History - - Thursday 5-7 J. Guo
HIS205H1-S, L0101 From Women's History to Gender History - - Tuesday 1-3 F. Aladejebi
HIS208Y1-Y, L0101 History of the Jewish People a 0.5 Wednesday 1-3 A. Verskin
HIS218H1-S, L0101 Environmental History - - Thursday 1-3 A. Logue
HIS220Y1-Y, L0101 The Shape of Medieval Society c 1.0 Tuesday 12-1
Thursday 12-1
I. Cochelin
HIS221H1-F, L5101 African American History to 1865 b - Tuesday 5-7 K. Grant
HIS222H1-S, L5101 African American History from 1865 to the Present b - Tuesday 5-7 C. Johnson
HIS230H1-F, L0101 Indigenous and Early Colonial Caribbean History b 0.5 Wednesday 11-1 M. Newton
HIS231H1-S, L0101 Revolution and Emancipation in the Colonial Caribbean **new course added** b - Thursday 3-5 C. Manners
HIS241H1-F, L0101 Europe in the Nineteenth Century, 1815-1914 c - Tuesday 1-2
Thursday 1-2
J. Jenkins
HIS242H1-F, L0101 Europe in the 20th Century c - Monday 3-5 A. Kasekamp
HIS243H1-F, L0101 Early Modern Europe, 1450-1648 c 0.5 Tuesday 2-3
Thursday 2-3
N. Terpstra
HIS244H1-S, L5101 Early Modern Europe, 1648-1815 c 0.5 Thursday 5-7 J. Mori
HIS245H1-F, L0101 European Colonialism, 1700- 1965 c - Thursday 9-11 E. Jennings
HIS247H1-S, L0101 The Second World War: A Global History - - Monday 13-15 T. Sayle
HIS264H1-F, L0101 Critical Issues in Canadian History b - Tuesday 3-5 S. Penfold
HIS265Y1-Y, L0101 Black Canadian History b 0.5 Wednesday 1-3 F. Aladejebi
HIS266H1-F, L0101 Asian Canadian History b - Monday 11-1 K. Song-Nichols
HIS268H1-S, L0101 Law and History - - Wednesday 11-1 A. Emon
HIS271Y1-Y, L5101 American History Since 1607 b 0.5 Monday 5-7 J. Bayer
HIS280Y1-Y, L5101 History of China a 0.5 Wednesday 5-7 C. Chung
HIS285H1-S, L0101 History of Chinese Diasporas in the Americas b - Monday 11-1 J. Guo
HIS286H1-S, L0101 Oral Histories of Asian Canadians **course cancelled** b - -- --
HIS291H1-F, L0101 Latin America: The Colonial Period b 0.5 Tuesday 11-12
Thursday 11-12
V. Mantilla Morales
HIS292H1-S, L0101 Latin America: The National Period b - Tuesday 11-12
Thursday 11-12
L. van Isschot
HIS295Y1-Y, L0101 History of Africa a 0.5 Monday 1-3 S. Hawkins

300-level HIS courses are more specialized and intensive. They deal with more closely defined periods or themes. They vary in format, with some being based around lectures, and others involving tutorial or discussion groups. Most 300-level courses have prerequisites, which are strictly enforced. First year students are not permitted to enrol in 300 or 400-level HIS courses. Although some upper level courses do not have specific pre-requisites, courses at the 300 and 400-level are demanding and require a good comprehension of history.

