History Courses
As of February 2017.
* ARS 3 students are not allowed to bid for level 4000 coures in their 3rd year semester 1 as we would like to give priority to our ARS4 students to read the courses to fulfil their graduation requirements.
Level-1000
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-0-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
All history is contemporary history. Nowhere is this truer than in Asia, where some of the oldest human civilisations constitute the world’s newest growth regions. In this course, we engage Asia and its varied pasts to show you how a historical frame of mind is integral to the making of a well-informed world citizen. From Beijing and Bangkok to Bangalore, from ancient dynasties to Cold War domino theories, learn about how today’s Asia continues to be at the frontier of global history. While HY1101E is a pre-requisite for majors and minors, all students are welcome to take the course.
Level-2000
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course provides a broad survey of Chinese imperial history from the classical period to the eighteenth century. Apart from placing this general history within a chronological framework, it will be analysing major political events and long-term trends in the development of Chinese statecraft, economic and social institutions, philosophy and religion, literature and art, as well as relations with the outside world. The course is mounted for undergraduates throughout the university with an interest in China, especially its history, politics and culture.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course deals with major changes within China from around 1800 to 1949. Emphasis will be given to the internal political and socio-economic dynamics, foreign impact and new ideological currents during the late Qing dynasty as well as in the subsequent Chinese Republic. The broad theme of a long, continuous struggle for wealth, power and democracy will be used to comprehend this period of Chinese history. The course is mounted for students throughout the university with an interest in China, especially its history, politics, and economy.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite: Nil
Preclusion(s): HY3207
This course explores major developments in the premodern Japanese polity, economy, culture and society, from the early ages to the end of the eighteenth century. Its main themes include studies in Japanese origins and mythology, court culture and popular culture, samurai and shogunal rule, economic and social trends, intellectual and religious developments, and Japan's interaction with the outside world, notably, China, Korea, Southeast Asia and the West. The relevance of Japan's premodern heritage to present-day Japan will also be emphasized.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course deals with cultural, economic, political, intellectual and religious movements in continental Europe from an urban perspective. The objective is to enable students to appreciate essential patterns and ideas which have shaped the European cultural and historical inheritance that remain relevant today. This course is open to all students who take an interest in history, culture and questions pertaining to societal development.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
After 1815, the Industrial Revolution and mass politics changed warfare. The new pattern of Modern War that emerged led to a further and more dramatic change: war between great industrial powers for unlimited ends, using unlimited means. Why did this happen and how did it affect the course of history? This course will pursue this question, analyzing changes in the nature and pattern of warfare to identify and explore the characteristics of Total War. It will concentrate on the Second World War. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
No general war has been fought since 1945, but there has not been one year free of war since then either. That is the theme of this course: why has post 1945 warfare been limited yet chronic? By studying selected wars in their international, political and social context, this course will address that question. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course deals with the impact of Japanese rule in the Korean peninsula, of independence in 1945 followed by the "Korean War" and partition, and of the economic, political and social transformations in South Korea from the 1960's to 1990's. The approach adopted is a thematic one, and certain topics will be selected for analysis.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite: Nil
Preclusions: GEK2015
Cross-listing: GEK2015
This course explores Europe and Asia’s mutual fascination with, and appropriation of, each other’s visual and material cultures. From the Buddhist art of Central Asia to KL Petronas Towers through medieval textiles, chinoiseries, Orientalist paintings, colonial architecture, museums, modernist avant-gardes and postmodernism, the course surveys chronologically some fifteen centuries of East/West artistic interactions while introducing students to the disciplines (art and cultural history, post-colonial and cultural studies) concerned with visual culture. The course is open to students from all faculties and does not require background knowledge of art history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): EU2213
Cross-listing(s): EU2213
This course -which is offered to all students with an interest in Modern European History -will explore the significant features and impact of nationalism, imperialism and adventurism as they relate to Europe in the dramatic seventy-year period from the upheavals of the 1848 revolutions to the end of the First World War. During this period Europe became the center of a new and deadly game of power politics in which any semblance of defeat was reason enough to prepare the ground for revenge. Eventually, war took its toll on every major participant from 1914-18.
Units:: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course surveys the history of modern Japan from the late-Tokugawa period to the present. Its primary goal is to promote basic understanding of major events, while also aiming to analyze the modern history of Japan in transnational and comparative contexts through exploring a number of common themes of modern global history: nation building, colonialism, total war, and various transformations and social conflicts in the postwar period. Through such examination, the module aims at promoting critical thinking concerning diverse historical interpretations and controversies. Accordingly, students will be exposed to a broad range of historical debates and viewpoints throughout the course.
Units:: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will be a broad survey of political, diplomatic, economic, social and cultural forces that have globalised Singapore since independence in 1965. The exploration of such themes in the assigned readings by journalists, and scholars in history, sociology and international studies will expose students to a wide range of approaches and discourses. This introduction to Singapore will provide students opportunities to investigate and understand some of the common challenges faced by all newly independent nations of Southeast Asia in devising and implementing policies to cope with international and regional developments.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): GEK2008
Cross-listing(s): GEK2008
This course is designed to introduce students to major themes in Environmental History, meaning the historical study of the mutual influence of humans and the environment. After critically evaluating how the discipline of Environmental History has developed, lectures and discussions will focus on topics such as disease, agriculture, gender and modern environmental problems. Lectures will be combined with research assignments that will help students better understand how a historian approaches a topic. Students interested in history, the environment or new approaches to the past will be interested in the course.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): AS2236
Cross-listing(s): AS2236
This course examines the part of the U.S. media in shaping American society and culture beginning with the New York Journal's advocacy of the Spanish-American War of 1898 through to the role played by CNN in the 1990s. The course will review the growth of mass circulated newspapers, magazines, radio and television and examine how new media forms, such as the Internet, shape and are shaped by society. Students will learn to critical evaluate media forms and media content in a historical context. This course is well suited for students interested in the USA or media.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): AS2237, GEK2000
Cross-listing(s): AS2237, GEK2000
This course seeks to provide students with a basic grounding of American historical, and cultural developments from European colonisation to the end of the twentieth century. It will examine both the internal developments in the United States as well as its growing importance in international politics. By offering a range of social, economic, and political perspectives on the American experience, it will equip students with the knowledge for understanding and analysing the dominance of the United States in contemporary world history and culture. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in American history.
