Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

European Witch-Hunts (Online)

HIST 4570-30I

Course: HIST 4570-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: HSOC
CRN: 11089

Course Description

An examination of the European witch-hunts from ca. 1100-1700. Secondary scholarship and primary sources will be read and discussed in order to understand the pre-conditions and circumstances surrounding the witch trials. Special emphasis is given as to why women represented overwhelmingly the majority of defendants in trials. (Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

Required Texts:

  • Brian Levack, The Witch-hunt in Early Modern Europe, 4th ed. (London: Routledge, 2016)  ISBN 978-1-138-80810-2
  • Darren Oldridge, ed., The Witchcraft Reader, 3rd ed. (Abingdon, UK and New York, 2020)  ISBN: 978-1-138-56542-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-12303-5 (ebk/Kindle edition).  The second edition of this reader is acceptable.  For the paperback version, use this ISBN-10:  0415415659.  I have no issues with using current editions in Kindle versions for any required texts.  If the Kindle version does not provide the pagination of a hard copy edition, just cite the Kindle location reference numbers.

Learning Outcomes

Students will examine the history of the European witch-hunts from roughly the 1100s to ca. 1650.  We will read a variety of secondary literature on this phenomenon, as well as primary sources. Upon successfully completing the course, students will be able to:

  • a) delineate the history of the witch trials in Europe and the evolution of beliefs about witchcraft ca. 1200-1650
  • b) explain the preconditions and likely causes of the witch-hunts and trials
  • c) elaborate on why women were the principal victims of witch-hunts
  • d) evaluate critically primary sources
  • e) write clearly and analytically and cite sources according to The Chicago Manual of Style 

Course Requirements

Assignment Explanations
Discussions (60 points)
  You will be asked to write a one-paragraph response to six discussions. You must also respond to one of your classmates' posts in each discussion.  Your response must be supported by evidence from the primary source associated with the discussion topic.  These primary sources are connected, intertwined, if you will, with the secondary scholarship reading in the same week as much as possible, but sometimes scheduling interferes.  Each discussion response with a post is worth a possible ten points.  Instructions and grading of these discussions are explained in the first discussion.  Seven discussions have been devised.  Only # 3 is mandatory; students choose the other five to answer.
Quizzes (50 points)  Some of the information that would have been discussed in a class setting has been transferred into quizzes, sometimes on a primary source and sometimes on a secondary source, e.g., a chapter in Levack's Witch-hunt in Early Modern Europe. Seven quizzes are scattered throughout the semester; you choose which five to answer.  Answer more than five if you like; the last quiz, #7, has five bonus points to be earned.  Only five quiz scores are used to calculate points in this category.
Review Essays (150 points)  In the review essays, you will write critical and detailed reviews of secondary sources, chapters or articles written by experts in late medieval and early modern European witchcraft, most of these in Levack's and Oldridge's textbooks. An insightful article by M. Bailey and a chapter focusing on gender studies and the witch-hunts by A. Rowlands in a handbook edited by Levack are also to be read.  Click this link, "Instructions and Specifications," for information about what I am looking for in the reviews.  Three reviews are mandatory and marked as such; you will choose two other reviews for a total of five reviews to fulfill the requirements for this assignment component.  The "Improvement" score in the "Grade Scheme" below relates to the review essays; it is explained in the grading rubrics for this assignment. 

Course Outline

This information is covered in the "Course Requirements" section above.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Policy:  Each assignment has a due date and time.  Additional time is allocated for late assignments, but after that time is passed, late submissions are likely to be unaccepted.  For each hour a review is submitted late (i.e., past the 1-hr. 'grace' period), 4 points will be deducted from the score on the review. For each hour a quiz is submitted late (i.e., past the 1-hr. 'grace' period), 1 point will be deducted from the score on the quiz.

Make-Up Work/Extra Credit:  Make-up work is accepted only when granted an extension.   Extensions are not granted after an assignment is due, except in exceptional circumstances.  "Exceptional" is defined as an unexpected illness, an accident (I hope not), a family emergency, or some other incident or situation I deem 'exceptional.'  Overlooking a due date or an unexpected change in a schedule are not "exceptional circumstances."  Plan ahead.  If you inform me of an upcoming event or some other situation that will impact completing an assignment before its due date, I will, in all likelihood, grant an extension.  Extra credit work is not available.

Attendance Policy

 As this is an online course, no attendance record is kept or evaluated. 

Course Fees

SUU charges a $15 fee for each online course.

Use of AI

Using AI to search for information is acceptable.  Copying from AI without a citation to that source constitutes plagiarism and will be penalized according to SUU's policy on violating the academic code of conduct. Policy 6,33 Academic MisconductLinks to an external site..  Note that verbatim copying is not the only standard or, one might say, test, to determine plagiarism in the case of AI.  SUU's administration has three different software programs to detect AI usage. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.