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HISTORY

History

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The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Fall 2026

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

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81 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.

HISTORY 119 introduces Europe's global expansion from 1400-1815, examining economic, political, and cultural encounters with the Americas and Africa.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Lee Wandel, Suzanne Desan: Workload includes seven required books, long specific tests, and multiple papers or exams. Students note that attending lectures is crucial because slides alone may not convey the main points, and the material can be conceptually heavy.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2025

HISTORY 120 covers the political, economic, social, and cultural history of modern Western civilization from 1815 to the present.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Laird Boswell, Mary Roberts: Students report a moderate amount of reading, including novels and short texts, but generally find the workload manageable if they attend lectures and complete the assigned readings.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY 130 introduces major themes in world history such as empire, trade, and migration.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of H. Warner: The course involves significant reading, though one reviewer found assessments easy while another described quizzes as impossible and self-directed.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY 133 is an introductory global examination of war and peace from ancient times to the present, focusing on military cultures and technologies.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2024

HISTORY 136 explores the relationship between sport and major trends in American social, political, and economic history.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Isaac Lee: Isaac Lee's course was rated as low difficulty, suggesting a manageable workload for students during his teaching term.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2024

HISTORY 137 critically examines over fifteen war films globally, testing the Truffaut Rule and evaluating movies as historical sources.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Fall 2025

HISTORY 139 traces the formation of modern Middle Eastern states and societies, examining the impact of global phenomena on regional politics, culture, and daily life.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course requires only two papers and discussion participation, with no tests. Reviewers characterize the difficulty as very low.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

HISTORY 154 explores the evolving definition of American identity from the Revolutionary era to the present, focusing on racial ideologies, citizenship, and inclusion.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2024–Fall 2025

HISTORICAL STUDIES introduces historical studies at the research university with an emphasis on interpretation and critical thinking.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Assignments include weekly readings, one-page papers, and a long research paper. Workload varies from minimal attendance to mandatory participation and strict deadlines under historical instructors like Claire Taylor.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

THE HISTORIAN'S CRAFT teaches students to conduct original historical research and convey results through archival engagement and communication.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Khaled Esseissah assigns hundreds of pages of reading per class with no rubrics, leaving students unsure of assignment expectations.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY 223 is a variable-topic course exploring European history, with specific content determined by the instructor's expertise.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Francine Hirsch: Francine Hirsch assigns a heavy reading load that some students find excessive.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2026

HISTORY 229 explores transnational and comparative history topics involving at least two continents.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2025

HISTORY 300 explores how history skills apply to professional employers and guides students in securing internships.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

An internship seminar that analyzes professional distinctions and articulates the value of History skills in career settings.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Covers the history of Greek civilization from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course features mandatory attendance, quizzes based on lectures, and papers. Workload varies from easy to difficult, with some students finding grading reasonable while others report tough grading and strict deadline policies.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

HISTORY 344 covers the Age of the American Revolution (1763-1789), examining the structure of colonial society, the war for independence, and subsequent political and constitutional changes.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2025–Fall 2025 · limited sample

PUBLIC HISTORY WORKSHOP introduces the practice of public history through collaborative, research-based projects like exhibits and podcasts.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY OF RUSSIA covers Russian political, economic, and social history from 1800 to 1917, including foreign relations and their impact on domestic policy.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of David McDonald: The course was rated as moderately difficult with a difficulty rating of 3.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2024 · limited sample

HISTORY 500 is a reading seminar offering advanced exploration of selected topics through small group discussion and intensive engagement with historical materials.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

An advanced seminar focusing on the development of research skills and intensive writing through the analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students must stay on top of a major final paper that spans the entire semester, with most homework consisting of watching movies during the first half.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY 680 is a colloquium designed for students writing their honors thesis, requiring concurrent enrollment in a thesis course and Honors program status.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Daniel Ussishkin: Reviewers rated the difficulty as moderate, noting that the thesis process required significant work but was manageable with the professor's constructive feedback.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

HISTORY 682 is a mentored independent research and thesis writing course for honors students, requiring concurrent enrollment in HISTORY 680.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

HISTORY 699 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent research under faculty supervision.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

HISTORY 706 examines the significance of events or phenomena across national borders and in terms of nation-state formation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.