How to Register
To register for HIST 498, email the instructor for permission (email addresses are indicated below for the instructor for each section). The instructor can then give permission by email to the academic advisor, Paloma Boykin boykin1@arizona.edu, to enroll you in the course.
Capstone Options for Spring 2027
HIST 498: "History of Natural Disasters"
Prof. Greg Cushman (gcushman@arizona.edu)
In Person: T,Th, 3:30-4:45pm
Hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes, building collapses, economic panics, wars, mass shootings, Godzilla attacks….Even though we hope we never will experience them ourselves, disasters are a ubiquitous feature of modern existence and have been a feature of the human experience since the beginning of time.
This required capstone seminar for undergraduate history majors will use History of Disasters, very broadly conceived, as a shared theme to provide a thematic focus for our efforts together. The main work of the course will be devoted to the development and presentation of original research that is based on primary sources and engages with historiographical debates. It will also develop student’s skills in scholarly writing and presentation, culminating in a research paper on a historical topic. Students can pursue projects for any world region and time period before the year 2000.
HIST 498: "The Global Middle Ages "
Prof. Paul Milliman (milliman@arizona.edu)
Fully Online
In this course you will research a topic of your choice on some aspect of the history of the world during the Middle Ages (roughly 300-1600 CE). The main assignment for this course is a substantial research project on your chosen topic using both primary and secondary sources. The form in which you present your research is up to you. You may write a traditional 20-page research paper, if you want. But, I encourage you to be creative. Think about alternative media (e.g. digital, gamer, maker, reenactment, etc.) and / or genres (e.g. lesson plans, historical fiction, cookbook, illustrated children’s book, graphic novel, etc.). For example, in HIST 207 I have students present their research in the form of a choose-your-own-adventure game using Twine, and in HIST 405C I have students create a digital cookbook using Adobe Express. You will hone your research and writing skills throughout the semester by actively participating in online discussions, constructively critiquing your classmates’ work in peer review, producing short writing assignments, sharing your findings in presentations, and revising, revising, revising. You will also have five individual meetings with me via Zoom.
HIST 498: "Riots and Social Uprisings in the U.S."
Prof. Erika Perez (erikaperez@arizona.edu)
Fully Online
Social uprisings from early America to the present-day U.S. (also referred to as revolts, riots, rebellions, mobs, disturbances, civil unrest and civil disorders) reveal underlying social, political, and economic tensions that explode at key historical moments. When choosing your own event to research, each student will identify key precursors that led to an uprising, the participants’ motivations, whether uprisings were well-organized or spontaneous, how narratives of victimhood and victimizer were shaped by newspapers or other forms of media, and governmental responses to uprisings (e.g., laws, curfews, violent repression, and so on). Each student must consider the legacies of their chosen event and whether a riot, rebellion, or uprising led to any lasting change.