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Humanities

Students may seek either an academic major or minor in humanities.

Major in Humanities

The humanities major offers a multidisciplinary study of global humanities that integrates topics in the arts, history, language and culture, literature, and philosophy and religion. The humanities major provides a broad perspective on human behavior, thought, and values and focuses on American, Asian, and European cultures. The integrated humanities major encourages thinking across traditional disciplines.

Objectives

The student who graduates with a major in humanities will be able to

• Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for the cultural traditions, major ideas, and historical developments of the human experience.
• Explain and critically assess the interrelationships of the arts, history, language and culture, literature, and philosophy.
• Understand the major historical and cultural forces that influence and control American, Asian, and European societies.
• Develop interdisciplinary and multicultural perspectives for analyzing and comparing the arts, history, language and culture, literature, and philosophies.
• Apply critical reasoning, judgment, and choice.
• Write and speak effectively and clearly.
• Use computers for communication and research.

Degree Requirements

A degree with a major in humanities requires the successful completion of 120 credits of coursework including 30 credits for the major (indicated by ); 41 credits in general education requirements (GERs); and 49 credits in the minor, electives, and other requirements. At least 15 credits in the major must be earned in upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above).

Requirements for the Humanities Major

Coursework for a major in humanities includes the following:

Recommended Sequence

The following course sequence will fulfill all of the requirements for the BA in humanities. Since some recommended courses fulfill more than one requirement, substituting courses for those listed may make it necessary to take additional courses to meet degree requirements. Students should consult an academic advisor whenever taking advantage of other options.
Information on alternate courses (where allowable) to fulfill general education requirements (in communications, arts and humanities, behavioral and social sciences, biological and physical sciences, mathematics, and interdisciplinary issues) and cross-curricular requirements (in civic responsibility, historical, and international perspectives) may be found on the GER page.

First Courses
(to be taken within the first 18 credits)

Note: Placement tests are required for math and English composition courses.

LIBS 150 Information Literacy and Research Methods (1)

ENGL 101/101X Introduction to Writing (3)

MATH 105 Mathematics: Contemporary Topics and Applications (3)
or MATH 106 Finite Mathematics
or a higher-level math course

Introductory Courses
(to be taken within the first 30 credits)

PHIL 140 Contemporary Moral Issues (3)
or other ARTH, ARTT, HIST, HUMN, MUSC, PHIL, THET, dance, literature, or foreign language course to fulfill the first general education requirement in arts and humanities

BIOL 101 Concepts of Biology (3)
and BIOL 102 Laboratory in Biology (1)
or other course(s) to fulfill the general education requirement in biological and physical sciences with related laboratory

ENGL 291 Expository and Research Writing (3)
or other course to fulfill the general education requirement in communications/ writing

GVPT 170 American Government (3)
or other ANTH, BEHS, ECON, GEOG, GVPT, PSYC, SOCY, or eligible AASP, CCJS, GERO, or WMST course to fulfill the first general education requirement in behavioral and social sciences

IFSM 201 Introduction to Computer-Based Systems (3)

HUMN 102 Classical Foundations (3)
or HUMN 120 America in Perspective

Foundation Courses
(to be taken within the first 60 credits)

PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology (3)
or SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology
or other course to fulfill the second general education requirement in behavioral and social sciences (discipline must differ from first)

NSCI 100 Introduction to Physical Science (3)
or ASTR 100 Introduction to Astronomy
or other course to fulfill the general education requirement in biological and physical sciences

HIST 142 Western Civilization II (3)
or HIST 157 History of the United States Since 1865
or other course(s) to fulfill the second general education requirement in arts and humanities (discipline must differ from first) and the cross-curricular requirement for historical perspective

IFSM 304 Ethics in the Information Age (3)
or other course(s) to fulfill the second general education requirement in interdisciplinary issues/computing and the cross-curricular requirement in civic responsibility

SPCH 100 Foundations of Speech Communication (3)
or ENGL 281 Standard English Grammar, Usage, and Diction
or other course to fulfill the general education requirement in communications/ writing or speech

HUMN 351 Myth and Culture (3)
or HUMN 120 American Perspective
or other course to fulfill the cross-curricular requirement in international perspective

Additional Required Courses
(to be taken after introductory and foundation courses)

ENGL 391/391X Advanced Expository and Research Writing (3)
or other course to fulfill the general education requirement in communications/ upper-level intensive writing

ARTH 370 History of World Art I (3)
or other arts breadth course for major (see Requirements for the Major)

COMM 380 Language in Social Contexts (3)
or other language and linguistics breadth course for the major (see Requirements for the Major)

ENGL 303 Critical Approaches to Literature (3)
or other literature breadth course for the major (see Requirements for the Major)

HUMN 350 The Religious Quest (6)
or other philosophy and religion breadth course for the major (see Requirements for the Major)

Note: If a 3-credit course is used to fulfill this requirement, another 3-credit HUMN or breadth course must be taken to complete major requirements.

HUMN 336 Ideas Shaping the 21st Century (6)
or other supplemental major course(s) (see Requirements for the Major)

A supplemental major course (3)
(see Requirements for the Major)

Minor and/or Elective Courses
(to be taken in the last 60 credits along with required major courses) (49)

Total credits for BA in humanities (120)

Minor in Humanities

The humanities minor complements the skills the student gains in his or her major discipline by providing an integrated curriculum for enrichment and exploration of culture and ideas, as well as a broad perspective on human behavior, thought, and values across traditional disciplines.

Objectives

The student who graduates with a minor in humanities will be able to

• Discuss some of the cultural traditions, major ideas, and historical developments of the human experience.
• Explain and critically assess the interrelationships of philosophy, language, literature, history, and the arts as forms of human expression.
• Interpret some of the major historical and cultural forces that influence and control European, Asian, or American societies.
• Apply critical reasoning, judgment, and choice.
• Write and speak effectively and clearly.
• Use computers for communication and research.

Requirements for the Minor

A minor in humanities requires the completion of 15 credits of coursework in the humanities at least 9 of which must be earned in upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above). Specific course requirements are listed below. If a specific course required for the minor is taken instead to satisfy the requirements for the major, another course in the same discipline should be substituted to fulfill the required minimum number of credits for the minor. Any course used to replace an upper-level course should also be classified as upper-level.

Humanities Minor Courses
(to be taken in the last 60 credits with required and supplemental major courses)

Language and Linguistics Course
One course chosen from the language and linguistics breadth courses listed for the major (3)

Literature Course
One course chosen from the literature breadth courses listed for the major (3)

Philosophy and Religion Course
One course chosen from the philosophy and religion breadth courses listed for the major (3)

Arts Course
One course chosen from the arts breadth courses listed for the major (3)

Supplemental Course
Any upper-level HUMN course (3)

Total credits for minor in humanities (15)

For a listing of all the requirements for the bachelor's degree, students should refer to the overall bachelor's degree requirements.

Last updated: 10 October 2006