Units: 4
Workload: 4-0-0-2-4
Preclusion(s): SSA2208
Cross-listing(s): SSA2208
Singapore is a sovereign nation-state with formidable armed forces but its military situation is still very much governed by its place in the Malay world and its fluctuating strategic value to great powers. This course showcases the value of a 700-year approach to the island’s military history and examines the relative impact of its distant and recent past on its present situation. This course has no pre-requisites and is suitable for any student with an interest in Singapore’s history or military history in general.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): EU2221
Cross-listing(s): EU2221
Students will gain a basic understanding of empires in history. Individual empires will be studied to demonstrate patterns regarding the origins, development and collapse of empires. Topics will include the expansion of empires, colonization, military conquest, administration, and ideologies of empire. The humane side of imperialism will also be explored: the course will get students to try to understand the experience of subject peoples while also regarding empires as sites of cultural interaction. Finally, students will be introduced to some of the interpretative paradigms which have shaped the scholarly exploration of empires.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The course will explore the connections between sport and history. It will investigate the ways in which history (especially socio-economic and political trends) has produced sport. Emphasis will also be placed upon the ways in which sport has shaped history. This course provides an opportunity to compare societies and cultures as they are reflected in sport and competition. Topics can include pre-industrial forms of sport (in Meso-America, Classical Greece and Medieval Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan), the impact of industrialization, the emergence of modern team sports, the Olympic movement, Colonialism and Sport, Olympic politics, sport and the American civil rights movement, and sports and globalization.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-1-6
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course explores the common ground between the discipline of history and art history by considering images as historical evidence It concerns itself with both Western and Asian art in the time period from the 5th c. BC to the 20th c. The learning objectives are twofold: acquire the conceptual tools to understand the meaning of images and read visual narratives as historical texts.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course introduces Southeast Asia’s past from earliest times to the present (1st century to 21st century). It highlights how processes of interaction, circulation, and connection shaped the key characteristics and worldviews that are associated with the region today. Course content will focus on how local communities adopted and adapted influences from around the world to form a distinctive regional culture. How polities emerged via the region’s historical interaction with Indian, Chinese, Islamic, Iberian, European, Japanese, and New World civilizations will be given special attention. Today’s nation-states and regional organizations are a product of this long history of community formation.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course explores the role of technology in human history from Ancient times until today. Does technology drive history, or is it the other way around? Examining a variety of important technologies – ships, windmills, telephones, and of course wheels and the internet -the course will follow a different path through time than that commonly taken. We’ll not forget politics or society, however, because ‘technology’ turns out to be as much about people as hardware. Wars, geopolitics, and the discovery of new pleasures and anxieties are all interwoven with the history of tools and techniques. The course is open to students from any faculty.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course introduces key themes relating to global business history. It considers how business and enterprise have contributed to the making of the modern world. It looks at key economic actors, agents and institutions of historical change, their forms of organization, their strategies and culture, their relations with state and society and at how economic practices have been shaped by culture. Some of the themes covered will be: the business firm; the nineteenth century revolution in production, distribution, transport and communication; the rise of retailing; integration of mass production and distribution; managerial capitalism; multinationals; state -business relationships; and, culture and capitalism.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will look at the evolution of Christianity and its impact on Western and global history. It will trace the development of the various branches of Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) and how the conflicts among them shaped European history. It will consider the role of religion in American history. It will look at the linkages between missionary efforts and imperialism, as well as the consequences of conversion in colonial societies around the world. It will also look at how Christianity has been linked to ethnicity and nationalism in the post-colonial nation-states.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The purpose of this course is to provide a historical introduction to Islam’s core beliefs, practices, and institutions as they have developed in diverse cultural and political contexts. The course will consider a range of topics all approached historically, among them: Islam’s foundational texts, religious expressions, institutions and cultural forms, as well as the challenges posed by changing economic and social conditions for Muslim societies in the modern period. The objective is to priovide an informed appreciation of the historical development, cultural diversity, and contemporary issues facing Muslim communities across the world.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Law, Crime, and Punishment are all social concepts subject to historical change. In the case of law historical precedents are important in determining how best to apply the rule of law. By presenting a set of themes in the history of law, crime, and punishment across time and cultures this course allows students to examine processes of change in both how these concepts are understood, applied and structured. History as a practice is an investigative process and both historians and criminal investigators seek to determine what happened and why and how it happened.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will introduce students to contemporary India through a study of society and culture. Taking a thematic approach, it will examine caste and class, religion and identity, language and region and popular forms of culture. It will assess the social and cultural change that India has undergone since 1947 and the remarkable continuity of its social institutions. Factors and processes that have held India together despite its diversity and cultural heterogeneity will be highlighted. This course is open to all students, interested in understanding the nature of socio-cultural change in one of the world’s oldest civilizations and largest democracies.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-0-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Co-requisite(s): Must be HY majors and have completed at least 40 units of which at least 16 units in HY, including HY1101E. For EU majors, must have completed at least 40 units of which at least 16 units in EU/LA [French/German/Spanish]/recognized modules, including EU1101E and HY1101E.
Preclusion(s): YHU2217 and YHU3276
This course offers a systematic introduction to the fields and methods of historical research. It combines weekly lectures on the basic types of historical scholarship with tutorials containing a seminar-style lab component that train students in the core skills of research, reading and writing. Tutorial and lab sessions will consist of a series of specially designed hands-on assignments, intensive discussion and close supervision. By the end of the module, students will be able to effectively read historical scholarship and sources, and to conceptualize, research, and complete a simple history project on their own.
Units: 4
Workload: 4-0-0-4-2
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course examines the ways popular culture shapes understandings of history on two different levels. First, it examines how the popular culture of a specific era can reveal much of the social milieu of the time and help contextualise events of that period. Second, it will examine how popular culture, such as a film, created at a later time can influence perceptions about an earlier era. This course will examine instances and eras of popular culture to discuss the challenges of deriving historical knowledge from popular culture. Each iteration of the module may vary in its focus.
Units:: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course provides a brief introduction to the modern Middle East from 1699 to the present. It covers events and trends that shaped and ended the Ottoman Empire, the rise of European imperialism, processes of social change and state-building, creation of “new orders,” (constitutional republics, Islamic regimes or authoritarian states), the Cold War, and relations between state and society during times of local, regional, and global change. To that end, we will read a wide array of writings, including standard textbooks, academic articles, official documents, memoires, and novels.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Preclusions(s): Students from Cohort 2017 and before who have read HY2245 or EU2221. YHU2314.
