Here are some of the questions examined in History 201:
Who were the peoples of prehistoric Europe and how were they influenced by ancient Egypt and Iraq?
What was life like in ancient Greece and Rome from 500 BCE to 500 CE, and what was the classical legacy on western civilization?
How did Christian Europe develop during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, 500-1500 CE?
How did the Protestant Reformation and European voyages of exploration in the 1500s usher in the Early Modern Era?
How did the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment of the 1600s and 1700s change European beliefs about the ordering of the cosmos and society?
HIST 201: Europe: Prehistory to the 1700s is a three-credit, junior-level course. This first-year course introduces students to the study of European history by surveying the long history of pre-Industrial Europe, from prehistory to the late 1700s. It follows the developments that have shaped the major political, social, and cultural features of Europeans and their colonies, which still influence the world today. This course also guides students in how to read history, take notes, and write academic assignments. It provides preparation for more advanced courses in History and other Humanities area courses.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to the Course
Unit 2: Prehistoric Europe
Unit 3: Early Near-Eastern Civilizations
Unit 4: Classical Greece I: The Polis
Unit 5: Classical Greece II: Origins of Greek Philosophy
Unit 6: Hellenistic Greeks
Unit 7: Ancient Rome: Republic to Empire
Unit 8: The Fall of Rome and the Early Middle Ages, c. 250 to c. 1000 CE
Unit 9: The High and Late Middle Ages, c. 1000 to c. 1500 CE
Unit 10: Early Modern Exploration and Expansion
Unit 11: Early Modern Europe: The Protestant Reformation
Unit 12: The Early Modern State
Unit 13: The Scientific Revolution: Rethinking the Cosmos and Society
Unit 14: Course Conclusion
Evaluation
To receive credit for History 201, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Multiple Choice Questions
14%
Multiple Choice Skills Modules
4%
Assignment 1: Film Report
10%
Assignment 2: Book Chapter Report
20%
Assignment 3: Book Chapter Report
22%
Final Exam
30%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Michael Burger. The Shaping of Western Civilization. Volume 1: From Antiquity to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. North York, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-4426-0756-9. (Print)
Other Materials
All other course materials are available online. They include an illustrated study guide and streaming videos.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
Students must achieve at least 50% on each component and at least a 50% cumulative mark to pass the challenge.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.