History (HIST) 215
Europe: Ancient to Early Modern (Revision 2)

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Delivery Mode: Individualized study online.
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Humanities
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded courses: HIST 214 and HIST 314 (HIST 215 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for HIST 214 and HIST 314.)
Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
HIST 215 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Overview
This course introduces distance learning students to the study of European history at the university level by surveying the most significant political, economic and social trends in European history from the ancient times to the early eighteenth century. Through studying a textbook and study guide, students learn about the ancient Greeks and Romans, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, and the rise of early modern European empires. The purpose of the course is to provide both a description and an explanation of the events that established European civilization by the Early Modern Period and shaped the world in which we live today. Students also study and practice the reading, research and writing skills necessary for success in university and beyond.
Outline
History 215: Europe: Ancient to Early Modern is divided into twelve units as follows:
Unit 1: Introduction
Unit 2: Ancient Greece, c. 500 to 30 BCE
Unit 3: Ancient Rome, c. 500 BCE to c. 500 CE
Unit 4: Post-Roman Europe, c. 500 CE to c. 750 CE
Unit 5: Early Medieval Empires, c. 750 to 1000 CE
Unit 6: The High Middle Ages I, c. 1000 to c. 1300
Unit 7: The High Middles Ages II: Political Communities, c. 1000 to c. 1300
Unit 8: The Late Middle Ages: Christendom Shaken, c. 1300 to 1500
Unit 9: The Renaissance and Reformation, c. 1350 to c. 1550
Unit 10: States and Capitalism
Unit 11: Wars of Religion and the Scientific Revolution, c. 1550 to c. 1650
Unit 12: Absolutism and the Limits of Early Modernity, c. 1650 to 1750
Evaluation
To receive credit for HIST 215, you must achieve a minimum of 50 per cent on the final examination and a minimum composite course grade of “D” (50 percent). The chart below summarizes the course activities and the credit weight associated with each.
| Assign. 1 Review of Scholarly Article | Assign. 2 Essay Outline and Proposed Bibliography | Assign. 3 Research Paper (10-12 pages) | 4
Quizzes @1.25% each | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 10% | 30% | 5% | 40% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Mortimer Chambers et al. The Western Experience: Volume I: To the Enlightenment. 10th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2010. The publisher of this textbook also provides a companion website with optional tools to help you master the material of each chapter.
Jules R. Benjamin. A Student's Guide to History. 11th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010.
Other Materials
The course materials include a study guide and a reading file. All other materials are available online.
Challenge for Credit Course Overview
The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they 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 for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures
Challenge Evaluation
To receive credit for the HIST 215 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the examination.
| Part I: Exam | Part II: Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50% | 100% |
Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form
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.
Opened in Revision 2, June 9, 2010.
View previous syllabus
Last updated by SAS 02/14/2013 11:02:48