Pre-requisite(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The Roman empire was one of the longest-lasting in global history. Its enduring impact can be seen, heard and felt today, from language and architecture to film and video. This course will examine Rome’s rise and fall, and ask how it successfully ruled over so many peoples for so long, in comparison with other world empires. We will consider who made up empire: emperors, ‘barbarians’, slaves and ordinary people. We will also uncover the background to early Christianity, Roman legacies inherited through European colonialism, and the numerous references to Rome in both high and popular culture today.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Ancient Greece, from Homer to Alexander the Great, has left an enduring legacy. Its myths, art, philosophy and ideas remain with us today. This course traces the historical, scientific and cultural roots of the modern West. Discover the origins of democracy at Athens; Sparta and the Persian wars; and slaves, ‘barbarians’ and the Other in Western thought. We will explore Greek elements in popular culture today, such as heroes, gods and goddesses. We will also learn how to read and analyse ancient art and literature, and how to construct persuasive historical arguments
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Crosslisting(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): EU1101E
This course offers an overview of the major events, actors, and developments that have shaped the course and character of Europe since the French Revolution. From the rise of nationalism, industrialization, and imperialism that paved the way for World War I, this course sketches out the making and remaking of Europe during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This course is designed for all students interested in acquiring an understanding of modern Europe.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Crosslisting(s): Nil
Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world. This course explores the birth and evolution of Buddhism and its impact on Asian and world history. It will consider sources drawn from various Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana), from ancient times to the present day. Through an examination of the spread and development of Buddhism in Asia and the West, the course will address a range of topics, such as the relationship between Buddhist institutions and the state; local traditions and popular practices; travel and trading networks; imperialism and nationalism; and globalization and modernism.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEH1078
Across time and space people have been fascinated with legends of heroes, particularly those that enshrine the essential values of human culture of a given society. This course, adopting a comparative approach, introduces salient features of Chinese culture—norms like filial piety, loyalty, patriotism, and great unity—through a dozen selected hero and hero-making stories across time within China. In examining these stories, this module also analyzes key themes of identity, sexuality, and ethnicity that have configured distinctive characteristics of Chinese heroes.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Is love universal? How have concepts and expressions of love changed over time? What does a history of love tell us about politics, social norms, cultural artefacts, religious practices and gender relations in any society? Using historiographical tools from the history of the emotions, we will examine different kinds of love in diverse regions across the centuries: family, platonic, courtly, divine, romantic and erotic love; lovesickness, unrequited and forbidden love. Drawing from ars erotica, courtly romances, talismans, spells, romantic poetry and love letters, this course is intended to encourage students to think widely about cultural specificities and universal emotions.
Level-3000
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The upheavals that took place in Indonesia during the 1940s, the 1960s and the 1990s have deep historical roots, and are linked to social and religious divisions within the country. The course examines the historical background to changes that have taken place in Indonesia over the past 50 years, considering topics such as Islam and politics, the role of the army, and separatist activity in the Outer Islands. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Situated between India and China, Southeast Asia in historical times became an important economic and geostrategic nexus in the context of the international trade that stretched from Europe to China and the big power rivalry that accompanied it. As its significance grew, internal conditions within Southeast Asia adjusted to accommodate increased external contacts while the rival powers, including those from the periphery and from without the region, increasingly saw Southeast Asia as an element in the global power game. This course will examine the structure of Southeast Asia's history within this global context, relating the nature and sequence of its history to developments in the wider international milieu.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
That the Second World War impacted Southeast Asia is beyond doubt. But the significance of its impact on the structure of the region's 'contemporary' history is more debatable, for revisionist historians are wont to discount the thesis that the War represented a significant turning point or watershed which 'transformed' the region's history. Drawing on both country and regional perspectives, this course first assesses the impact of the War on the theme of decolonization, perhaps the one major historically significant process to dominate the region's political terrain in the immediate post-war aftermath. It will further examine the challenges and trials confronting the new states "after" decolonization, in particular, their search not only for new political frameworks to replace the colonial structures they had discarded, but also for solutions to mitigate the issues of social integration, inter-state conflict and regional co-operation.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course deals with the economic and social change in China from the Late Ming to the end of the Qing. It examines aspects such as state and society, population growth, agricultural development, commercialization, foreign impact and the dynamics of social change. It also seeks to explain China’s retarded modern development. The course is mounted for students throughout the university with an interest in China.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course examines the development of international relations in East Asia from the Opium War to the Korean War. It not only discusses major international events, such as conflicts, treaties, and alliances, but also examines the interplay between domestic and foreign affairs, the spread of political ideologies, and the rise of nationalism and racial/ethnic identities.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): EU3230
Cross-listing(s): EU3230
This course will trace the historical development of the major Western and Central European Powers from the late 1930s up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the reunification of Germany in October 1990. Apart from the international challenges posed by the Second World War and the subsequent Cold War, the European states were also beset by numerous acute domestic crises that required remedial treatment by their governments. Some received it and prospered, others did not and languished.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
From Sun Tzu through theorists of nuclear warfare, military strategists have tried to define the theory and principles of war. For good or bad, that work has affected the conduct of war. Using the writings of selected strategic thinkers, this course studies the evolution of strategic thought and its impact on the practice of war.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will focus on the colonial period in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In addition to the political, social, and economic effects of colonial rule in each of these countries, attention will be given to the evolution of 'Indochina' as an entity created by the French and to its impact on relations among the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao peoples. These issues will be examined in the context of pre-colonial history and as a backdrop to the destructive warfare, that followed independence.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will introduce Asian, European, and American material from the late nineteenth century to nearly the present day, concentrating on social and cultural themes such as industrialization, colonialism, science and race, technology and war, computers and global telecommunications and biotechnology and the human genome project. It will be taught as a series of cases illustrating important events and multiple themes. The proposition that modern science and technology have been 'socially constructed', reflecting political and cultural values as well as the state of nature, will be examined rather closely. Some theoretical material will leaven our otherwise empirical focus.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course is to be conducted in lecture-cum-seminar format. It examines the development of China’s maritime sector with emphasis on the period from the sixteenth century onwards. Maritime China will be viewed from a broader interregional and global perspective. Some major themes include China’s maritime sector, long contacts and interactions with the maritime world, the late imperial political economy, Chinese emigration in modern times and overseas communities. The course is mounted for undergraduates throughout the university with an interest in China, especially its maritime connections.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
