Learning outcome

Objectives of the course:

Knowledge and understanding:

• A good command of the main features of world history after c. 1800.

• A broad knowledge of important historical events in this period, and of their background.

• Comprehension of methods used in different parts of the history field.

• Comprehension of how historical knowledge is established.

Skill:

• Ability to criticize, comment on or edit texts and documents according to the general critical rules used in the study of history.

• Ability to analyze critically historical information, sources and literature, and to draw independent conclusions from such materials.

• Ability to organize complex historical information in a logically consistent way.

• Knowledge of information retrieval tools.

Competence:

• Ability to impart historical material orally and in writing.

• Ability to work independently with a given problem.

• Ability to acquaint oneself with new problem areas and to analyze issues from several angles.

• Be conscious and respectful of perspectives having different national and cultural origins.

• Be critically conscious of the relations between the past and current events and processes.

Course Description

The course will focus on:

- The Industrial Revolution – which changed the world

- The French Revolution – a political revolution in the world

- The emergence of the national state

- Social and economic trends of the nineteenth century

- Imperialism: The West dominates the world

- Ideologies and the relationship between ideology and politics

- Democracy or dictatorship: the great political contrasts in the inter-war period

- The great catastrophes: The First and Second World Wars

- The Cold War and the balance of terror

- Decolonization

- The relationship between North and South - industrialised versus ‘developing’ countries.

- The break-up of the East Bloc: Towards a new view of the world?

- Challenges from the environment, population growth, migration

Assessment Methods

There will be a mid-term and final examination. Written exams, where problem discussion is usually an important part, has been chosen to test both the students' knowledge and understanding of historical developments and their ability for analytical and critical thought and written communication, see above.

The mid-term examination will represent 1/3 of the final grade and the final examination will represent 2/3 of the final grade. Students must achieve passing grades on both examinations in order to earn a passing grade for the course.

The mid-term examination is a written assignment during the first part of October. Students will be examined on roughly 33 % of the course syllabus (i.e. the part "covered by" lectures and seminars up to that date). Grades will be Pass or Fail. A passed mid-term exam is required to take the final exam. Students who fail will be given one retry.

The final part of the assessment will consist of a 4-hour written examination at the end of the semester. Questions may be given from the entire course syllabus. Grading is on a scale from A-F, where A is best and F is failed.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean