Online World History Courses
Explore the connections, conflicts and cultural exchanges that have shaped the global story with City Lit’s online world history courses. From ancient empires and trade routes to global revolutions, migrations and modern international relations, our expert-led courses offer insight into the events and ideas that continue to influence the world we live in today.
Study a wide range of topics including global empires, colonisation and decolonisation, the Silk Road, world wars, and the development of global institutions. With flexible online learning, live interactive sessions and supportive tutor feedback, you’ll gain a broader perspective on history beyond national borders — all from the comfort of your own home.
Our courses are open to adults of all ages, whether you're new to history or looking to deepen your understanding of global events and their impact. Learn in a collaborative, accessible environment where curiosity and critical thinking are encouraged.
Explore our online world history courses today and connect with the stories that have shaped the shared history of humanity.
- Global History Friday Lates: PearlsCourse start date: Fri 27 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingTrace the history of pearls from 5000 BCE to the 21st century. Did Cleopatra drink a pearl cocktail? Where can you harvest black pearls? Who wrote the Pearl Fishers? How has global warming affected pearl production?
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - The Portuguese Empire; establishment, world-making, demise and legaciesCourse start date: Thu 9 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ingrid Aguiar SchlindweinA journey through the rise and fall of the Portuguese Empire. Uncover pioneering navigation, understand colonial societies in Brazil, Africa, and Asia through their economies, culture, independence struggles, and legacies.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00 - Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700Course start date: Tue 14 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingThe Turks entered European consciousness in 1071 when they captured the Byzantine emperor at the Battle of Manzikert. So began centuries of uneasy co-existence between Christians and Muslims on the fringes of Europe.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Spice Encounters: When Europe encountered Asian Food 1500-1700Course start date: Tue 14 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingEat you way around India, China and Japan through the eyes of Edward Terry and others. The Mongols in China and the Turkic conquerors of India initiated a fusion of cooking traditions still apparent today.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Global History Friday Lates: SilkCourse start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingWe trace the history of this most luxurious of fabrics first produced 8,500 years ago in China.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Hidden Histories of WW2Course start date: Mon 11 May 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maisa Edwards, Sunday Abraham Ogunode, Dafydd Townley, Ketan VariaDiscover the lesser-known histories of WW2 on this 6-week, co-taught course, from the role played by Indians during the independence era to the experiences of Africans and the First Nation peoples of the USA.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Global History Friday Lates: The Medieval Spice TradeCourse start date: Fri 22 May 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingJoin our Global History Friday Late session to discover how spice became the most valuable trade commodity in the pre-modern world that would ultimately lead to the discovery of America.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Global History Friday Lates: Chocolate
Course start date: Fri 26 Jun 2026Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Linsey HunterJoin our Global History Friday Late session to explore the history of chocolate from its origins in the Americas to its widespread consumption as a global commodity in the modern period.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Emerging languages and culturesCourse start date: Tue 8 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jack Pulman-SlaterLearn how humans invent entirely new languages and how these new forms of communication become powerful symbols of identity.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Global encounters: the Silk Roads Course start date: Tue 15 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingTravel nearly 2000 years of history along the Silk Roads across Eurasia and China and explore the cross-cultural impact generated through the expansion of trade.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Global history for beginners Course start date: Thu 1 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Olivia Durand, Martin JorgensenWhat is global history? How is it different from other ways of understanding history? This introductory course will give you a sense of what it means to study global history.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan 1917-21: Revolution, Conflict and Experiments in Independence Course start date: Thu 22 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: David RowsonJoin our tutor David Rowson to discover the fascinating history of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, otherwise known as the South Caucasus. What impact might the Russian Revolution have on these states?Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00 - The Spanish Empire: Power, Conquest, and Legacy Course start date: Tue 27 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maisa EdwardsJoin Dr. Maisa Edwards to explore the rise, global reach and fall of the Spanish Empire from the 1400s to the 1800s.
Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £84.00
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