Medieval Economic History OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Bachelor Level Economic History Course

Published Feb 11, 2009

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'Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective,' a free non-credit course offered by MIT's OpenCourseWare, falls under the auspices of the Bachelor of Science degree program. The course examined economic conditions and the evolvement of social relations in medieval Europe.

Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
No Yes No

Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective: Course Description

Europe's medieval history is full of changing patterns of social and economic behavior. This course, taught by Professor Anne McCants, took a look at the factors that ultimately led to the appearance of capitalist systems in Western Europe. Emphasis is placed on the comparatively different experiences in other medieval societies, such as in Islamic nations, or in China or central Asia. Through a list of readings and assignments, students taking this course can learn about the rise and fall of the feudal institutions, the changes wrought in agricultural practices, living standards of the time, plagues, and the patterns of trade across Eurasia. The course is part of both the Department of Economics and the History Department. Students of the OpenCourseWare may also have access to a series of archived syllabi from more recent versions of the class. In addition, there is a list of helpful websites included in the course materials.

The list of readings and assignments, as well as other course materials is free with the course. If you'd like to take this course, visit the medieval economics course page.

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