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| Home Classics Humanities Course DescriptionsClass ScheduleMAP Faculty Lectures & Events Students Scholarships Alumni & Friends Helicon College of Arts & Letters Phone 619-594-5186 Arts & Letters 662 |
HumanitiesHumanities is the interdisciplinary study of literature, language, history, philosophy, religion, and the fine arts. We call these disciplines “the humanities” because they are concerned with human creations and achievements. Although our study begins with the Greeks and Romans, the humanities apply to all ages and civilizations. The humanities search out the values and ideals of human expression, not the norms. They focus on persons as models rather than types. And they prompt our subjective and moral judgments beyond mere objective description. In short, the humanities embrace the best of our human heritage. They stimulate not only our minds but our emotions. They lead us to better understand ourselves by better understanding others through their exceptional accomplishments. The context of Humanities is historical; that is, you must be generally familiar with the period and the character of the civilization under study. The mode of Humanities is literary; that is, you must resort not only to the statements of the age but to analysis of those statements and of nonliterary expressions such as art, drama, and music. Some graduates in Humanities enter careers in publishing or travel or education or the arts. Still others use their liberal arts experience to work into management or administration or to study law. MajorThe Humanities major has two tracks: General Humanities and European Humanities. The General program provides a contrast between the European and non-European traditions. The European emphasis centers on a five-course survey of European civilization from the Greeks to the 21st century. Twelve units of preparatory courses in history and the arts, literature, religion, and philosophy point to the interdisciplinary approach of Humanities. A foreign language requirement of four to seven semesters facilitates some expertise in a classical or national civilization. See MAPs (Academic Master Plans) to plan the eight semesters of your major. Interdisciplinary study and specific courses demonstrate the scope and methods of this 30-upper-division-unit major, which culminates in an interdisciplinary Senior Seminar with a theme that bears on classical and nonclassical humanities. There is also a senior portfolio. No minor is required with this major. In sum, as a Humanities graduate, you should be able to articulate a view of civilization, art, and literature; to compare moral and aesthetic values in national and cultural contexts; and to philosophize about the human condition. MinorThe minor in Humanities requires about a third as many courses as the major and a third as many upper division courses. Humanities minors can complete their 15-unit program in as little as one year. Courses in Humanities & Related Disciplines for the Major & MinorThe following courses are acceptable for the Humanities major, minor, and preparation for the major. Many titles have been revised for the 2007-08 Catalog. Courses taught usually in fall or spring will be marked F or S; otherwise, courses are taught irregularly. Asterisked courses have prerequisites. Humanities Art Asian Studies Classics Comparative Literature English Geography History Music Philosophy Political Science Religious Studies Theater Women’s Studies |