20+ Online Courses on Modern History by Oxford University

What is modern history?

Modern history is the history of the world after the middle ages. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the field of history or are generally curious about things which carry an archaeological, mythological or is related to modern historical events in one way or the other, a career studying history is something you must consider opting for. Courses like BA History and MA History provide an individual with a deeper understanding of culture, race, and class. It helps in developing scientific and rational views. In addition, it is related to the spread of ideas like modernity, revolutions, liberty, equality, and the rule of law. When we study modern history as a subject we get a chance to analyze events like

1. Ideology
2. Nation-states
3. Modern war
4. Globalization
5. Political regimes
6. Capitalism
7. Totalitarianism
8. Communism

One of the best places to study this subject is Oxford University. There are plenty of online courses on Modern History by Oxford University that one can enroll in and start learning right now.
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Why Oxford?

Oxford is one of the most renowned institutions across the globe. For several years it has been ranked in the top 10 universities. In 2015, Oxford was named the best University in Europe. The National Student Survey (2015) named the University's libraries as the best in the UK. Surveys show that Oxford graduates are always given an edge during job hirings. Thus taking online courses on Modern History by Oxford University can be very beneficial for you in terms of learning as well as career prospects.

We have accumulated a list of online courses on Modern History by Oxford University for you, which will help you in choosing the right course. The following table includes the key details of these online courses on Modern History by Oxford University, you can go through them to understand them better.

Top 20 Online Courses on Modern History by Oxford University

We shall now go through these online courses on Modern History by Oxford University one by one and look at their syllabus and features. By understanding these fundamentals about these online courses, we can ensure that we are able to make an informed decision about them. Read on to find out all these details and more about these online courses on Modern History by Oxford University.
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1. Western Architecture: The Modern Era (Online)

This course will especially appeal to you if you are an architecture enthusiast and want to make a career in the same field. The course focuses on explaining about the styles, designs and patterns which are a hallmark of Western architecture and offers a wider perspective and modern architectural practices. This is one of the most comprehensive online courses on Modern History by Oxford University.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Also Read- Modern Japanese Architecture Part 1: From Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War By Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo via Edx

Structure of the course:

• Modern Architecture before Modernism – Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau
• Structure and Ornament – Debates in the late 19th century architecture
• Pre-Modernist American Architecture – a. The aesthetics of skyscrapers
• Early Modernism – Le Corbusier, Purism and the Villa Savoye
• Brutalism and Utopia – Modernism and Mass Housing in Post-War Britain
• Modernism Beyond America – Alvar Aalto and Oscar Niemeyer
• Postmodernism: Philip Johnson and Robert Venturi
• CAD and contemporary architecture

2. The Making of Modern Britain (Online)

This is among the best Modern History courses by Oxford University out there. Starting from the industrial revolution to the formation of multicultural Britain, the course has a lot to offer.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Structure of the course:

• The Enlightenment
• The Age of Revolution
• Changing images of Britain

3. Learning to Look at Modern Art (Online)

This is another one of the important online courses on Modern History by Oxford University. From the era of Picasso to Surrealism and film, this is one of those history courses which will give you a deep insight into modern art.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Structure of the course:

• Learning Look at Modern Art and Picasso
• Duchamp and conceptual art
• Expressionism and Self Expression
• Surrealism and film

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4. The Modern American Novel: An Introduction

Looking for a modern history course focusing on some prominent novels? If your answer is in the affirmative, then this is one of the Modern History courses by Oxford University you shouldn’t miss out on as it allows you to study the top 5 novels of the 20th century by writers such as Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Silko, Morrison and even Roth, which constitute contrasting interpretations of the American experience in the modern age. This is considered to be one of the best online courses on Modern History by Oxford University.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Structure of the course:

• Reading and writing America: Some introductions
• Relationship between literary techniques of the works and their social and political concerns.

5. The History of Economic Thought

This distance learning history course focuses on analyzing the growth of economic thought process by offering perspective from the Greek, Chinese, Indian and even European traditions. This course is one of the most brilliantly done

online courses on Modern History by Oxford University, in terms of content and offers a well-rounded thought process through the lens of different cultures, which helps students develop an understanding of how much influence the evolution of economic thought has had on contemporary global economic structures.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Structure of the course:

• Rise of neoclassical economics
• Alternative approaches to economic thought

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6. Indian Art: A History (Online)

This is one of those online art history courses that focus on the great range of sculptures, paintings, and buildings produced in South Asia for over two thousand years. Thereafter relating them to the contemporary religious and political environment.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• About Indian art
• Colonialism and modernity 1750-1950

Also read: Introduction to History of Architecture in India BY Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune via Swayam

7. The Culture of the English Country House

This is one of those Modern history courses where we talk about the English country houses by critically analyzing the architecture, furnishing of the house, social and economic class distinctions and how it manifests itself into art as an expression of growth in overall power and social stature in a rapidly evolving society.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• The medieval elite house
• The Stuart country house: enlightenment, revolution, and Restoration

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8. The First World War in Perspective

This modern history course seeks to explain why and how the war was fought. Also, it focuses on making the candidates understand why its legacy remains relevant almost a century after it began.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Introduction and Origins of the War
• CUlture and propaganda of the war

Also Read- World War 1: Trauma, Memory, Controversy By The Open University, Milton Keynes via Futurelearn

9. Age of Revolution

Revolution was a powerful dynamic in European politics and society from 1789 to 1848. This modern history degree focuses on understanding the tremendous changes that took place in this era. This is one of the most interesting Modern History courses available online.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• French Revolution
• The Age of Romanticism
• The Liberal Revolution
• Legacy of Revolution

10. Europe of the Dictators

Whenever we talk about the dictatorship in Europe, there are certain questions in our minds.