Course Code & Section Title Geographic Area Temporal Credit
(prior to 1800)
Day/Time Instructor
HIS300H1-F, L0101 Energy and Environment in Canadian History b - Thursday 1-3 S. Penfold
HIS301H1-S, L0101 World War II France c - Wednesday 9-11 E. Jennings
HIS302H1-S, L0101 Material Culture in Victorian Britain c - Friday 10-12 L. Loeb
HIS311H1-F, L0101 Canada in the World b - Tuesday 10-11
Thursday 10-11
J. Meehan
HIS312H1-F, L5101 Immigration to Canada b - Tuesday 5-7 K. Song-Nicholas
HIS314H1-F, L0101 Twentieth-Century Quebec b - Friday 9-11 S. Mills
HIS315H1-S, L0101 Decolonial Vietnamese Histories **course cancelled** a - -- --
HIS317H1-S, L0101 20th Century Germany c - Thursday 1-4 J. Stollenwerk
HIS318H1-S, L0101 Histories of the "Wild West" b - Wednesday 1-3 L. Bertram
HIS319H1-F, L0101 Histories of the Horn of Africa a - Thursday 11-1 S. Aidid
HIS323H1-F, L0101 Rites of Passage and Daily Life in the Middle Ages c 0.5 Thursday 3-6 I. Cochelin
HIS326H1-S, L0101 Topics in Asian Histories: Indigenous Histories of Vietnam **course cancelled** a - -- --
HIS326H1-S, L0201 Topics in Asian Histories: TBA **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS327H1-F, L0101 Rome: The City in History c 0.5 Tuesday 3-5 K. Bartlett
HIS328H1-F, L5101 Modern China a - Wednesday 5-7 Y. Wang
HIS332H1-S, L0101 Crime and Society in England, 1500-1800 c 0.5 Tuesday 3-5 J. Mori
HIS333H1-S, L5101 Catholic Asia in the Early Modern Era, 1500-1800 **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS335H1-S, L0101 Canadian Legal Histories b - Friday 1-3 C. Murdoch
HIS337H1-F, L0101 Culture, Politics and Society in 18th Century Britain c 0.5 Tuesday 1-3 J. Mori
HIS338H1-F, L0101 The Holocaust, to 1942 c - Friday 10-12 G. Wiens
HIS343H1-F, L0101 History of Modern Intelligence - - Monday 1-3 T. Sayle
HIS344H1-F, L0101 The Global Cold War - - Tuesday 3-5 V. Dimitriadis
HIS346H1-F, L0101 Rice, Sugar, and Spice in Southeast Asia: A History of Food in the Region **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS347H1-F, L0101 The Country House in England, 1837-1939 c - Friday 10-12 L. Loeb
HIS349H1-S, L0101 History of Britain: Struggle for Power c - Thursday 9-11 L. Loeb
HIS351H1-S, L0101 The Soviet Union and After c - Tuesday 5-7 F. Cowan
HIS352H1-F, L0101 A History of Women in Pre-colonial East Africa a 0.5 Thursday 1-3 N. Musisi
HIS355H1-S, L0101 History of Pre-modern Medicine c 0.5 Wednesday 11-1 N. Everett
HIS356H1-S, L5101 War in Canadian History b - Wednesday 5-7 S. Penfold
HIS359H1-S, L0101 Regional Politics and Radical Movements in the 20th Century Caribbean b - Wednesday 11-1 M. Newton
HIS361H1-S, L0101 The Holocaust, from 1942 c - Friday 10-12 G. Wiens
HIS362H1-S, L5101 Topics in Early American History: The Social Network of the Early American Press b - Thursday 5-7 J. Bayer
HIS363H1-F, L0101 Dynamics of Gender in Canadian History **course cancelled** b - -- C. Clark
HIS364H1-S, L0101 From Revolution to Revolution: Hungary Since 1848 c - Wednesday 9-11 R. Austin
HIS372H1-S, L0101 (J) Topics in U.S. History: Mass Incarceration in the United States b - Thursday 11-1 M. Mishler
HIS375H1-F, L0101 Crime and Punishment in the Early Modern World c 0.5 Monday 12-1
Wednesday 1-3
N. Terpstra
HIS377H1-S, L0101 U.S.A. in the World b - Tuesday 1-3 T. Sayle
HIS378H1-F, L0101 America in the 1960s **course cancelled** b - - M. Vallières
HIS379H1-F, L0101 Vietnam at War a - Tuesday 11-1 C. Ewing
HIS381H1-S, L0101 Youth in the Early Modern World c 0.5 Tuesday 1-3
Thursday 2-3
N. Terpstra
HIS382H1-S, L0101 China from the Mongols to the Last Emperor a 0.5 Thursday 3-5 J. Guo
HIS383Y1-Y, L0101 Women in African History **new course added** a 0.5 Monday 11-1 N. Musisi
HIS385H1-S, L0101 The History of Hong Kong **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS388H1-F, L0101 France Since 1830 c - Wednesday 1-3 E. Jennings
HIS389H1-F, L0101 Topics in History: Medieval and Early Modern Ukraine c 0.5 Monday 10-11
Wednesday 10-11
P. Magocsi
HIS389H1-F, L0201 Topics in History: The Criminalization of Protest in Latin American History b - Wednesday 11-1 J C Mezo-González
HIS389H1-F, L0301 Topics in History: History of Psychiatry and Mental Illness - - Friday 10-12 E. Shorter
HIS389H1-S, L0101 Topics in History: 19th and 20th Century Ukraine c - Tuesday 10-11
Thursday 10-11
P. Magocsi
HIS389H1-S, L0201 Topics in History: Black Germans: Histories of Diasporic Peoples and Communities, 1700s to the present **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS389H1-S, L0301 Topics in History: Democracy and Dissent in Postwar Canada b - Friday 11-1 S. Mills
HIS389H1-S, L0401 Topics in History: Maps, Guns, and Silver: China's Global Connections through Objects since 1600 **new course added** a - Monday 3-5 C. Chung
HIS390H1-S, L5101 Slavery in Latin America b - Monday 5-7 P. Peralta
HIS393H1-F, L0101 Digital History - - Friday 1-3 N. Yaari
JHA384H1-F, L5101 Japan in the World, Mid-16th to Mid-20th century a - Monday 5-7 J. Shen
JIH366H1-S, L0101 Indigenous Histories of the Great Lakes, 1815 to the present b - Tuesday 3-5 C. Clark

