History (HIST) 216

Overview

This course surveys the most significant political, economic, social, cultural, religious, and intellectual trends in European history from the end of the sixteenth century to the 1930s. The aim of the course is to provide both a description and an explanation of the forces that shaped the modern world, including the development of the nation state, military conflict, the intellectual movements of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, industrialization, urbanization, nationalism, the spread of European industry, commerce, and culture to both the New World and the continents of Africa and Asia, and the development of new forms of government in the early twentieth century. The course also aims to prepare students for further studies in history by emphasizing critical reading and essay writing skills.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction
• Unit 2: Absolutism and Constitutionalism
• Unit 3: Absolutism in Eastern and Central Europe to 1740
• Unit 4: Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
• Unit 5: Agriculture, Global Economy, and Changing Life
• Unit 6: Revolutions in Politics
• Unit 7: Industrial Revolution
• Unit 8: Ideologies, Reforms, and Revolutions
• Unit 9: Urbanization and New Ideas
• Unit 10: Nation Building and Economic Expansion
• Unit 11: Imperialism, the First World War, and the Russian Revolution
• Unit 12: Economic Crisis and Authoritarianism

Evaluation

To receive credit for HIST 216, you must obtain at least 50 percent on the examination and achieve a final course composite grade of “D” (50 percent) or better.

Assignment 1	Assignment 2	Assignment 3	Final Examination	Total
25%	10%	30%	35%	100%

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Other Materials

The course materials include a study guide #1, study guide #2, and a reading file.

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 216 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the challenge examination.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form