Another one of the Oxford University Modern History courses, this online course asks questions like- why were European countries ruled by dictators? How did this affect the lives of people? How did Europe descend into a second hugely destructive world war? This modern history course will answer these vital questions.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Origins of dictatorship: World War One and its impact
• The Russian revolutions and the rise of Lenin, 1917–24
• Mussolini and the establishment of the fascist dictatorship in Italy, 1918–29
• Germany and the Weimar Republic, 1918–33
• Stalin and the foundations of Stalinism, 1924–9

11. Churchill: Soldier, Politician, and Statesman

Sir Winston Churchill is one of Britain's greatest statesmen. So, this modern history course focuses on the life and learnings of Churchill. By studying his success and failures one can analyze how fascinating a politician he was. This is one of the best Oxford University Modern History courses.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Introduction to Churchill
• The Radical Politician
• The Outspoken Politician of the 1920s
• The 'Wilderness Years'
• His 'Finest Hour': 1939-1940
• The 'Big Three'
• Churchill the Individual

12. Liberty, Equality, Terror? Revolutionary France and Liberalism's Rise and Fall

Whenever we talk about a distance learning history degree, then liberalism is the word that always crosses our minds. This course will explore the nature of the french revolution. What were the different phases of the revolution? What were the consequences? All these questions will be answered here.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Ancien Régime France
• The People's Revolution
• French Revolutionary Legacy

13. Civil War and Revolution: Britain Divided, 1640-1660 (Online)

The Civil Wars which occurred in the British Isles in the 17th century left few lives untouched. For many people, it was 'a world turned upside down’ kind of situation. This is one of those history courses that focus on the causes, conduct, and significance of these English Civil Wars.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Countdown to war 1625-1640
• The Commonwealth and Protectorate 1649-58
• The long-term significance of the English War

14. From Edward to Elizabeth: The British Monarchy since 1901

This modern history degree aims to explore the fascinating stories of the British monarchs who served as the rulers in Britain since 1901.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• The 1910 constitutional crisis of the House of Lords
• Future of the monarchy in Britain

15. Islamic Art and Architecture

This is one of those Modern History online courses that tells you about Islamic art and architecture and if you are planning to pursue some history courses for the same, then this can be a great choice. It focuses on analyzing the relationship between the Islamic faith and various art forms.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Muslim places of worship and devotion.
• Calligraphy and arts of the Qur’an.
• Painting and figural representation in Islam.
• Ceramics of the Muslim world.
• Muslim metalwork.

Also read: Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to Art History BY University of York, York via Futurelearn

16. Investigating the Victorians

This modern history course will investigate the key features of Victorian society. It aims to establish the links between social and economical change in order to understand the significant developments.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• The landscape of Victorian Britain
• Victorian family life
• Victoria: monarch and empire

17. Art Nouveau across Europe

Starting from the origin of Art Nouveau to its strange death, this course has everything that you need to know about art nouveau. This is also one of the important Modern History online courses that covers all the relevant periods of modern history.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Origins of Art Nouveau
• Brussels and the birth of Art Nouveau
• The Strange Death of Art Nouveau

18. From Magna Carta to the Suffragettes: The Making of the British Constitution

This course focuses on the events in England. From the emergence of Magna Carta to the Suffragettes, this course talks about the development of the modern monarchy.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• The emergence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
• Magna Carta in its time
• The development of the modern monarchy

19. Sacred Landscapes, Holy Sites; Places in Ancient and Medieval Britain

This modern history course focuses on examining the different types of sacred landscapes, the various buildings and places with religious experience.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• Roman adaptation, changing Gods and new cults
• A trip to Bath, Aquae Sulis, Minerva, and Christianity.
• Christian Landscape-Cathedral and Church.

Also read: Indian Culture & History BY Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi via Swayam

20. Dürer to Bruegel: Northern Renaissance Art c.1480-1580

The ten sessions in this course explore the riches of Northern European art from c.1480-1580. Here the candidates will study artists including Dürer, Bosch, Holbein, and Bruegel. It will help you build a sense of appreciation for art, the influence of Italy on the modern day architecture alongside the importance of print among others.

• Offered by Oxford University
• Fees: From £300.00
• Certificate of Completion

Learning outcome

• The status of the artist
• The purpose of works of art
• The importance of prints
• Landscape and travel
• Italian influences

Conclusion

So these were some of the best online courses on Modern History by Oxford University. Whenever we talk about studying modern history at Oxford University, then the most striking thing that comes to our mind is its extraordinary range of choices. There are hundreds of modern history courses offered in various fields. So, if you are a person who has a great deal of interest in studying modern history then there cannot be a better choice than taking these online courses on Modern History by Oxford University.
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