With the creation of colonial states in Southeast Asia, certain peoples in the region became minorities owing to their languages, religious beliefs or customary practices. Examples include the Shan and Karen in Myanmar, Muslim minorities in Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, the people of the Mountain Province in the Philippines, Christian communities in Indonesia, the hill peoples of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, and animist groups in Borneo and the Eastern archipelago. Colonial administrations often made special provisions for these minorities, but with independence the dominant ideology across the region called for a single national identity within each nation-state. This course examines the position of minorities under colonial and post-colonial governments. It surveys the minorities of the region, and develops case studies dealing with selected groups. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course invites the student to reflect critically on the ways the past is established, experienced and represented in the present. The objective is to foster an appreciation of history as a dynamic undertaking in which not only academics but societies as a whole participate. The course is comprised of a theoretical core and changing case studies that touch on media representations, museology and conservation, historiography and the philosophy of history. CA projects afford students the opportunity to experience first-hand how history, far from being confined to libraries and archives, is part of daily life. While the module targets primarily History majors, its cultivation of critical skills in the analysis of written and visual texts is relevant to students from all faculties.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): EU3212, YHU2307
Cross-listing(s): EU3212
Europe was plagued by wars, revolution and totalitarian dictatorship between 1919 and 1945. It witnessed the rise of Bolshevism and of various Fascist regimes, revealed the economic and political weakness of the Western democracies and the failure of the League of Nations. This course will focus on the rise of three dictators of this period: Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler. All students are welcome, but those coming with a background in Political Science and even Sociology may find this course builds on existing knowledge and concepts.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This module studies the growth and expansion of Vietnam over the centuries to look at how this history has affected its culture and development. Particular attention is given to how the Vietnamese tell the story of their own past and how they perceive their history as a nation. The module is intended for students with a particular interest in Vietnam and for others who would like to do an in-depth study of a single country; it raises issues about nationhood and historical narrative which are applicable to many other cases.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): AS3230, HY3240, AS3240
Cross-listing(s): AS3230
This course examines the place of business and technology in American culture. Beginning with the transformation of the American economy during the Civil War (1861-1865) students will examine changes in manufacturing systems, the development of corporations and big businesses, the growth of the national and international markets, the invention and marketing of new products, brand names, and advertising. The module asks students to evaluate the place of business in shaping American values and culture and whether companies such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft are typical or untypical of U.S. values. For students interested in the USA, business, and society.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course focuses on the histories of the Malays who have populated the Straits of Melaka and the South China Sea. Discussions and lectures do not focus on chronology or a simple narration of “facts,” but upon a critical examination of questions such as “who is Malay?” and “what is the Malay World?”, allowing for a better understanding of the key social, cultural, political, and economic practices and institutions that have shaped the Malay experience. The course will be of interest to any student who wants to know more about Malays and the societies in and around Singapore.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): HY2228, SN3262, SN2261
Cross-listing(s): SN3262
This course is concerned with the political evolution of the Indian nation in two of its most formative periods: the late nationalist struggle from 1920-47 that led to the withdrawal of the colonial power; and the years of Jawaharlal Nehru's prime ministership, 1947-64. The course looks at both decolonisation and nation-building as processes characterised by debate and contestation in relation to (a) social, regional and group identity and (b) political rights and power. The course will study the impact of that debate and contestation on the character, institutions and political life of the nation.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This module provides a thorough survey of the history of Thailand. Material covered in the course is divided between developments in earlier centuries and those of the modern period, with a balance between political and cultural history. Particular attention is given to the different ways in which Thai history can be narrated. The module is intended for students with a particular interest in Thailand and for others who would like to do an in-depth study of a single country.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): AS3238, PS3212B, PS3242
Cross-listing(s): AS3238
This course will focus on the political evolution of the US. The pre-eminence of the US in world affairs suggests that knowledge of the evolution of American society and its culture is crucial to understanding American motivations and actions. In tracing how Americans have, from 1776, resolved issues and debates regarding the role of the federal government, racial and economic justice, gender roles, and political participation, budget and resource allocation and environmental concerns, students will gain insight into the historical processes which have shaped the US. By the end of the semester, students would have the necessary perspectives and contexts to assess and interpret. American cultural, social and economic developments, as well as the continuing dialogue that Americans have about the nature of their society and democracy. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in American history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): AS3239
Cross-listing(s): AS3239
This course will focus on the role of the US in the Asia-Pacific region from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. The evolution of political, military and economic ties between the America and three sub-regions of Asia will be explored. The nature of US involvement in the conflicts of the East Asian nations of Japan, China and Korea will form the first part of the module. The involvement of America in the decolonization and nation-building of the Southeast Asian nations will also be examined. Finally, the American influence in the sectarian and power differences in the South Asian nations of India and Pakistan will be addressed. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in American history.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Any level 1000 or 2000 History module or equivalent
Preclusion(s): AS3240, HY3230, AS3230
Cross-listing(s): AS3240
In 1901 only 14% of American homes had a bath and 8% a telephone. The country however was undergoing a process of economic, social, and cultural modernity that laid the basis for it emerging as the pre-eminent power in the world by 1945. This module examines the transformation of America from 1880. Students will study the processes of modernity in America both as economic modernisation and cultural modernism. The module asks students to evaluate the relationship between various aspects of American modernity. The course is for students interested in the culture and society of the USA.
(Teaching Dept: South Asian Studies Programme)
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion(s): EU3231
Cross-listing(s): EU3231
The course relates the study of modern European imperialism to some topics outside of Europe. It examines a dimension of modern imperialism. Themes will include the economic basis of imperialism, the interaction of cultures (within imperial networks), the migrations of peoples, missionary movements, the management of religion, and motives and means of imperial control. Normally one geographical area of imperial experience will be explored in depth.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-2-3-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course examines the history of relations between China and Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on the modern period. We will explore in weekly seminars the various dimensions and dynamics of China-Southeast Asian relations, including the evolution of regional state structures, tributary relations, maritime trade, migration, the impact of Western colonialism, nationalism and communism, the Cold War, and the rise of China in recent times. Though a basic knowledge of Chinese and Southeast Asian history will be helpful, the course is open to all undergraduate students who are interested in the topic.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Gender is a primary way of signifying relationships of power. This module adopts a historical perspective on the ways in which gender has provided for articulating and naturalising differences. After an introduction to the development of gender as an analytical concept in history, the module proceeds to provide a grounded exploration of the imbrication of gender and m odernity. With colonialism as the starting point, the issues of gendered discourses and practices as well as the materiality of the body and of the global structures in which they are enmeshed will be studied.