400-level HIS courses are two-hour seminars that deal with very specialized subjects and are often closely connected to a professor’s research. Most have specific course pre-requisites and require extensive reading, research, writing, and seminar discussion, and in most you will have the opportunity to do a major research paper. All 400-level HIS courses have enrolment restrictions during the FIRST ROUND (must have completed 14 or more full courses, be enrolled in a HIS Major or Specialist program and have the appropriate prerequisites). During the SECOND ROUND of enrolment, access to 400-level seminars is open to all 3rd and 4th year students with the appropriate prerequisite. IMPORTANT: Due to significant enrolment pressure on 4th year seminars, during the first round of enrolment, the Department of History reserves the right to REMOVE STUDENTS who enrol in more than the required number for program completion (Specialists – 1.5 FCE; Majors 0.5 FCE) without consultation.

Students in 400-level seminars MUST ATTEND THE FIRST CLASS, or contact the professor to explain their absence. Failure to do so may result in the Department withdrawing the student from the seminar in order to “free up” space for other interested students. Additional 400-level seminars for the 2023-2024 Fall/Winter Session may be added at a later date. Please check back frequently for current information.

The Department also offers a few joint undergraduate-graduate seminars. These are indicated in the course description. Undergraduate enrolment in joint seminars is restricted, and the expected level of performance is high.

