HIS 242W - Medieval History: c. 500-1500 CE

Credits: 3
Instructional Contact Hours: 3

Exploring the fall of the Roman Empire to the Black Death and the birth of the Renaissance, this course examines the world of the European Middle Ages c. 500 to c. 1500 CE. This was an age of knights, castles, powerful popes, and crusades – but also of rebellious peasants, religious dissenters, and independent women who had no need of a knight in shining armor. The course will also place Europe in its global context by looking at influences from the medieval civilizations of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Prerequisite(s): High School GPA of 2.3 or higher or completion of any ENG course with grade of “C” or higher
Corequisite(s): None
Lecture Hours: 45 Lab Hours: 0
Meets MTA Requirement: Humanities, Social Science
Pass/NoCredit: Yes

Outcomes and Objectives

Place significant aspects of medieval civilization into historical perspective.
1. Identify the key political, cultural, social, economic, and religious features that define the medieval West.
2. Analyze the evolution and development of these key features across the time period.
Critically evaluate primary sources from the medieval period.
1. Analyze the perspective and context in which the historical source was created.
2. Describe the ways in which a given historical source may inform a historical narrative.
Engage in significant debate on issues that arose during the medieval period.
1. Identify and describe conflicting historical interpretations.
2. Analyze the evidence supporting conflicting historical interpretations.
3. Evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of conflicting historical interpretations.
Explain the ways in which medieval civilization contributed to the rise of the modern world.
1. Compare, contrast, and contextualize the political, cultural, and social history of Medieval Europe and the present world.
2. Evaluate the ways in which the historical development of political structures and beliefs, social structures and beliefs, and cultural structures and beliefs in the Middle Ages may impact and inform current political, social, and cultural issues.
Explain connections between medieval Europe and the wider world of Afro-Eurasia.
1. Describe the form and nature of connections between medieval Europe and the civilizations of Asia and Africa.
2. Analyze the impact of non-western traditions, ideas, and technologies on the medieval West.