Units:: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will examine the history of Muslim states and cultures across Southeast Asia. The goal of this course is to provide students with contextualized understandings of more recent developments, as well as to facilitate comparative reflections on the trajectories of other cultural and political traditions in the region. Major topics to be covered include the spread of Islam, the development of vernacular Muslim cultures, the rise of regional sultanates, the impact of colonialism, and issues related to the expression and manipulation of religion in the modern nation-states of Southeast Asia.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course explores the history of Myanmar (Burma). Organized chronologically from the emergence of the earliest polities to the present, students will examine the formation and interaction of communities, ideological worldviews, ethnic identities, and material cultures that have characterized the societies that evolved along the Irrawaddy River basin and beyond. Course content will consider the particulars of Myanmar's history (early state-formation and the historical development of Burmese “identity”) within regional/global processes and themes. Fundamentally, this module addresses why contemporary Myanmar is perceived to be so different from its regional neighbours despite sharing many historical and cultural experiences.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The People's Republic of China was established in 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party, first led by Mao Zedong and later by Deng Xiaoping and his successors. The development path from its founding to the Tiananmen incident of 1989 was turbulent and far from linear. Indeed, the new China has been premised upon revolutionary remaking and a total break from the past. Nonetheless, there are still historical continuities when compared with the previous imperial and republican eras. This course aims to provide a deeper understanding of contemporary China by looking at its politics, society, economy and culture in broad historical perspective and within a thematic framework. It also explores China's distancing and connecting with the rest of the world.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course is aimed at students who wish to deepen their understanding of Singapore history through an examination of different representations of history: (a) academic scholarship, (b) social memory and oral history, (c) heritage. Each section will incorporate fundamental concepts and debates behind the production of history, together will the application of these ideas to specific Singapore case studies. At the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyse Singapore history as a whole in terms of historiography and heritage studies, whilst gaining familiarity with the treatment of key issues in Singapore's past.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course studies the historical roots of India's economic backwardness, stagnation and development as well as its recent emergence as a global economic player. Divided into three segments, it examines the Indian economy: a) during colonial rule, b) under the ‘developmental state', and finally c) in the post liberalization period. The topics covered include: India's role in 19th century world economy, growth of urban centres, rise of industrial capitalism, emergence of working class, nature of post-independence development planning and the rising ‘consuming classes'. The complex relations between politics and economy and linkages between socio-cultural factors and economic developments are discussed.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course examines “tropical” medicine as a study of the creation and development of a scientific subfield in the three related contexts of colonialism, high imperialism, and the post-colonial setting. The course will survey medicine, disease, and epidemics in the context of British, American and Japanese medicine, spanning the 18th to 20th centuries, and culminating with a look at present-day Asia and the place of biomedicine within the nation-state. The course covers the transformation of a scientific field from a colonial body of knowledge to a form of practice embraced and utilized by post-colonial states in the course of nation-building.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
When did multi-ethnic China become a nation? Why did island Japan become an empire? From 1800 to the present day, the two main East Asian powers have shifted back and f orth between the ideas and institutions of empires and nation-states. These changes shaped policies towards ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, and diplomatic relations with neighbouring states. This course also integrates current debates on statecraft and imperialism to show the ideas behind important historical turning points remain relevant today. Background in Asian history or International Relations is strongly recommended.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
No one can say that the Cold War has ended yet in East Asia. But rather a number of the contemporary intra-regional tensions in East Asia stem from the Cold War era; from the tensions over the Taiwan Straits, to the temporary cease-fire status between North and South Korea, to the constitutional controversy in Japan. With a special emphasis on the international dimension, this course explores how the Cold War confrontation (1945-present) has unfolded in the historical context of East Asia over the past decades.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
‘Brides of the Sea', ‘Gateways to Asia' and ‘the transformers of Asia' are some of the ways scholars have described Asian port cities. Through case studies, this module explores the port city and the ‘maritime world' in Asia. Students are introduced to the history of China's maritime world with a focus on the challenges it faced through encroachment by Western imperial powers. This module also examines Asia's colonial port cities, including Calcutta and Singapore, as sites of Western influence and modernization and also as sites of local resistance and transformation. This course is suitable for all students of NUS.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will explore the Philippines' almost 500 years of social and cultural history—from its early association with India, China and Southeast Asia, to its incorporation into the Spanish and American empires, to its tumultuous road towards independence and democratization. Students will consider Filipino religiosity and worldview, and analyze their ramifications in society. Popular images of the Philippines – homeland of international labor and site of natural hazards and spectacle of poverty – will be investigated. Students will take Philippine history as an exemplar towards a better understanding of the postcolonial condition that numerous nations experience.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course is about the history of the Cold War in the global south in the second half of the twentieth century. While the Soviet-U.S. rivalry and the European Cold War did not escalate into large-scale conflict, developments elsewhere were marked by significant violence and destruction. This course seeks to reconcile, if that is possible, the perception of the history of the Cold War as a “long peace” with the turbulent lived experiences of peoples in the global south. Which, and whose, Cold War best defines the history of the twentieth century?
Units:: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Having achieved modernization and economic development in a remarkably short span of time, Korea demonstrates many unique features within socio-cultural processes and issues that are common to newly industrialized countries (NICs). This course deals with issues in the cultural and social history of Korea in the second half of the 20th century. Topics covered may include the development of popular and consumer culture, national identity, family and gender, education and employment, and religious and political life of Koreans in the period since 1945.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course surveys the major patterns and themes of Chinese migrations since 1400. From merchants under the tributary trade system, to indentured and free labour in the industrialising age, as well as the making of new citizens in multi-culturalist nation-states, students will examine the social experience of long-distance migration through regional and global processes of political-economic change. In addition to academic texts, students will read official documents, family letters, memoirs, and novels to address enduring questions in the history of human migration – why do people leave their homes, and what remains when they adapt to their lands of adoption?
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course surveys the history and philosophy underpinning science, technology and society. In part 1 we will examine the history of the Scientific Revolution and its historiographical significance. With this context in mind, part 2 shifts focus to the impact of science and technology on modern societies, keeping in mind the broader historical circumstances that have shaped these forces. Students will encounter historical and contemporary case studies from regions including Europe, the United States and Asia. Themes and topics will allow for an enhanced understanding of the intersections that science and technology have with race, gender, imperialism and the environment.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Preclusion: HY2234
From its origins in India, Buddhism has expanded across the world and taken deep root in diverse societies across Asia over the past two thousand years. This course traces the development of both Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Major topics to be covered include the spread of Buddhism, the rise of Buddhist kingdoms, the development of popular traditions, the impact of European colonialism, the relationship between Buddhism and nationalism, the emergence of modern reformist movements, and Buddhist minorities in maritime Southeast Asia.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course will study political ideologies that served to legitimize colonial control in South Asia as well as the struggles against them. Through a series of case studies that focus on a range of issues, students will gain a better understanding of how imperialist discourses categorized and hierarchized communities on the basis of conceptions of religion, masculinity, supposed propensity to violence and hyper-sexuality. Students will also engage with revolutionary ideologies developed by anti-colonial figures and their differing approaches towards shaping national regeneration. The module will highlight and discuss the legacy of these contestations and debates in contemporary South Asia.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
The five senses may seem like simple biological facts, but they are actually culturally constructed in specific historical contexts. Focusing on a range of cultures, we will examine the role of the senses in perception, intelligence and the functioning of the body, the mind and the soul. How could the use of a particular sense elevate or discredit one’s reputation? How was life ordered according to the senses? Drawing on a range of philosophical, scientific, literary, political and folkloric artefacts, we will consider how a history of the senses can illuminate topics as diverse as statecraft, religion, science, medicine, relationships.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-3-3-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This class will introduce students to the process of conducting research on historical topics. They will discuss and critique examples of publishable research, and then work independently to develop their own topics and interests. In the process students will explore different methods and approaches of historical inquiry, learn how to identify, access, and use records in the archives and in digital humanities, and produce research on their own.
Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
This course offers an inter-disciplinary approach to the study of history. It enables students to engage in the study of history by interacting with the methods and genres of other disciplines in the humanities, notably literature and philosophy.
