HIST 397 - 01W

Regular Academic Session

2735

Undergraduate

3 units

Graded Alpha

Students in this course will produce a significant research paper on a topic of their own choice (25-30 pages) based largely on primary sources through archival research and will present their work in a symposium at the end of the course.

Department Consent Required

Pre-requisites: UCWR 110, C- or higher

Writing Intensive

This is a writing intensive class. A grade of C- or better in UCWR 110 is required to enroll. HIST 397 is a requirement for taking History Departmental Honors. It is aimed at junior or senior History majors, although advanced sophomores may also apply. The purpose of the course is for students to produce a significant history research paper (~25 pages) based largely on primary sources, though of course secondary sources will be used as well. Primary sources are the writings, art, artifacts etc. produced by people living in a particular period. The Chicago area is rich in its primary source archives, which include Loyola's own University Archives and Special Collections, the Women and Leadership Archives, the collections of the Harold Washington and Newberry libraries, the First Division Museum military archives, and the archives of the Archdiocese of Chicago. During the first couple of weeks, we will explore some of these archives, both in Chicago and online, while students create their bibliographies and define their topics. Papers may explore any region or time period in history, in some cases building on work the students have done in a previous class. At the end, students will present a brief final report at a festive departmental colloquium. Students interested in applying to graduate or professional programs will find this course particularly useful as a way to develop a suitable writing sample. The class will also give you a primary source based research paper to submit to your History portfolio and departmental and university essay contests. Contact Dr. Michelle Nickerson at mnickerson@luc.edu to apply or to run by ideas for possible research topics.

Leslie Dossey

We 4:15PM - 6:45PM

08/25/2025 - 12/13/2025

In person

Lake Shore Campus

Lake Shore Campus

Open

14

1

15

0

0