Outline

Overview

In this unit you will develop the analytical skills to understand historical change. We will examine political, economic, social and cultural trends in a range of regions across a large span of time, c. 1000-1750 AD. Topics covered include Christianity and Islam, varieties of states and empires, and political transformations. We will examine the significance of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment, and consider what these episodes look like in a global context.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Brophy, david.brophy@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Take-home exercise 1500 words. Short-release task (24 hours): simple extensions not available.	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 17 Nov 2025 at 23:59	1500 words. Short-release task	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Early Feedback Task Short quiz #earlyfeedbacktask	0%	Week 03 Due date: 22 Aug 2025 at 23:59	Short quiz	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Primary source analysis: iconographic document Assessment instructions can be found on Canvas.	30%	Week 05 Due date: 05 Sep 2025 at 23:59	1500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Primary source analysis: short text 1,500 words	30%	Week 09 Due date: 10 Oct 2025 at 23:59	1500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Tutorial participation Preparation for and scholarly participation in class. Assessed throughout the semester.	10%	Weekly	n/a	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to 'Age of Empires'	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	No tutorials in Week 1	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	At the dawn of the Middle Ages: the Carolingian Empire (mid-8th to 10th c.)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	How to govern an early medieval empire? Carolingian capitularies (779-802)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Byzantium: a history of imperial decline?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Portraying the Byzantine emperor at Hagia Sophia	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Forgotten empires of Africa: Mali in the 13th –14th centuries	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	An African town in the Empire of Mali: Timbuktu	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	The early Islamic world: from Caliphate to Caliphates (1st to mid-7th c AH / 7th to mid-13th c. CE)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Muhammad, Prophet of God and Statesman	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	The Mongol World Empire	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Missionaries at the Mongol Court	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Chinggis’s Successors: Mongols, Timurids, and Mughals	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Eurasian diplomacy in the fifteenth century: Timurid Relations with Ming China	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Osman’s Children: The Ottomans	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Ottoman Conquest & Magnificence	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Qing Expansion and the Making of Modern China	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	The Qing Universal Emperorship	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Rulers of the Sea: Portuguese Transoceanic Empire, c. 1400-1700 AD	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	First Portuguese Impressions of New World Nature	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Clash of Civilisations: The Spanish Imperial Invasion of the New World, c. 1492-1700	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Making a Mestizo Identity under Spanish Imperial Rule	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Private Corporations as Empires: Company-States, Missionaries, and the Early Modern Global Order, c. 1500-1700 AD	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Debating High Sea Rights and Corporate Imperialism in Early Modern Times	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	(1) Ending Empires; (2) A guide to the exam	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Imperial Legacies	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: Lectures will be recorded and made available to students on Canvas. Students are responsible for making sure that they access lectures recordings prior to attending their weekly tutorials.
Tutorials: Students are responsible for coming prepared to their weekly tutorial. Details of required readings and preparation are available on Canvas.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of more than one period, place, or culture of the pre-modern era
LO2. Demonstrate an understanding of the variety of approaches to interpreting the past, particularly political, cultural, social and intellectual
LO3. Identify and be familiar with written, visual and digital primary sources belonging to the pre-modern era
LO4. Examine historical issues by undertaking research that begins with a problem and establishes its historical context
LO5. Analyse historical evidence, scholarship and changing representations of the past using the skills of sifting through information to weigh its significance and close reading of various texts
LO6. Construct an evidence-based argument or narrative in oral and written form

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Based on tutorial experiences in 2021, we have revised discussion strategies for the upcoming year.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

HSTY1002: Age of Empires

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links