Level-4000
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4205HM, EU4224 and EU4224HM
Cross-listing(s): EU4224
This course is open to all Honours students and no previous background in either early modern or European history is required. The objective of this document-based, seminar-style course is to sharpen student's thinking skills and sense of conceptual evolution. Key concepts, such as "sovereignty" and the "just war" that remain pertinent until today will stand at the forefront of our investigations.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4205, EU4224 and EU4224HM
Cross-listing(s): EU4224HM
This course is open to all Honours students and no previous background in either early modern or European history is required. The objective of this document-based, seminar-style course is to sharpen student's thinking skills and sense of conceptual evolution. Key concepts, such as "sovereignty" and the "just war" that remain pertinent until today will stand at the forefront of our investigations.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC.
Preclusion(s): HH4207HM
Every year this course explores a different dimension of modern military history. The general theme is the nature of warfare in the 20th century with particular reference to Asia. This course is designed for students majoring in History.
Units:: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4207
Every year this course explores a different dimension of modern military history. The general theme is the nature of warfare in the 20th century with particular reference to Asia. This course is designed for students majoring in History.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units including 28 units in HY or 28 units in PS.
Preclusion(s): HY4209HM, EU4226 and EU4226HM
Cross-listing(s): EU4226
The course will explore in depth, in seminar format, problems in a selected area or aspect of modern imperialism. It will examine in closer focus a particular empire (British, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and American) with particular reference to Asia and to Asian interaction with Europe and America. Common themes will include subaltern history, economic development, challenges to imperial control, and explanation and arguments about imperial decline.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units including 28 units in HY or 28 units or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language modules, in PS with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units including 28 units in HY or 28 units in PS with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4209, EU4226 and EU4226HM
Cross-listing(s): EU4226HM
The course will explore in depth, in seminar format, problems in a selected area or aspect of modern imperialism. It will examine in closer focus a particular empire (British, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and American) with particular reference to Asia and to Asian interaction with Europe and America. Common themes will include subaltern history, economic development, challenges to imperial control, and explanation and arguments about imperial decline.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in MS.
Preclusion(s): HY4210HM
This course will examine the continuity and change in Malaysian political, economic and society history by focusing on salient themes. Included in these themes will be the evolution of the traditional Malay states and society, internationalism and nationhood, social change within the various communities, the modernization of the Malaysian economy and the interplay of complex historical forces in colonial and independent Malaysia.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in MS, or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in MS, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4210
This course will examine the continuity and change in Malaysian political, economic and society history by focusing on salient themes. Included in these themes will be the evolution of the traditional Malay states and society, internationalism and nationhood, social change within the various communities, the modernization of the Malaysian economy and the interplay of complex historical forces in colonial and independent Malaysia.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC.
Preclusion(s): HY42111HM
This course will allow students to explore in detail a major theme in Environmental History, meaning the historical study of the mutual influence of humans and the environment. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach, it will introduce students to many of the basic issues in the discipline, and require research in both the field and library on a specific topic, thus enhancing their research and writing skills.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC, or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4211
This course will allow students to explore in detail a major theme in Environmental History, meaning the historical study of the mutual influence of humans and the environment. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach, it will introduce students to many of the basic issues in the discipline, and require research in both the field and library on a specific topic, thus enhancing their research and writing skills.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4212HM, EU4214 and EU4214HM
Cross-listing(s): EU4214
This course will explore and introduce different themes in Modern European History such as political changes, political leadership, diplomacy and interstate relations.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): EU4214, EU4214HM and HY4212
Cross-listing(s): EU4214HM
This course will explore and introduce different themes in Modern European History such as political changes, political leadership, diplomacy and interstate relations.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4214HM
This course seeks to appreciate the complexities of China within its general development. It surveys theories and concepts that help analyze Chinese history, familiarizes students with past and current scholarships on China, considers debates about the nature of China’s historical developments, and discusses selected issues. The course is mounted for students at the senior levels with an interest in China.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4214
This course seeks to appreciate the complexities of China within its general development. It surveys theories and concepts that help analyze Chinese history, familiarizes students with past and current scholarships on China, considers debates about the nature of China’s historical developments, and discusses selected issues. The course is mounted for students at the senior levels with an interest in China.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SE.
Preclusion(s): HY4215HM
This course focuses on early Southeast Asian history. It examines and compares various types of political structures, including the fundamental concept of a “ kingdom” or empire in a Southeast Asian context to raise questions about how this early history has traditionally been analyzed. Cultural history, especially the role of religion, is an important component. The course is intended for Honours students interested in exploring and rethinking the earlier centuries of the region’s history.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SE, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4215
This course focuses on early Southeast Asian history. It examines and compares various types of political structures, including the fundamental concept of a “ kingdom” or empire in a Southeast Asian context to raise questions about how this early history has traditionally been analyzed. Cultural history, especially the role of religion, is an important component. The course is intended for Honours students interested in exploring and rethinking the earlier centuries of the region’s history.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SE.
Preclusion(s): HY4216HM
During this course we will examine how the past in Southeast Asia has been recorded and presented and how the “literature” of these works influences our views of the region’s history. In the first section of the course we will focus on how history was presented prior to the modern period in the region. The second section of the course will focus on depictions of Southeast Asian culture changed over time in the “literature”, and how this may provide new understandings of the region. The course is targeted at students that are interested in Southeast Asian history, culture and literature.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SE, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4216
During this course we will examine how the past in Southeast Asia has been recorded and presented and how the “literature” of these works influences our views of the region’s history. In the first section of the course we will focus on how history was presented prior to the modern period in the region. The second section of the course will focus on depictions of Southeast Asian culture changed over time in the “literature”, and how this may provide new understandings of the region. The course is targeted at students that are interested in Southeast Asian history, culture and literature.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SE or 28 units in MS.
Preclusion(s): HY4217HM
This course surveys the various approaches that were developed to study and conceptualise Southeast Asian history. It seeks to equip students with an awareness of the analytical frameworks within which history research on the region had been written up. In the process, the course will evaluate the validity of the different approaches. For illustration, samples from secondary literature and, where applicable, primary texts will be used.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SE or 28 units in MS, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4217
This course surveys the various approaches that were developed to study and conceptualise Southeast Asian history. It seeks to equip students with an awareness of the analytical frameworks within which history research on the region had been written up. In the process, the course will evaluate the validity of the different approaches. For illustration, samples from secondary literature and, where applicable, primary texts will be used.
(Teaching Dept: Department of Japanese Studies)
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): JS4213HM and HY4218HM
Cross-listing(s): JS4213HM and HY4218HM
This course traces the historical development of Japan from the mid 19th century to the present. It focuses on close reading and discussion of important English-language works with particular emphasis on historical and theoretical controversies in the field. Students will be encouraged to think about both the modern history of Japan as well as the historians who have claimed to reconstruct and narrate it. The course is aimed at students interested in the intersection between Japanese history, the practice of historiography, and the application of theoretical models to the past.
