Courses include:

HIST (POLS)(INTL) 2800 “Introduction to Applied History” a required class for the new certificate offering foundational understanding of theory and practice of applied history. This is a great place to learn how pursuing the Certificate in Applied History can be personally and professionally meaningful for SPIA students. (Offered every fall semester with Dr. Shermer)

Courses offered SPRING 2026:

HIST 3015 “Humanitarianism and Human Rights in U.S. History” with Dr. Steve Soper which address the history of humanitarianism and human rights in U.S. history. Topics include cases of humanitarian intervention and the impact of international law and concepts of human rights on American foreign policy. (T,TR 2:55-4:15 in LeConte 135)

HIST 4300 “Russia and the West Since 1989” with Dr. Joseph Kellner which is a hand-on course that applies the methods and principles of applied history. All coursework is geared towards a set of major in-class exercises, in which students confront the major policy decisions that have shaped the Russian state since the fall of communism. Students will leave the course well-versed in the major questions of Russian state policy since 1989, with particular attention to the role of the Western powers (especially the U.S.) and Russian views on the same. More generally, students will have a concrete grasp on how history and policy interact, and how a historical perspective on current events can inform, or misinform, major political decisions. (M,W 11:35-12:55 in LeConte 321)

POLS 4800 “Constitutional Law: Institutional Power in Historical Perspective” with Dr. Teena Wilhelm is a part of a course sequence dealing with the theory and practice of American constitutional law, this segment will deal with separation of powers and federalism. Constitutional law is considered in historical perspective, and emphasis placed on American political development over time. (T,TR 9:55-11:15 in Baldwin 301)

POLS 4820 “Voting and Elections in Time” with Dr. Steve Nicholson is a survey on voting and elections drawing on social science and historical perspectives. It is designed to introduce students to the topic of voting and elections and how they have been shaped by recurring historical circumstances over the course of American history. (T,TR 4:35-5:55 in Baldwin 301)

INTL 3800 “Introduction to Historical International Relations” with Dr. Joowon Yi is an analysis of international relations with an emphasis on historical context, exploring practices and challenges of global politics through historical case studies. Topics include power dynamics, diplomacy, conflict, cooperation, and the evolution of international norms, using insights from Thinking in Time to understand how history shapes contemporary international relations. (T,TR 9:55-11:15 in Sanford 109)

INTL 4860 “Historical Analogies and Foreign Policy Decision Making” with Dr. Jeffrey Berejikian merges historical analysis with cognitive science to examine how historical analogies influence political decisions and public opinion on foreign policy. Students research their impact and collaboratively design experiments to test how leaders use historical lessons to manipulate and mobilize public opinion on international issues (M,W 11:35-12:55 in MLC 245)

INTL 4875 “Chinese Foreign Policy in Historical Perspective” with Dr. Rongbin Han examines the evolution of China’s foreign relations and its foreign policy, with a focus on the various factors that affect Chinese foreign policy decision-making, China’s interactions with various countries and regions, as well as the rise of China and its global implications. (T,TR 9:55-11:15 in Baldwin 322)

Other course offerings in past/future semesters:

HIST 3754 “Guerrillas, Terrorists, and Insurgents” with Dr. Kevin Jones where case studies are used to teach students how policy, decision-making, and ethical considerations contributed to the success or failure of non-state actors and shaped effective and ineffective responses to the challenges of unconventional warfare.

POLS 4805 or POLS 4805H “American Electoral Development” with Dr. Jamie Carson where one explores the broad themes of American political history and development: the triumph and challenges of American political institutions, parties, the genesis of major statutes and policies, and how historical choices in the early republic influence contemporary politics.

POLS 4815 “Presidential Power: Lessons from History” with Dr. Michael Lynch where we will examine presidential politics with an emphasis on the history of presidential powers and their contemporary use.

Note: The POLS 4000-level courses also apply to the AB and BS Political Science majors as American Studies courses.

HIST (POLS)(INTL) 2800 (3 hours) is required for the certificate, along with 4 content courses (12 hours) listed here (more to come). Finally, the Certificate in Applied History culminates in a capstone internship experience for credit with a public agency partner, which is HIST (POLS)(INTL) 5800.

In future terms, Applied History courses from HIST, INTL, and POLS will be offered.