Course Code & Section Title Geographic Area Temporal Credit
(prior to 1800)
Day/Time Instructor
HIS401H1-F, L0101 (J) The Cold War through its Archives - - Wednesday 1-3 T. Sayle
HIS401H1-S, L0101 The Cold War through its Archives - - Monday 3-5 V. Dimitriadis
HIS406H1-S, L0101 (J) Advanced Topics in Gender History: Trends in Women and Gender History in the Global South - - Thursday 3-5 N. Musisi
HIS417H1-F, L0101 Sex Work History in Comparative Contexts b - Friday 11-1 L. Bertram
HIS418H1-S, L0101 Themes in Canadian Environmental History b - Tuesday 1-3 S. Penfold
HIS422H1-F, L5101 (J) Early Modern English Popular Culture, 1500-1800 c 0.5 Thursday 5-7 J. Mori
HIS423H1-F, L0101 Social History of Medicine in the 19th & 20th Centuries - - Thursday 3-5 E. Shorter
HIS426H1-F, L0101 Early Medieval Italy 300-1000 CE c 0.5 Tuesday 11-1 N. Everett
HIS430H1-S, L0101 (J) The Two Germanies and the Cold War, 1949-1989 **course cancelled - Note: Prof. Jenkins intends to offer this course in the Fall of 2024** c - -- J. Jenkins
HIS435H1-S, L0101 Themes in Toronto History b - Wednesday 1-3 S. Mills
HIS437H1-F, L0101 Telling Lies About Hitler: Frauds and Famous Feuds Among German Historians c - Monday 11-1 J. Retallack
HIS443H1-S, L0101 Space and Sense in the Early Modern World c 0.5 Thursday 11-1 N. Terpstra
HIS446H1-S, L0101 (J) Gender and Slavery in the Atlantic World b 0.5 Wednesday 1-3 S. Sweeney
HIS467H1-S, L0101 French Colonial Indochina: History, Cultures, Texts, Film c 0.5 Thursday 1-3 E. Jennings
HIS468H1-F, L0101 Commemorations and Public History in Canada, 1800-2000 b - Friday 1-3 C. Morgan
HIS469H1-S, L0101 Upper Canada: Creating a Settler Society, 1790s-1860s b - Friday 1-3 C. Morgan
HIS470H1-F, L0101 History, Rights and Differences in South Asia a - Tuesday 3-5 R. Birla
HIS475H1-S, L0101 Senior Research Seminar - - Monday 1-3 H. Bohaker
HIS476H1-F, L0101 Senior Thesis Seminar - - Monday 3-5 A. Smith
HIS477H1-F, L0101 Topics in the Social and Cultural History of Victorian Britain  c - Tuesday 9-11 L. Loeb
HIS485H1-F, L0101 Topics in Chinese History: The Maritime Frontier in Late Imperial China, 1368-1912 **new course added** a - Tuesday 1-3 C. Chung
HIS485H1-S, L5101 (J) Topics in Chinese History: Historical Readings in Gender & Sexuality a - Wednesday 7-9 Y. Wang
HIS495H1-F, L0101 (J) Topics in History: Rethinking Modernity Through Japan a - Monday 1-3 T. Fujitani
HIS495H1-F, L0201 (J) Topics in History: Religion and Society in Southeast Asia **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS496H1-F, L0201 Topics in History: Race in the USA and Canada **new instructor listed** b - Thursday 9-11 C. Clark
HIS496H1-F, L0301 Topics in History: German History through the Arts & Culture **course cancelled** - - - -
HIS496H1-S, L0101 Topcis in History: Renassiance Humanisms c 0.5 Thursday 3-5 K. Bartlett
HIS497H1-S, L5101 Animal Politics and Science **new course added** - - Monday 5-7 S. Hawkins
HIS498H1-F Independent Studies - - - Staff
HIS498H1-S Independent Studies - - - Staff
HIS499Y1-Y Independent Studies - - - Staff
JIH460H1-S, L0101 (J) Indigenous Histories of North America b - Tuesday 11-1 S. Hill

Please Note: Temporal Requirement was formerly Pre-Modern Requirement. Students entering into any History Program (Specialist or Major) in 2021-2022 the new requirement is Temporal. Any student enrolled in a History Program (Specialist or Major) 2020-2021 and prior it's known as Pre-Modern.

