All of us, whoever we are, wherever we live, have our roots in the premodern world. It has shaped our institutions and ideas, even our emotions, and it continues to influence our lives. The Premodern Global Studies Minor offers an understanding of those roots through courses offered across 12 EIU Departments. These courses reach back through major historical eras (Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, etc.) to prehistoric societies.
Students who seek knowledge of the history, culture, and society of premodern societies are invited to consult with the advisor of the Premodern Global Studies Program for assistance in selecting courses suited to their individual needs.
A minimum of 18 hours from the following list, chosen from at least three different departments.
Total Hours: 18
ANT 3712
World Archaeology. (3 credits)
ANT 3900
Hunters and Gatherers. (3 credits)
ANT 3960
Special Topics in Anthropology. (1 to 4 credits)
(See footnote *)
ANT 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or ANT 44002 or ANT 44003 or ANT 44004 or ANT 44005 or ANT 44006 (See footnote *)
ART 2012
Asian Art. (3 credits)
ART 2601
Art in the Pre-Modern Era. (3 credits)
ART 2691
Art in the Pre-Modern Era, Honors. (3 credits)
ART 3610
African Art. (3 credits)
ART 3612
Art in China and Japan. (3 credits)
ART 3611
Art in India and Southeast Asia. (3 credits)
ART 3630
Greek and Roman Art. (3 credits)
ART 3641
Early Medieval Art. (3 credits)
ART 3642
Romanesque and Gothic Art. (3 credits)
ART 3651
Italian Renaissance Art: Fifteenth Century. (3 credits)
ART 3652
Italian Renaissance Art: Sixteenth Century. (3 credits)
ART 3660
Baroque Art. (3 credits)
ART 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or ART 4401 or ART 4402 (See footnote *)
ENG 2601
Backgrounds of Western Literature. (3 credits)
ENG 2603
Greek and Roman Mythology. (3 credits)
ENG 2950
Transatlantic Literary History: Culture, Literacies, and Technologies I. (3 credits)
ENG 3009
Myth and Culture. (3 credits)
ENG 3099
Myth and Culture, Honors. (3 credits)
ENG 3600
The Bible as Literature. (3 credits)
ENG 3601
Studies in Major Writers Before 1800. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 3604
Special Topics in Literature and Language Before 1800. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 3700
American Literature: 1450 to 1800. (3 credits)
ENG 3800
Medieval British Literature. (3 credits)
ENG 3801
Chaucer. (3 credits)
ENG 3802
Shakespeare. (3 credits)
ENG 3803
Renaissance and Seventeenth-Century British Literature. (3 credits)
ENG 3804
Milton. (3 credits)
ENG 3805
Restoration and Eighteenth-Century British Literature. (3 credits)
ENG 3892
Shakespeare, Honors. (3 credits)
ENG 3903
Women, Literature, and Language, Pre-1800. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 3907
Asian Literatures. (3 credits)
ENG 4400
Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 4444
Honors Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
ENG 4901
History of the English Language. (3 credits)
HIS 1500
Roots of the Modern World: Society and Religion. (3 credits)
HIS 1522
World History: Slavery and Freedom. (3 credits)
HIS 1590
Roots of the Modern World: Society and Religion, Honors. (3 credits)
HIS 1598
World History: Slavery and Freedom, Honors. (3 credits)
HIS 2225
Technology, History and Human Societies. (3 credits)
(cross listed with TEC 2225G)
HIS 2560
Early Modern World History. (3 credits)
HIS 3100
History of England, 1066-1688. (3 credits)
HIS 3120
Ancient Egypt. (3 credits)
HIS 3130
Iraq and the Ancient Near East. (3 credits)
HIS 3140
Ancient Greece. (3 credits)
HIS 3150
The Roman World. (3 credits)
HIS 3160
Ancient Iran. (3 credits)
HIS 3175
History of Christianity. (3 credits)
HIS 3200
Islamic History: From Origins to the 14th Century. (3 credits)
HIS 3245
African History to 1400. (3 credits)
HIS 3255
Colonial Latin America. (3 credits)
HIS 3405
Absolutist France and The Wider World. (3 credits)
HIS 3410
French Revolution. (3 credits)
HIS 3500
Climate, Environment and History Since the last Ice Age. (3 credits)
HIS 3520
Medieval History. (3 credits)
HIS 3530
Medieval Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in Europe. (4 credits)
HIS 3700
Turning Points in the History of Religion and Science. (3 credits)
HIS 3790
Turning Points in the History of Religion and Science, Honors. (3 credits)
