• Enrollment system is currently unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again later.

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.

2025 Summer
1 section

Life Below Stairs in Edwardian England

Relive Downton Abbey and explore how servants worked and lived in England’s well-known country houses and...

2025 Summer
1 section

Tudor England: The Great Country Houses

Explore the great country houses of 16th century Tudor...

2025 Spring
1 section

Consequential and Controversial Presidential Decisions

Analyze the electoral process, including the anger and venom that have been part of US presidential elections since 1796.

2025 Spring
1 section

Espionage: Fact vs. Fiction

Taught by a veteran intelligence professional, this course separates myth from reality in the field of espionage.

2025 Spring
1 section

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...

2025 Spring
1 section

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...

2025 Spring
1 section

Islamic Art History: A Focus on Cairo

Explore the history, architecture, and artistic importance of Cairo.

2025 Spring
1 section

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.

London's Royal Parks

Explore the rich history of London’s famous royal parks.

Russian History: From Lenin to Putin

Explore Russian history from the Tsarist regime to Putin.

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. 

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...