[Histmaj] Reminder: Now is the Time to Ask for Add Codes for Junior and Senior Seminars in Winter 2026

[HISTORY UNDERGRADUATE ADVISORS via Histmaj]

Hello, Historians-
Hopefully your Autumn quarter is nicely settled in, but it is already time to think about Winter registration for History Junior Seminars and Senior Seminars.  If you intend to take a History Junior or Senior Seminar, now is the time to ask for an add code for the course you would like to take!  I know that both Tracy and I have said to almost every new major that you need to plan ahead to get an add code for these class, since they fill up so quickly.  Now is the time!
Here are descriptions (below) from the faculty of each Junior and Senior Seminar offered in Winter 2026 to help you make registration choices.  The full Winter Time Schedule has been released, but you should assume that there will be changes in the months before the quarter actually starts.
We recommend students have completed at least two 300-400 level History courses before taking HSTRY 388.  Students need to have taken HSTRY 388 before they are eligible to get an add code in HSTRY 494 or 498.
If you want to add one of these courses, email the History Advising address (histadv at uw.edu<mailto:histadv at uw.edu>) to be given an add code or to be put on the waiting list.  Please remember to give clear information about which section you want to add, and also include your name and UW student number.  These classes fill VERY quickly, so request your add codes sooner than later.

Junior Seminars:
HSTRY 388  A
TOPIC: "Star-Spangled Fascism"
SLN: 15676
W 1230-220PM
Prof. Susan Glenn

"No swastikas in an American fascism, but Stars and Stripes (or Stars and Bars) and Christian crosses. No fascist salute, but mass recitations of the pledge of allegiance. These symbols contain no whiff of fascism in themselves, of course, but an American fascism would transform them into obligatory litmus tests for detecting the internal enemy." ~Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism (2004), 202.
Could Fascism come to the United States? In the 1930s and 1940s, American journalists and social critics warned of and debated the possibility that a home-grown, "star-spangled," form of "fascism" would end democracy as they knew it.  In this course, we will explore the basis of that fear. Our readings will cover the persistence of racial terror, the mass production and distribution of antisemitic conspiracy theories, the transnational exchange of antisemitic and pro-fascist ideology, the formation of homegrown pro-Nazi groups, among them the Christian Front and the Silver Shirts, the influence of Charles Lindbergh and the "America First" movement, the proliferation of neo-Nazi and far right racist groups during and after WWII, and more recent expressions of alarm about the fascist potential of Trump and his MAGA movement.

***
HSTRY 388  B
TOPIC: Reimagining the 70s: Historiography, Historical Method and 1970s America
SLN: 15677
TTh 11:00-12:20AM
Prof. Julie Osborn

The 1970s is sometimes considered twentieth century America's most forgettable decade, a footnote between the tumultuous 1960s and the Reagan revolution of the 1980s. When it is remembered, it is often as an anomaly, an era identified by its distinctive popular culture and aesthetic choices but not worthy of academic inquiry. In this class we will join a small chorus of historians who have attempted to take the decade seriously, as it was indeed a period marked by sharp and lasting political shifts, economic restructuring, meaningful conversations about "morality," religion and sex/gender and a vigorous backlash to many new cultural ideas. Students will read widely in assigned course readings, immerse themselves in the research materials relevant to individual projects, and execute and manage all stages of a research project, including the formulation of a sound historical argument.

***
HSTRY 388  C
TOPIC: The Monstrous in the Middle Ages
SLN: 15678
MW 2:00-3:20PM
Prof. Charity Urbanski

This course introduces undergraduate students to the transition from being consumers of history to producers of history. It emphasizes critical reading and analysis of primary and secondary literature, the theoretical and methodological problems of historical research, and prepares students for conducting original primary research. The seminar is organized around the theme of monsters and the concept of monstrosity in the Middle Ages. We will explore ancient, medieval, and modern monster theory, how the concept of monstrosity was used to define "humanity", how the rhetoric of monstrosity was applied to various out groups in the Middle Ages, and the social functions of some medieval monsters, such as dragons, revenants, and werewolves.


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Seniors Seminars

HSTRY 494  A
TOPIC: MTV and Modern America
SLN: 15680
W 10:30-12:20PM
Prof. Margaret O'Mara

At the stroke of midnight on August 1, 1981, a 24-hour cable channel devoted to music videos and news began broadcasting into American households. In the decade that followed, Music Television - better known as MTV - became a generation-defining cultural juggernaut. It upended the music industry, launched new superstars, remapped youth culture, and challenged social constructions of race, gender, and sexuality. Altering the pace, content, and visual language of television, it blurred the boundary between "reality" and entertainment in consequential and lasting ways. Come for the 80s-style big hair, stay for new insights into modern political, social, and media history. This is a Writing (W) credit course.

***
HSTRY 498  A
TOPIC: Apocalypse: Then and Now
SLN: 15683
W 3:30-5:20PM
Prof. Christopher Bonura

In the face of nuclear war, pandemic, and climate change, the end of the world is an everyday topic of conversation, while ideologies and religions old and new promise the apocalyptic upending of all that now exists. In this class, we take a multidisciplinary approach to examining the history of apocalypticism, from ancient Judaism to modern popular culture, from the Bible to modern scientific theories about the end of the universe. Major themes of the course will include the flexibility of apocalyptic language, its ability to interpret various historical situations, and its power to move people to either acceptance or action.

***
HSTRY 498 B
TOPIC: River History
SLN: 15684
Th 12:30-2:20PM
Prof. Joel Walker

Rivers can connect or divide, obstruct or empower, nourish or destroy.  In many cultures, rivers are imbued with layers of mythological and spiritual symbolism.  Some cultures associate rivers with captivity, loss, and death, while others see them as paths for escape, transformation, or rebirth.  Drawing upon a rich array of texts, folklore, music, and film, this seminar investigates rivers as central agents in global history.  Structured as a writer's workshop, the course is part of a nationwide series of Calderwood seminars designed to promote excellence in public writing by undergraduates.

Sincerely,
Mark and Tracy

Mark Weitzenkamp and Tracy Maschman Morrissey
History Undergraduate Advising
University of Washington
Smith Hall 315
Box 353560
Seattle, WA 98195
vm: 206.543.5691<tel:206.543.5691> fax: 206.543.9451<tel:206.543.9451>
depts.washington.edu/history<http://depts.washington.edu/history>

Please click here to schedule an advising appointment! [outlook.office365.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/UWHistoryAdvising@cloud.washington.edu/bookings/__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!hepl5zsGyNtp8irH6BFU_vfzEDAVByBQeKGrA21TwwYy6eG5HGMceoCxsf_yemPn_ZqlOYzhtiOUSeGhRg$>

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