Emily Rosario | Global Learning Student
Global Learning Courses
As a history major, I was lucky enough that the majority of my courses were interdisciplinary and apart of the global learning curriculum.
Here are just a few. . .
Global perspective: the ability to construct a multi-perspective analysis of issues
Global awareness: knowledge of the interconnectedness of issues, trends and systems
Global engagement: willingness to address local, global, international and intercultural issues
HIS 4935
Islamic Reform & Politics in the Middle East
This was a senior level reading, research and writing course on the topic of Islamic reform in the modern Middle East. In this course, my cohort focused on various Islamic reform and revival movements in the Middle East and their serious implications on society and contemporary politics. Throughout the semester, we were tasked with reading and analyzing books and published articles, which we would then discuss as a class in our weekly online meetings. We had to write two publishable book reviews on Rez Azalan's, No god but God, and Noah Feldman's, The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State. We also had a final project, which consisted of a 20 page research paper on a topic of our choice that revolved around Islamic reform. I choose to write on Jamal al-din Afghani, an ideologist of pan-Islam and Islamic reform.
REL 3320
Moses, Jesus, Muhammad
This course explored the lives, teachings, and historical significance of these three central figures in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We examined as a class their roles in shaping the religious and cultural landscapes of their respective traditions. The course would also cover the sacred texts associated with each figure—the Torah, New Testament, and Quran—and compare their theological roles as prophets. We discussed their religious practices, laws, and ethical teachings that are still present today. The class discussions also revolved around our assigned readings. The most influential and impactful for me was Karen Armstrong's, A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The course would offer an interdisciplinary perspective on history, theology, and the interaction of these major world religions.
WOH 4431
Spanish Pacific
This was a course on globalization between the 15th and 18th centuries, focused on the Americas and the Pacific. We explored the transformative processes of exploration, trade, and colonization that connected distant parts of the world. We examined European empires, such as Spain and Portugal, and the opening of new trade routes that facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and people. Key topics would include the Manila Galleon, Asian slaves in Colonial Mexico and the Philippines, and the Golden Age of piracy. The course covered the role of the Pacific in global trade networks, a history that is often overshadowed by the Atlantic historiography.
EUH 4142
Renaissance & Reformation
Probably one of my favorite courses of my undergraduate career, we explored two pivotal movements that reshaped European culture, religion, and politics. The Renaissance, spanning the 14th to 17th centuries, marked a revival of classical learning and a flourishing of art, science, and literature. We also examined the rise of humanism and most importantly the Reformation, sparked by Martin Luther, which led to the split of Christianity in Europe. I studied the theological, social, and political impacts of the Reformation, including the rise of Protestantism, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the religious conflicts that followed. We engaged with notable books such as Jacob Burckhardt's, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, and Thomas Dandelet's, The Renaissance of Empire in Early Modern Europe.
