Humanities

Highlights

  • Great flexibility and opportunity for exploration and innovation.

Humanities have held a central place in the liberal arts. The Humanities major is designed to allow the student to construct an interdisciplinary major in cooperation with the Humanities major mentor, based on five disciplines: art history, history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies. In addition to taking courses in all five of the humanities disciplines, the student will have an area of concentration enabling her or him to supplement breath of studies with depth.

Students 

Major Requirements for a B.A. in Humanities

In addition to meeting the course requirements for Humanities, all students must also fulfill the General Education requirements for the Undergraduate College. The Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities requires 120 credits. 

A total of 36 credits are required. Fifteen credits must be in a concentration chosen from one of the disciplines in the Humanities. These disciplines are History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Studio Art or History of Art, and English Literature. In addition to the concentration, students must take at least one course from each Humanities discipline.Two 3-credits seminars, HUM-0352, Humanities Seminar-Methodology, and HUM-0360, Senior Research Seminar: Integrating the Humanities, are also required.

General Education Requirements 57 to 58 credits


Required Courses 36 credits

Five courses in one of the Humanities Disciplines15 credits

One course in each of the remaining five disciplines15 credits
HUM-0352Humanities Seminar – Methodology3 credits
HUM-0360Senior Research Seminar3 credits

Electives

The remaining credit hours are electives and can consist of courses in the Humanities, but should not be limited to those particular disciplines. 

HUM-0352 Humanities Seminar – Methodology
Methodology for research in the humanities, including resources, research techniques, bibliography preparation, and format for formal papers. Analysis of the nature of the Humanities. Prerequisite: Junior Humanities major status. Offered spring semester. 3 credits.

HUM-0360 Senior Research Seminar: Integrating the Humanities
Analysis and discussion of the meaning of the humanities from their origins to the present day. The relationships between various humanistic disciplines will be explored in the context of the liberal arts tradition. Students will evaluate their own major course of study as it relates to themes treated in this course. The course will also guide and direct students in selecting the topic and completing research for the senior thesis. Prerequisite: HUM-0352 and Senior Humanities major status. Offered every other year, spring semester. 3 credits.

HUM-0400 Independent Study
Content and prerequisites to be determined in consultation with appropriate faculty. 1 to 3 credits.

HUM-0480 Internship
A student pursues a particular work experience by agreement with a faculty member. Offered as needed. 1 to 3 credits.

Degree Offered

B.A., Bachelor of Art in Humanities

Faculty

Paul Mojzes
Professor, Religious Studies
Discipline Chair Religious Studies and Humanities

Goal 1
Gain the ability to write academically competent research papers.

Objective: Demonstrate that they had learned the methodology of research consisting of the following stages:

  1. Formulating a thesis or stating the purpose and scope of research.
  2. Gathering information and data.
  3. Organizing information.
  4. Presenting information.
  5. Drawing conclusions.
Goal 2
Gain the ability to approach a societal or workplace problem from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Objective 1: Write three interdisciplinary papers in two seminars (junior and senior seminars).

Objective 2: Demonstrate that they are capable of integrating various approaches to the disciplines that support the Humanities Major.

Goal 3
Prepare students for graduate study, community service and/or employment.

Objective: Assist students in meaningful usage of their major in their future professional goals.