Curriculum Guide 2020-2021

Western Civilization I: Origins of
Western Civilizations to 1648
Dual-Credit Course (CNM)
Offered in Fall Semester
From the ancient Greek world and the
philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
to the creation of Rome and the later
European states, this course covers the
religious, philosophical, and historical
trends in Western Civilization. Students will
read texts concerned with central ideas in
the West and engage in conversation, both
written and verbal, on these topics.
Western Civilization II: 1648 to
Present (History 1102)
Dual-Credit Course (CNM)
Offered in Spring Semester
This course examines the transformation of
the western world beginning in 1648, and
moving through the Age of Revolutions,
Industrialization, Imperialism, and
Expansion, as well as the wars of the 20th
and 21st centuries. Students will read from
texts and primary sources as well as write
analytical essays that discuss, explain, and
analyze major problems in human societies
of the recent past.
United States History I & II
Dual-Credit Course (CNM)
The course surveys economic, political,
intellectual, and social developments in
North America, 1492 - present. The first
semester begins with discussing the contact
between groups in America with Europe
and Africa, examining the societies and
cultures each developed; and ends with
the complexity of Reconstruction. Students
will examine the rise and fall of empires, the
clash and engagement of cultures, religious
fervor, along with political and social
intrigue and war. In the second semester,
students learn about topics such as western
settlement and the frontier, industrialization,
immigration, American imperialism, the
Progressive movement, World War I, the
Roaring Twenties, the Depression, the
new Deal, World War II, the Cold War
and Nuclear Age, the 1950s, Civil Rights,
the 1960s, Vietnam, and the resurgence
of conservatism in the 1980s. In addition,
students will study de-industrialization and
the emergence of a services-based economy
in the latter part of the 20th century, the
growing polarization of political parties
and the role of the media in the political
process, and the critical role of the United
States as a global leader in the politically
volatile climate of the early 21st century.
Latin America I: From Indigenous to
Spanish Empires
Offered in Fall Semester
This course takes a broad overview of Latin
American history from the rise of indigenous
empires in the 14th century, such as the
Inca and Aztec, through the 18th century
and the political and social changes that led
to independence movements throughout
the region. A primary focus of this course
will be to discuss Spanish/indigenous
interactions that led to a complex cultural
makeup in Latin America that challenges
certain myths about conquest and its
aftermath. Students will start with an
analysis of major indigenous empires to
understand not only their lasting impact but
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