The major in Humanities critically examines the culture, ideas, and values of earlier cultures, western and non-western, both in their original time periods and as they have been appropriated and transformed by later ages. In particular, the program seeks to develop a critical awareness of how the classical past has been utilized as a symbol or an ideal by modern cultures, including American, and how western culture has developed its own particular views about itself as being distinctly different from non-western cultures.
The major is especially recommended for students who have a broad interest in the liberal arts either for their own sake or as preparation for business and the professions. The Humanities program is unique in allowing students the opportunity to select a wide spectrum of courses from a multiplicity of different disciplines (history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, art history, music history).
120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
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Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 42 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major Requirements | 37 | |
| Free Electives | 38-32 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Humanities Courses | ||
| HUMN 201 | General Humanities I (to 1400) | 3 |
| HUMN 202 | General Humanities II (from 1400) | 3 |
| HUMN 285 | Mythology | 3 |
| HUMN 499 | Senior Humanities Seminar | 4 |
| General Humanities Electives | ||
| Complete the 5 elective requirements from the lists (see below) | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 37 | |
General Humanities Electives
History Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select two of the following three requirements: | 6 | |
| Earlier Western History | ||
| Select 0-3 credits from the following: | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Civilization | ||
| Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World | ||
| Special Topics in Ancient History (Greece, Rome, W. Asia, N. Africa, Europe) | ||
| Imaging Medieval and Early Modern Women | ||
| The City in Antiquity | ||
| Alexander the Great: Legend and Legacy | ||
| The Roman Republic | ||
| Cleopatra | ||
| The Roman Empire | ||
| Special Topics in Mediterranean Archaeology | ||
| Field Methods in Mediterranean Archaeology | ||
| Africa in Classical Antiquity | ||
| Introduction to Roman Law | ||
| Medieval Times | ||
| Age of Renaissance, 1350-1517 | ||
| Later Western History | ||
| Select 0-3 credits from the following: | ||
| Social History of the United States | ||
| Economic History of the United States | ||
| History of United States Foreign Relations | ||
| U.S. Women’s History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Political History of the United States | ||
| Feminist Ideas in Western Thought | ||
| Historical Geography of the United States | ||
| History of Russia to 1917 | ||
| Russia Since 1917 | ||
| U.S. Immigration History | ||
| Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States Since 1880 | ||
| European Social History | ||
| The Reformation Era, 1500-1650 | ||
| The Nazi Third Reich | ||
| The Holocaust, 1939-1945 | ||
| American Colonial History 1607-1763 | ||
| The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877 | ||
| The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1877-1920 | ||
| The Rise and Decline of the New Deal Order: United States Politics and Society, 1920·1980 | ||
| America in the Sixties: The Crisis of Consensus Liberalism | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| Black Politics in the United States | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| Contemporary Western European Politics | ||
| Non-Western History | ||
| Select 0-3 credits from the following: | ||
| African History | ||
| Early Latin American History | ||
| Modern Latin America | ||
| Modern Japan: A History of Japan From the Meiji Through the Showa | ||
| Introduction to Indian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Civilization | ||
| Modern Chinese Civilization | ||
| Communist Revolution in China | ||
| Chinese Social History Through Literature | ||
| History of Brazil | ||
| Women and Gender in the Middle East: Past and Present | ||
| Revolutions in Latin American History | ||
| Development of Japanese Character and Culture | ||
| Government and Politics of Africa | ||
| Government and Politics of China and Japan | ||
| Government and Politics of the Middle East | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Philosophy/Religious Studies Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Lucretius and Ancient Science | ||
| Rights, Liberties and American Justice | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Ethics and Business | ||
| Philosophical Issues in Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Philosophical Issues in Law and Justice | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary Philosophers | ||
| Asian Philosophy | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Philosophies of Art | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Critical Reasoning and Arguments | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Philosophy of Sport | ||
| Philosophy of Technology | ||
| Special Topics in Fields in Philosophy | ||
| Special Topics in Periods and Movements | ||
| Special Topics in Periods and Movements | ||
| Knowledge, Belief and Truth | ||
| Existence and Reality | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Legal Reasoning | ||
or JURI 324 | Legal Reasoning | |
| Philosophy and Death | ||
| History of Philosophy: Ancient Philosophy | ||
| History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy | ||
| Special Topics in Fields of Philosophy | ||
| Special Topics in Periods of Movements | ||
| Special Topics in Periods of Movements | ||
| Seminar in Philosophy | ||
| Ethnic Politics in America | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | ||
| Religious Studies | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| New Testament/Christian Scriptures | ||
