History and Culture
- Explores Varying Interpretations of Historic Events
- Identifies Patterns and Trends
- Provides Lively Discussion and Debate
To understand the present, we first must know the past. These courses focus on the origins of civilization, explore the causes and effects of world events, and debate conflicting interpretations of past events. From the world stage to New York City’s five boroughs, examine how history impacts our lives today.
This semester, study in-person or from anywhere in the world from the safety and comfort of your home through online or remote instruction.
Great Modern Speeches: From Lincoln, FDR and Churchill to JFK and Martin Luther King
Explore famous speeches and the characteristics that made them successful.
Holocaust Memory
Explore how the Holocaust has been commemorated, memorialized, and taught around the world.
Life Below Stairs in Edwardian England
Relive Downton Abbey and explore how servants worked and lived in England’s well-known country houses and...
On the Stage: Five centuries of England‿s Theater
Tour England’s greatest theaters and the stories that surround...
Classic Comedies From Around the World
Watch and discuss critically acclaimed comic films from around the world, examining their role in social and political commentary.
Politics and Leadership in a Changing Middle East
This course will look at the historical and ideological legacies that influence politics and leadership in the Middle East. It will cover the...
Consequential and Controversial Presidential Decisions
Analyze the electoral process, including the anger and venom that have been part of US presidential elections since 1796.
Tudor England: The Great Country Houses
Explore the great country houses of 16th century Tudor...
Espionage: Fact vs. Fiction
Taught by a veteran intelligence professional, this course separates myth from reality in the field of espionage.
The City and the Book: Florence, Venice, London, New York
Explore the history of books from the illuminated manuscripts of the Renaissance to the mass market paperbacks of...
Islamic Art History: A Focus on Cairo
Explore the history, architecture, and artistic importance of Cairo.
The Evolution of American Free Speech
Explore the key free speech debates that have demarcated the boundaries of what can—and cannot—be said in the United States.
The Immigration Act of 1924: 100 Years Later
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Oscar Handlin famously wrote, “Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I...
From Manors to Museums: Discovering the Treasures of Victorian England
Explore the fascinating architecture, interiors, decorative arts, and fine arts of Victorian...
Great Trials in American History
Examine influential and controversial trials and decisions that have affected American history.
The American Presidency: Fact vs. Fiction
American presidents are among the most glamourized and villainized, mythologized and fictionalized government figures in the world. Yet the...