• The origins and roots of western civilization.
• The contributions of different peoples and cultures to the mix that eventually becomes a whole new civilization in western Europe.
• The chief characteristics of the institutions and value systems of the societies studied here.
• The processes of change and development within societies and civilizations.
• The complex interplay of value systems, social structure, geography and ecology, technology, economics, and political institutions in human societies.
• How societies and civilizations have confronted issues of diversity and cultural differences within their populations.

Students will also be able to demonstrate:

• University-level methods of historical inquiry, text interpretation,
  analytical writing, and critical thinking.
• The ability to reflect upon their own lives in the light of world history.