| American Religious Texts | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion | ||
or HUMN 209 | Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion | |
| Asian Texts | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Taoism | ||
| Death, Dying and Afterlife | ||
| Religion and Culture | ||
| Religion in the United States | ||
| Religion and Social Activism | ||
| Asian Religions | ||
| Islamic Religious Traditions | ||
| Native American Religion | ||
| Religion in Latin America | ||
| Women and Religion | ||
| The Holocaust: Religious Perspectives | ||
| Spirituality and Mysticism | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Psychology of Religion | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Myth Studies Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Myth and Literature | ||
| African Myth and Literature | ||
| Celtic Mythology | ||
| Viking Mythology | ||
| Mythic Traditions | ||
| Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Humanities | ||
| The Mythology of JRR Tolkien's Middle-Earth | ||
| Greek Tragedy | ||
| Seminar in Classical Humanities | ||
| Principles of Mythic Symbolism | ||
| Myth, Meaning and Self | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Literature Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Images of Muslim Women in Twentieth Century Literature and Culture | ||
| Art of Poetry | ||
| Art of Fiction | ||
| Art of Drama | ||
| Contemporary U.S. Literature of Immigration | ||
| Irish Literary Revival: 1890-1939 | ||
| American Indian Themes | ||
| African, Asian and Caribbean Literature in English | ||
| Victorian Popular Fiction | ||
| Contemporary African Literature | ||
| Women Prose Writers | ||
| Literary Modernism | ||
| Contemporary European Drama | ||
| Modern Drama: Ibsen to O'Neill | ||
| Modern European Novel | ||
| Speculative Fiction: Fantasy | ||
| Science Fiction | ||
| Autobiography | ||
| Seminar in Comparative Literature | ||
| Russian Culture and Civilization | ||
or RUIN 193 | Russian Culture and Civilization | |
| Reading Asian Cultures | ||
| Special Topics in Greek and Roman Literature and Culture | ||
| History of Criticism | ||
| Seminar in Classical Humanities | ||
| National Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| American Drama | ||
| Black Writers in the United States: A Survey | ||
| Social Protest Literature in America | ||
| English Literature I: Beginnings to 1660 | ||
| English Literature II: 1660 to Present | ||
| Special Topics in English or American Literature | ||
| English Novel to 1900 | ||
| Vietnam War and American Culture | ||
| Women Poets | ||
| The Novels of Toni Morrison | ||
| American Poetry to 1940 | ||
| American Poetry: World War II to Present | ||
| Early American Literature | ||
| Literature of American Renaissance | ||
| American Literary Realism | ||
| Modern American Fiction | ||
| Recent American Fiction 1990 to Present | ||
| Literature of the Long Eighteenth Century | ||
| Milton | ||
| Chaucer | ||
| Medieval English Literature | ||
| 19th Century English Romantic Literature | ||
| Victorian Poetry | ||
| Renaissance Literature | ||
| English Drama: Beginnings to 1642 | ||
| Shakespeare: Comedies-Histories | ||
| Shakespeare: Tragedies-Romances | ||
| Contemporary Poetry | ||
| Old English Language and Literature | ||
| Seminar in American Literature | ||
| Seminar in English Literature | ||
| Digital Transformations in the Humanities | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Art and Music History Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| African-American Art | ||
| Asian Art | ||
| African Art: Sub-Saharan | ||
| Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic | ||
| Renaissance Art in Italy: The Fifteenth Century | ||
| Renaissance Art in Italy: The Sixteenth Century | ||
| Northern Renaissance Painting | ||
| Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Art | ||
| Art of the Nineteenth Century | ||
| Twentieth-Century Art | ||
| Modern Architecture | ||
| Special Topics in Art History | ||
| Greek Art | ||
| Roman Art | ||
| Early Medieval Art: Early Christian, Byzantine Early Medieval | ||
| Introduction to Music | ||
| Introduction to Jazz | ||
| Rap and Rock as Cultural Phenomena | ||
| The History of Broadway | ||
| Influence of Afro-American Culture on Music | ||
| Introduction to Music in World Cultures | ||
| Special Topics in Global Art Cultures | ||
| Modern Philosophies of Art | ||
| History of Contemporary Art | ||
| History of Product Design | ||
| Theories of Looking: Critical Theory and Visual Culture | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Mathematics course. | 3 | |
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course. | 4 | |
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete EDFD 200 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course. | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete SASE 210 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Total Credits | 42 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses. | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3-9 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | HUMN 202 | 3 |
| HUMN 201 | 3 | Religious Studies Elective | 3 |
| HUMN 285 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (I) Natural Science Laboratory | 4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (H) Mathematics | 3 | World Language II | 3 |
| World Language I | 3 | History Elective #1 | 3 |
| Philosophy Elective | 3 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (K3) Social Science – Social Science Perspectives | 3 |
| World Cultures | 3 | Art and Music Elective | 3 |
| National Literature Elective | 3 | Comparative Literature Elective | 3 |
| Myth Studies Elective | 3 | History Elective #2 | 3 |
| Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (L) Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| HUMN 499 | 4 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 | Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 |
| Free Elective/Minor Course | 3 | Free Elective | 2 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||