MMW prepares students to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the global past and its impact on the present and the historical and multi-cultural diversity that has shaped the modern world 
• Assess differing interpretations of the past  
• Demonstrate proficiency in formulating a thesis 
• Demonstrate proficiency in structuring and presenting an effective argument in academic writing 
• Critically analyze, effectively utilize, properly cite historical evidence in argumentative writing
• Understand and adhere to UCSD standards of academic integrity
• Demonstrate competency in critically engaging and analyzing course content in discussion section 
• Engage in experiential activity related to the academic dimension of the MMW program, including study abroad, service programs, internships, etc.

From 1988 – 2010, MMW was a six-course series (numbered MMW 1 – MMW 6), which was revised into the current five course sequence in the 2011-12 academic year.   Fall 2011 also witnessed the inauguration of transfer-specific MMW courses, which at first were lower-division (MMW21 and MMW22) and then in 2014 became upper-division (MMW121 and MMW122), aligned with the upper-division standing of transfer students. In 2022, MMW11-15 course names and course descriptions were revised.

MMW 11 Pre-history and Ancient Foundations (4 credits, Fall)
MMW 11 explores human origins, the development of early forms of social and political organization, the strategies that early societies used to negotiate their physical and social environments, and the appearance of influential cultural traditions across the ancient world (to ca. 100 BCE).  Topics include the emergence of agriculture, the relationship between nomad and settled, the birth of the city and the expanding human ‘footprint,’ the development of writing, foundational religious and cosmological ideas and narratives, influential models of visual and material culture, and changing forms of social stratification and inequality. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 12 Transforming Traditions & Emerging World Communities, ca. 100 BCE-1200 CE (6 credits, Winter)

MMW 12 provides a global perspective on the past from ca. 100 BCE to ca. 1200 CE, examining the emergence of inter-regional networks and empires and their relationship with the advent and expansion of diverse religious movements, including Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, as well as cross-cultural contacts and exchanges. The course also explores forms of identity (ethnic, religious, and other), models of inclusion and exclusion, systems of power, hierarchy, and slavery, and the human-environmental relationship. MMW 12 is the first of two writing-intensive courses in the MMW sequence.  Prerequisites: satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 12, which is the first writing-intensive six-credit course in the new MMW sequence, and MMW 2, which was the first writing-intensive course in the original MMW sequence. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 13 A Globalizing World: Exchanges, Entanglements, and Exploitation, 13th-18th Century (6 credits, Spring)

MMW 13 presents a global perspective on the connections, exchanges, and transformations that linked Afro-Eurasia and the Americas during the period from 1200 to 1750 CE. The course examines the nature and consequences of this increasingly connected world. It focuses on spaces of cross-cultural contact and exchange, including  the transfer of technologies, ideas, commodities, and customs and their environmental impact; encounters in the form of travel, trade, migration, and invasion; and exploitation through empire, colonization, and slavery, and their manifestation in state violence, intolerance, discrimination, and racism. MMW13 is the second of two writing-intensive courses in the MMW sequence. Prerequisites: completion of MMW 12 or MMW 2. Open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only. Students may not receive credit for MMW 13, which is the second writing-intensive six-credit course in the new MMW sequence, and MMW 3, which is the second writing-intensive six-credit course in the original MMW sequence. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 14 Divergent Paths to the Modern World, 18th-20th Century (4 credits, Fall, Winter, and Summer)

MMW 14 explores divergent paths to modernity between the mid-eighteenth century and World War I. The course examines the influence of “the West” as a hegemonic force that disrupted global connections and forged new ones, changing the social, economic, political, and ecological norms of societies worldwide.  The course investigates how groups and individuals around the world adopted, contested, and/or resisted this influence.  Prerequisites: completion of MMW 12 or MMW 2; and completion of MMW 13 or 3; open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 14 and MMW 5. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 15 The Contemporary Era: Conflict and Aspirations in a Globalized World, 20th-21st Century (4 credits, Spring, Summer)

MMW 15 explores the cultural, economic, political, and social forces that shaped the 20th and 21st century and contestations over them. It examines the causes and impact of the global and local conflicts and inequalities that have defined the contemporary era. The course addresses efforts to defend and expand freedom, improve quality of life, and increase transnational cooperation and communication that challenge those hierarchies that perpetuate inequality. The course reflects on what this recent history may mean for our collective future.  Prerequisites: completion of MMW 12 or MMW 2; and completion of MMW 13 or MMW 3; open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 15 and MMW 6. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 121 Exploring the Pre-Modern World (Transfer Students only) (4 credits, Fall Quarter, Summer)

MMW 121, the first of two required courses for ERC transfer students, addresses themes and topics from the pre-modern world (from antiquity to the eighteenth century) and strengthens students’ analytical, research, and writing skills. Prerequisites: open to Eleanor Roosevelt College transfer students only. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW 122 Exploring the Modern World (Transfer Students only) (4 credits, Winter, Summer)

MMW 122, the second of two required courses for ERC transfer students, addresses themes and topics from the modern world (from the eighteenth century to the present) and strengthens transfer students’ analytical, research, and writing skills. NOTE: In place of MMW 122 you may take either MMW 14GS (Global Seminar) or MMW 15GS. Prerequisites: open to Eleanor Roosevelt College transfer students only. Must be taken for a letter grade to meet the requirement. 

MMW is a five-course, lower-division sequence for students entering as freshmen (MMW11 – MMW15). 

MMW SEQUENCE (MMW11-15)

MMW is a two-course, upper-division sequence for transfer students (MMW121 – MMW122).

MMW TRANSFER SEQUENCE (MMW121-122)

In Summer 2023, MMW will offer all MMW courses and five-week Global Seminars: