HIST 116 is the University of Maryland Global Campus survey of world history from the 1500s to the present.
UMGC lists it as a 3-credit course with aims to explain the development of new political and economic systems using basic geographical knowledge, describe how contact, global connections and migrations contribute to the development of nations and global systems, and compare social, political, familial, cultural and religious institutions to explain their impact on societal transformations.
The focus again includes critical thinking about historical approaches and methods.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | HIST 116 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Credits | 3 |
| Period | 1500s to the present |
| Companion course | HIST 115 (prehistory to the 1500s) |
| Typical work | Discussions, essays and source-based assignments |
What HIST 116 Covers
| Aim (UMGC wording, summarized) | In practice |
|---|---|
| New political and economic systems | How states, empires and markets changed after the 1500s |
| Contact, connections and migration | Global trade, movements of people and exchange of ideas |
| Nations and global systems | How nations formed and became linked |
| Institutions compared | Social, political, family, cultural and religious structures |
| Thinking about history | Analyzing approaches and methods |
Key Concepts Explained
Systems, Not Just Events
The course aims point at political and economic systems. When you describe an event, say which system it belongs to and how it changed that system.
Worked example: "How did global connections change economies after 1500?" Pick one connection, such as long-distance trade in a commodity. Explain who profited, who was affected (including producers and laborers), and how political systems responded. Link the example back to the idea of a developing global economy.
Migration and Its Consequences
Voluntary and forced migration changed societies at both ends of the journey. Distinguish between the two and show their different effects.
Change and Continuity
Not everything changed at once. Ask which institutions persisted, which transformed, and what evidence supports each claim.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion | Understanding of themes | Make a claim, support it with a source, answer a peer |
| Essay | Analysis of systems and change | Use two or three well-chosen examples from different regions |
| Source analysis | Critical thinking about evidence | Identify author, audience and limits |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Scale. Five centuries and the whole world need selective examples.
- Treating regions separately. Show their connections.
- Presentism. Explain actions in their own time first.
- Vague causation. Say how one development led to another.
Revision Grid
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Eras | Divide the period into four or five eras with a label each |
| 2. Systems | Note the main political and economic features of each era |
| 3. Connections | Mark trade, migration and exchange between regions |
| 4. Institutions | Compare social, family, cultural and religious change |
| 5. Practice | Write a 300-word answer to a sample question |
What a Strong Essay Looks Like
Five centuries of global history require selection. The table shows how weaker and stronger essays usually differ.
| Weaker response | Stronger response |
|---|---|
| Lists major events | Uses a few events to argue a claim about systems |
| Studies one region alone | Shows links between regions |
| Equates change with progress | Asks who gained, who lost and why |
| Treats methods as irrelevant | Notes how historians' approaches shape the story |
A Second Illustration
Invented prompt: "How did the growth of global trade change two societies?" A strong answer chooses two cases, identifies the economic system in each before and after, discusses migration or labor effects, compares the political responses, and ends with a judgment about which society's institutions changed most.
Before You Submit
A short final check helps keep a wide-ranging essay on track.
- Is the argument clear in the first paragraph?
- Do your examples come from more than one region?
- Have you shown connections, not just parallel stories?
- Are citations complete and in the assigned style?
Ending with a sentence that says what your examples show together stops the essay from reading as a list.
Where HIST 116 Fits in the Program
HIST 116 is the second half of UMGC's world history pair. Students who took HIST 115 will recognize the same aims, applied to the period from the 1500s onwards, which makes the methods work easier the second time.
The shift to modern systems means more attention to nations, markets and global links. A simple habit is to ask of every reading: what system does this belong to, and how did it change something?
Use any feedback from HIST 115 to improve how you structure comparisons and cite sources.
A Note on Time Management
With a wide time span, it is easy to over-read and under-write. Set a limit for reading and start drafting while the main ideas are fresh, then fill gaps with targeted research.
Study Tips for HIST 116
- Use maps to track changing borders and trade routes.
- Choose a few themes, such as trade, empire and reform, and follow them across eras.
- Summarize each reading in two sentences.
- Check the assignment instructions for the citation style your instructor expects.
How We Help with HIST 116
Send the prompt, readings, rubric and any draft. We can explain context, help organize an argument, prepare a custom essay for study, or review your draft for evidence, structure and citations.
Work you submit must be your own under UMGC's academic integrity policy. GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Make Sense of HIST 116
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Frequently Asked Questions
Global civilization from the 1500s to the present, including political and economic systems, global connections and institutions.
UMGC lists 3 credits.
HIST 115, World History I, covers prehistory to the 1500s.
Yes, the focus includes analyzing historical approaches and methods.
Choose a few that clearly support your claim, from different regions where possible.
Yes. We can help you build the argument and review your draft.