World Civilizations I Online College Course

Our History 105 online course shares a thematic comparative of world history from the earliest times to the middle ages, focusing on cultural difference, interaction and exchange.

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Why take World Civilizations I online?

Welcome to a fascinating journey into the past! World Civilizations is a two part series. The first online course covers the vast stretch of time from the dawn of human existence through the 15th century (this is our course). The second online course covers the 16th century through most of the 20th century. Most online courses that provide a broad survey do so over either a shorter span of time or in a focused geographical area, such as US History II. This online course features a smaller time frame and space, far from a 5,000 year span, covering the entire globe. In order to make this enormous topic manageable, historians select events, people and movements that are the most significant in terms of their far reaching effects. The process of choosing these events is challenging and historians choose different events based on what most closely matches their own research. For example, a political historian will focus more on empires than a cultural historian who focuses on the beliefs and practices of various groups. An economic historian would key in on trade, whereas a military historian would emphasize warriors and the people who followed them. This means wherever you take this online course and from whomever you take it, your online course may be slightly different. One of the nice things about having a textbook is you learn about key events that nearly all historians agree are vital to understanding the history of the world.

This is an online course in World History from the ancient past through the fifteenth century. This is a vast period of time, meaning we cannot cover everything; however, we will cover a great deal of fascinating material. In this online course, you will examine these aspects of world civilizations:

• political
• religious
• social
• economic
• intellectual
• military
• diplomatic
• cultural history

Our focus will be the entire globe, meaning we will attempt to do the impossible, study the entire human history up through the year 1500. Our scope will be limited to civilizations; however, we will spend most of our time on population centers. Major topics include:

• how and why civilizations first emerged
• various types of civilizations
• the great empires of the world (Assyrian, Persian, Zhou, Rome)
• the origins of numerous world religions
• Vikings
• Mongols
• Ottomans
• the Abbasid Revolution
• the Renaissance

Goals for this online college course include:

1. Achieve Historical Literacy: The readings and timeline assignments will acquaint you with important names and dates associated with the civilizations of the world.
2. Expand Critical Thinking: The essays will build your critical thinking skills as you grapple with the causes and effects of events and with the reasons people made the decisions they made. Historians evaluate evidence about people and events to develop conclusions about the meaning of the past. They search for reasons why people chose particular courses of action and look for ways in which events influence one another. By learning to think historically, you learn to think critically.

What is required to take this online course?

Elizabeth Pollard, Clifford Rosenberg, Robert Tignor, Alan Karras, Worlds Together, Worlds Apart: A History of the World: From the Beginnings of Humankind to the Present (Concise Edition) (Vol. 1) 1st Edition (WW Norton & Co., 2014) ISBN: 978-0393918472

How long will it take to complete the World Civilizations I course?

You have 3 to 9 months from your enrollment date to complete:

• 10 Lessons, consisting of:
  • timeline assignments
  • essay assignments
  • open book tests

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have 3-9 months to complete this online course. The college credits you earn will be recorded on your transcript in the semester you register.

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.