MMW Course Offerings

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.

MMW 11 & MMW 11R* Pre-history and Ancient Foundations (4 credits)

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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 11 and MMW 11R.

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

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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 12 and MMW 12R.

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

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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 13 and MMW 13R.

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

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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 14 and MMW 14GS.

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

MMW 15 explores the sociocultural, economic, and political forces that shaped the 20th and 21st century and contestations over them, with particular focus on the complex interaction between humans and the natural world. It examines the overlapping causes and impacts 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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 15 and MMW 15GS. Satisfaction of the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement (JTCCER). 

MMW 121 and MMW 121R* Exploring the Pre-Modern World (Transfer Students only) (4 credits)

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. Students may not receive credit for both MMW 121 and MMW 121R.

MMW 122 and MMW 122R* Exploring the Modern World (Transfer Students only) (4 credits)

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.

 * R courses are taught in a remote and asynchronous format. A "remote and asynchronous format" means that all aspects of the course (with the exception of faculty/TA office hours), including lecture, discussion section, and exams, will occur through your course Canvas site.

Courses are open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only and must be taken for a letter grade. 

* R courses are taught in a remote and asynchronous format. A "remote and asynchronous format" means that all aspects of the course (with the exception of faculty/TA office hours), including lecture, discussion section, and exams, will occur through your course Canvas site. 

Courses are open to Eleanor Roosevelt College transfer students only and must be taken for a letter grade.

* R courses are taught in a remote and asynchronous format. A "remote and asynchronous format" means that all aspects of the course (with the exception of faculty/TA office hours), including lecture, discussion section, and exams, will occur through your course Canvas site.

* R courses are taught in a remote and asynchronous format. A "remote and asynchronous format" means that all aspects of the course (with the exception of faculty/TA office hours), including lecture, discussion section, and exams, will occur through your course Canvas site.

This is a preview of the MMW Summer 2025 course offering. The Summer 2025 Schedule of Classes is available on March 20, 2025.

In Summer 2025, all MMW courses, except global seminars(GS), are taught in a remote and asynchronous format. A "remote and asynchronous format" means that all aspects of the course (with the exception of faculty/TA office hours), including lecture, discussion section, and exams, will occur through your course Canvas site.