The following History courses carry half or full Temporal requirement (prior to 1800) status, to fulfill program requirements.

Course Number Title Credit
HIS100Y1 History of the Arctic ½
HIS101Y1 Histories of Violence ½
HIS102Y1 Empires, Encounters, and Exchanges: From the Silk Road to the Present ½
HIS103Y1 Statecraft & Strategy ½
HIS106Y1 Natives, Settlers and Slaves: Colonizing the Americas, 1492-1804 1
HIS107Y1 Approaches to East Asian History ½
HIS108Y1 What is History? ½
HIS109Y1 The Development of European Civilization 1350 – 1945 ½
HIS110Y1 Connected Histories from Dakar to Jakarta ½
HIS208Y1 History of the Jewish People ½
HIS220Y1 The Shape of Medieval Society 1
HIS230H1 Indigenous and Early Colonial Caribbean History ½
HIS243H1 Early Modern Europe, 1450-1648 ½
HIS244H1 Early Modern Europe, 1648-1815 ½
HIS250Y1 History of Russia ½
HIS251Y1 History of East Central Europe ½
HIS265Y1 Black Canadian History ½
HIS271Y1 American History Since 1607 ½
HIS280Y1 History of China ½
HIS283Y1 Southeast Asian Crossroads ½
HIS291H1 The History of Colonial Latin America ½
HIS293H1 The Making of the Atlantic World ½
HIS295Y1 History of Africa ½
HIS297Y1 History of Africa from a Gender Perspective ½
HIS303H1 The Mediterranean, 600-1300: Crusade, Colonialism, Diaspora ½
HIS308H1 The Mediterranean, 1300-1700 ½
HIS309H1 The European Reformations ½
HIS320H1 Barbarian Invasions and the Fall of the Roman Empire ½
HIS321H1 Dark Age Europe, 7th-10th Centuries ½
HIS323H1 Rites of Passage and Daily Life in the Middle Ages ½
HIS327H1 Rome: The City in History ½
HIS329H1 Central Middle Ages (900-1200) ½
HIS332H1 Crime and Society in England, 1500-1800 ½
HIS333H1 Catholic Asia in the Early Modern Era, 1500-1800 ½
HIS336H1 Medieval Spain ½
HIS337H1 Culture, Politics and Society in 18th Century Britain ½
HIS352H1 A History of Women in Pre-colonial East Africa ½
HIS353Y1 The History of Poland from the 10th Century ½
HIS355H1 A History of Pre-modern Medicine ½
HIS357Y1 or Y0 A Social History of Renaissance Europe 1
HIS362H1 Topics in Early American History ½
HIS368H1 Early Modern Britain, 1485-1660 ½
JIH369H1 Great Lakes Indigenous Histories to 1830 ½
HIS373H1 Servants and Masters, 1000-1700 ½
HIS375H1 Crime and Punishment in the Early Modern World ½
HIS381H1 Youth in the Early Modern World ½
HIS382H1 China from the Mongols to the Last Emperor ½
HIS383Y1 Women in African History ½
HIS403H1 Jews and Christians in Medieval and Renaissance Europe ½
HIS414H1 Down and Out in Medieval Europe ½
HIS422H1 Early Modern English Popular Culture, 1500-1800 ½
HIS424H1 Violence in Medieval Society ½
HIS426H1 Early Medieval Italy 300-1000 CE ½
HIS427H1 History and Historiography in the Golden Legend ½
HIS428H1 Medieval Institutes of Perfection ½
HIS432H1 Topics in Medieval History ½
HIS434Y1 Kievan Rus 1
HIS443H1 Space and Sense in the Early Modern World ½
HIS446H1 Gender and Slavery in the Atlantic World ½
HIS457H1 The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire ½
HIS467H1 French Colonial Indochina: History, Cultures, Texts, Film ½
HIS492H1 Empire & Colonization in the French Atlantic World ½