HIS 3990
Medieval Archaeology, Honors. (1 to 4 credits)
HIS 4303
Colonial America to 1763. (3 credits)
HIS 4304
Revolutionary America to 1789. (3 credits)
HIS 4400
Independent Study in History I. (1 to 4 credits)
or HIS 44002 (See footnote *)
HIS 4444
Honors Independent Study I. (3 credits)
or HIS 44442 (see footnote *)
HIS 4555
Honors Research I. (3 credits)
or HIS 45552 (See footnote *)
HIS 4644
Honors Thesis Departmental Capstone I. (3 credits)
or HIS 46442 (See footnote *)
HIS 4775
Selected Topics in History A-B, D-F, H-M, O-Q, T-Y. (2 to 3 credits)
or HIS 4775B (See footnote *)
HIS 4780
Origins of Europe: Archaeology and History. (3 credits)
HIS 4785
Crusade and Jihad: Religious Violence in the Islamo-Christian Tradition. (3 credits)
HIS 4800
The Renaissance and Reformation. (3 credits)
HIS 4863
The Trojan War: History and Archaeology. (3 credits)
HIS 4865
Alexander the Great. (3 credits)
MAT 4900
History of Mathematics. (3 credits)
MDVL 2000
Introduction to Medieval Studies. (3 credits)
MUS 4444
Honors Independent Study. (1 to 3 credits)
(See footnote *)
MUS 3584
Music History and Literature I. (3 credits)
MUS 4555
Honors Research. (1 to 3 credits)
(See footnote *)
MUS 4600
Independent Study I. (1 to 4 credits)
or MUS 4600B or MUS 4600D (See footnote *)
MUS 4644
Honors Thesis. (1 to 3 credits)
(See footnote *)
MUS 4666
Honors Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
MUS 4870
Style Period Proseminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 2000
Ancient Philosophy. (3 credits)
PHI 2010
Eastern Philosophies. (3 credits)
PHI 2090
Ancient Philosophy, Honors. (3 credits)
PHI 3220
Medieval Philosophy. (3 credits)
PHI 3310
Indian Philosophy. (3 credits)
PHI 3320
Chinese Philosophy. (3 credits)
PHI 3680
Buddhism. (3 credits)
PHI 3980
Special Topics in Philosophy. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 6 credits)
or PHI 4400B or PHI 4400D (See footnote *)
PHI 4444
Honors Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 4480
Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 4555
Honors Research. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PHI 4666
Honors Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
PLS 4903
Classic Political Theory. (3 credits)
RLS 3900
Special Topics in Religious Studies. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
THA 3349
Classical Acting Styles. (3 credits)
THA 3751
Origins of Theatre. (3 credits)
WLF 3305
French Literature I. (3 credits)
WLF 4100
Topics in Francophone Cultures. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLF 4100A or WLF 4100B (See footnote *)
WLF 4200
Topics in Francophone Literatures. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLF 4200A or WLF 4200B聽(See footnote *)
WLF 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLF 44002聽or WLF 44003聽(See footnote *)
WLF 4444
Honors Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLF 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLF 4666
Honors Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLG 3310
Survey of German Literature I. (3 credits)
WLG 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLG 44002聽or WLG 44003聽(See footnote *)
WLG 4405
Topics of German Literature. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLG 4405B聽(See footnote *)
WLG 4444
Honors Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLG 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
WLG 4666
Honors Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLS 4400
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLS 44002聽or WLS 44003聽(See footnote *)
WLS 4444
Honors Independent Study. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLS 4510
Survey of Early Spanish Literature. (3 credits)
WLS 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WLS 4645
Topics in Hispanic Culture. (3 credits)
or WLS 4645A聽or WLS 4645B聽(See footnote *)
WLS 4650
Topics in Hispanic Literature. (1 to 3 credits)
or WLS 4650A or WLS 4650B聽(See footnote *)
WLS 4666
Honors Seminar. (3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WGS 4409
Independent Study. (1 to 3 credits)
(See footnote *)
WGS 4000
Special Topics. (1 to 3 credits)
(See footnote *)
Footnotes:
* Courses must be approved by the Committee for Premodern Global聽Studies for that semester
Information sourced from the 2026-2027 EIU Undergraduate Catalog.