(Teaching Dept: Department of Japanese Studies)
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): JS4213
Cross-listing(s): JS4213
This course traces the historical development of Japan from the mid 19th century to the present. It focuses on close reading and discussion of important English-language works with particular emphasis on historical and theoretical controversies in the field. Students will be encouraged to think about both the modern history of Japan as well as the historians who have claimed to reconstruct and narrate it. The course is aimed at students interested in the intersection between Japanese history, the practice of historiography, and the application of theoretical models to the past.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SN.
Preclusion(s): HY4222HM
This seminar course examines the development of Asian businesses. Selected themes such as organizations, entrepreneurship and networks will be discussed. It may focus either on one country like Singapore, or regions in Asia in comparative studies.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SN or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC or 28 units in SN, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4222
This seminar course examines the development of Asian businesses. Selected themes such as organizations, entrepreneurship and networks will be discussed. It may focus either on one country like Singapore, or regions in Asia in comparative studies.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4223HM
The history of the Chinese demonstrates cases of total integration into the host society, of long-term coexistence and competition with it, and of a variety of options in between. It has produced a wondrous array of acculturative, adaptive, and assimilative phenomena. Chinese have been pulled towards different identities at various times, as Chinese sojourners abroad, as Westernized colonial subjects, as loyal citizens of their adopted countries, as revolutionary communists or modern multinational capitalists. This course will investigate the history of Chinese emigration through a comparative approach to its diaspora in diverse locals such as East and Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australasia. A case study approach will be adopted in this module. The course is mounted for students at the senior levels with an interest in China and the Chinese overseas.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4223
The history of the Chinese demonstrates cases of total integration into the host society, of long-term coexistence and competition with it, and of a variety of options in between. It has produced a wondrous array of acculturative, adaptive, and assimilative phenomena. Chinese have been pulled towards different identities at various times, as Chinese sojourners abroad, as Westernized colonial subjects, as loyal citizens of their adopted countries, as revolutionary communists or modern multinational capitalists. This course will investigate the history of Chinese emigration through a comparative approach to its diaspora in diverse locals such as East and Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australasia. A case study approach will be adopted in this module. The course is mounted for students at the senior levels with an interest in China and the Chinese overseas.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-0-7
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC, or 28 units in PS.
Preclusion(s): HY4225HM
Beyond international circumstances, domestic politics and personalities, a vital key to understanding the complexities of United States’ foreign policy is through its ideological dimensions. This course will enable students to explore these ideological threads through both seminal documents and scholarly discourses. The course will be taught through both lectures and student presentations. Students will read, present and write on important documents such as John Winthrop’s City upon a H ill, George Washington’s Farewell Address, the Monroe Doctrine, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and George Kennan’s containment policy.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC, or 28 units in PS, or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in SC, or 28 units in PS, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4225
Beyond international circumstances, domestic politics and personalities, a vital key to understanding the complexities of United States’ foreign policy is through its ideological dimensions. This course will enable students to explore these ideological threads through both seminal documents and scholarly discourses. The course will be taught through both lectures and student presentations. Students will read, present and write on important documents such as John Winthrop’s City upon a H ill, George Washington’s Farewell Address, the Monroe Doctrine, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and George Kennan’s containment policy.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC.
Preclusion(s): HY4227HM
This course is aimed at students who wish to develop research skills using primary sources for the study of Singaporean history. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach, it will introduce students to the use of a variety of sources, ranging from newspapers and memoirs to governmental reports and archival material. At the end of the course, students will be able to use, and critically analyse, a variety of sources and understand their role in the development of Singaporean historiography, while also preparing for their own research projects.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4227
This course is aimed at students who wish to develop research skills using primary sources for the study of Singaporean history. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach, it will introduce students to the use of a variety of sources, ranging from newspapers and memoirs to governmental reports and archival material. At the end of the course, students will be able to use, and critically analyse, a variety of sources and understand their role in the development of Singaporean historiography, while also preparing for their own research projects.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4228HM
This course will examine how material culture is approached as a source for reconstructing history by considering the theoretical literature on the subject as well as involving students in the first-hand analysis of objects from the past. The course’s learning objective of acquiring the analytical instruments necessary for a critical use of material culture as a historical source will be tested by both literature-based and object-based assignments.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4228
This course will examine how material culture is approached as a source for reconstructing history by considering the theoretical literature on the subject as well as involving students in the first-hand analysis of objects from the past. The course’s learning objective of acquiring the analytical instruments necessary for a critical use of material culture as a historical source will be tested by both literature-based and object-based assignments.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3.5-3.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC.
Preclusion(s): HY4229HM
This course will expose students to the historiographically complex relationship between history and biography, and its ramifications for historical writing. Students will be given opportunities to closely consider a wide range of biographies and biographical material and develop their individual sensibilities as to if, and if so, how biographical material can be used in historical construction.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3.5-6
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units including 28 units in HY or 28 units in SC with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4229
This course will expose students to the historiographically complex relationship between history and biography, and its ramifications for historical writing. Students will be given opportunities to closely consider a wide range of biographies and biographical material and develop their individual sensibilities as to if, and if so, how biographical material can be used in historical construction.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in EU/LA (French/ German/Spanish)/recognised courses or 28 units in MS or 28 units in SN or 28 units in SC or 28 units in GL or GL recognised non-language courses.
Preclusion(s): HY4101 and HY4230HM
The objective of this course is to introduce Honours students to the emergence of the discipline of history. The history of history will also be used to convey some of the key historiographic and theoretical issues which shape contemporary historical writing. Major topics will include: philosophies of history, professionalization, traditional history, metahistory and postmodernism. Finally, Honours students will explore different methodologies.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY or 28 units in EU/LA (French/ German/Spanish)/recognised courses or 28 units in MS or 28 units in SN or 28 units in SC or 28 units in GL or GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4101 andHY4230
The objective of this course is to introduce Honours students to the emergence of the discipline of history. The history of history will also be used to convey some of the key historiographic and theoretical issues which shape contemporary historical writing. Major topics will include: philosophies of history, professionalization, traditional history, metahistory and postmodernism. Finally, Honours students will explore different methodologies.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3.5-3.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4231HM
People today tend to see the family and the state as two separate spheres with clear boundaries — private sphere and public sphere. In Chinese tradition, the family and the state are, however, inherently connected. Arranged on a chronological and thematic basis, this module provides students an opportunity to survey the development of family-state relations in Chinese history from the ancient to the modern eras. It examines how different teachings—such as Confucianism and Buddhism—significantly defined family-state relations and how the popular culture — such as dramas and novels — represented and reshaped these relations over time.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3.5-6
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4231
People today tend to see the family and the state as two separate spheres with clear boundaries — private sphere and public sphere. In Chinese tradition, the family and the state are, however, inherently connected. Arranged on a chronological and thematic basis, this module provides students an opportunity to survey the development of family-state relations in Chinese history from the ancient to the modern eras. It examines how different teachings—such as Confucianism and Buddhism—significantly defined family-state relations and how the popular culture — such as dramas and novels — represented and reshaped these relations over time.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4233HM
Japanese imperialism left a deep and lasting imprint throughout Asia. This course will examine the characteristics of the Japanese empire and its postwar legacies, as well as the diverse issues surrounding its history and memory. The primary focus of the module will be a consideration of the Japanese empire in international contexts. Students are encouraged to apply comparative perspectives to draw implications for a larger discussion on modern imperialism.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4233
Japanese imperialism left a deep and lasting imprint throughout Asia. This course will examine the characteristics of the Japanese empire and its postwar legacies, as well as the diverse issues surrounding its history and memory. The primary focus of the module will be a consideration of the Japanese empire in international contexts. Students are encouraged to apply comparative perspectives to draw implications for a larger discussion on modern imperialism.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4234HM
This course examines the meaning of the concept “grand strategy,” and its relationship to statecraft. Attention is paid to the ways in which historical personalities thought about power and defined priorities, as well as the manner in which these actors developed, mobilized, and exploited an array of resources and measures to advance specific goals. Their successes and failures will be evaluated, and some principles about grand strategy will be drawn from the study of historical cases.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4234
This course examines the meaning of the concept “grand strategy,” and its relationship to statecraft. Attention is paid to the ways in which historical personalities thought about power and defined priorities, as well as the manner in which these actors developed, mobilized, and exploited an array of resources and measures to advance specific goals. Their successes and failures will be evaluated, and some principles about grand strategy will be drawn from the study of historical cases.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4235HM
This course introduces students to new developments, approaches, and themes in the study of global and international history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Depending on the instructor, the course focuses on major issues in international history, such as empire and colonialism, total war and revolution, or decolonization and the Cold War. This course is designed for 4th-year students majoring in History and aims to expose students to new arenas of research, helping them to prepare for their own research.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4235
This course introduces students to new developments, approaches, and themes in the study of global and international history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Depending on the instructor, the course focuses on major issues in international history, such as empire and colonialism, total war and revolution, or decolonization and the Cold War. This course is designed for 4th-year students majoring in History and aims to expose students to new arenas of research, helping them to prepare for their own research.
Units:: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4236HM
This course will allow students to explore the sources, arguments and scholarship related to a major theme in Singaporean History. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach and topic, it will introduce students to many of the basic issues in the discipline of history as it is practiced in Singapore, and require research in both the field and library on a specific issue, thus enhancing their research and writing skills.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4236
This course will allow students to explore the sources, arguments and scholarship related to a major theme in Singaporean History. While the material and specific focus of the course will shift, as each instructor will offer a unique approach and topic, it will introduce students to many of the basic issues in the discipline of history as it is practiced in Singapore, and require research in both the field and library on a specific issue, thus enhancing their research and writing skills.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2.5-4.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4238HM
This course will explore how masculinities and femininities are constructed and transformed over time through the intersections of gender, class, religion, law, medicine, work and war.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4238
This course will explore how masculinities and femininities are constructed and transformed over time through the intersections of gender, class, religion, law, medicine, work and war.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4239HM
This course analyses the role of gender in Indian societies from the early to the modern periods. It covers a wide range of issues, including the social organization and cultural construction of gender and sexuality; the relationship between family structure, sexual attitudes and the economic and political roles of women; the intersection of gender, race and imperialism and the role religion in normative concepts of femininity and masculinity, plays in the legitimization of social and political order as well as in attempts to effect, and respond to, social change.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4239
This course analyses the role of gender in Indian societies from the early to the modern periods. It covers a wide range of issues, including the social organization and cultural construction of gender and sexuality; the relationship between family structure, sexual attitudes and the economic and political roles of women; the intersection of gender, race and imperialism and the role religion in normative concepts of femininity and masculinity, plays in the legitimization of social and political order as well as in attempts to effect, and respond to, social change.
Units: 8
Workload: 0-0-0-0-20
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 110 units including 40 units of HY major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and a GPA of 3.50. Students may seek a waiver of the SJAP pre-requisite from department if they have a minimum GPA of 4.25 after completing 110 units.
Preclusion(s): HY4660, HY4401HM
Honours students in History are required to produce an original piece of historical research based on primary and secondary sources. Students select and develop research topics with the approval and guidance of the History Department. Students are assigned thesis advisors who provide guidance in conducting research and writing up research materials.
Units: 15
Workload: 0-0-0-0-37.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2013 to 2015: Completed 110 units including 60 units of HY major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and a GPA of 3.50. Students may seek a waiver of the SJAP pre-requisite from department if they have a minimum GPA of 4.25 after completing 110 units.
Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 110 units including 44 units of HY major requirements with a minimum SJAP of 4.00 and a GPA of 3.50. Students may seek a waiver of the SJAP pre-requisite from the department if they have a minimum GPA of 4.25 after completing 110 units.
Preclusion(s): HY4660, HY4660HM, HY4401
Honours students in History are required to produce an original piece of historical research based on primary and secondary sources. Students select and develop research topics with the approval and guidance of the History Department. Students are assigned thesis advisors who provide guidance in conducting research and writing up research materials.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-0-10
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 100 units, including 40 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion(s): HY4401, HY4660HM
The Independent Study Course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head’s and /or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written assignment is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Units 5
Workload: 0-0-0-0-12.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2012 to 2015: Completed 100 units, including 60 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Cohort 2016 to Cohort 2020: Completed 100 units, including 44 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20.
Preclusion(s): HY4401, HY4401HM, HY4660
The Independent Study Course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head’s and /or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written assignment is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4880HM
This course will examine specialised topics in history at an advanced level depending on the specialty of the instructor. The topics offered will generally be more specialised in scope than the Department’s already existing modules. Most likely the topic will change from year to year.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4880
This course will examine specialised topics in history at an advanced level depending on the specialty of the instructor. The topics offered will generally be more specialised in scope than the Department’s already existing modules. Most likely the topic will change from year to year.
Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY.
Preclusion(s): HY4880BHM
Students have been a potent force for social and political change in many parts of Asia, particularly since 1950. Arranged on a chronological and thematic basis, this course will give students an opportunity to survey the history of student activism, primarily but not exclusively, in Asian countries during this period. In emphasizing a comparative approach, the course not only looks into the causes, functions, effects, and limits of student movements in each society, but also explores intra-Asian, or even global, interconnections of student activism in the second half of the twentieth century.
Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisites: Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY, or 28 units in GL or GL recognised non-language courses with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Cohort 2020: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in HY with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): HY4880B
Students have been a potent force for social and political change in many parts of Asia, particularly since 1950. Arranged on a chronological and thematic basis, this course will give students an opportunity to survey the history of student activism, primarily but not exclusively, in Asian countries during this period. In emphasizing a comparative approach, the course not only looks into the causes, functions, effects, and limits of student movements in each society, but also explores intra-Asian, or even global, interconnections of student activism in the second half of the twentieth century.