Most of the courses which humanities students can take each semester will be chosen from the regular offerings of the seven disciplines which comprise the humanities programme.
Humanities students should consult with the Chair of the Programme, Dr. Matthew Janes, as soon as possible for suggestions on courses appropriate to their individual needs.
Humanities and the Contemporary World. Humanities and the Contemporary World explores the relevance of humanities disciplines and texts to contemporary cultural forms and practices such as movies, popular music, television, comic books, graphic novels, professional sports, etc. The course will also focus on the mastery of composition skills. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: None
Six Texts that Changed the World. This course focuses on the close reading and interpretation of six major texts which have shaped Western Civilization to a significant degree. These texts are drawn from the major periods of Western history – Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern, Post-Modern – as well as various disciplines within the humanities. The course emphasises the development of hermeneutical and critical thinking skills through the intensive study of longer, more complex texts. Students study a range of literary and discursive forms (poetry, drama, narrative), which serve as models of rhetorical strategy and objects of hermeneutical investigation.
Prerequisite: HUMN 1001
Humanities in the Ancient World is a study of major cultural developments and achievements in art, literature, religion, philosophy, and science in the ancient Mediterranean during the period 4000 BCE to 400 CE. The course explores the great ancient civilizations of the Near East, Greece, and Rome and their influence on the shaping of Western culture and society. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: HUMN 1001 and 1002
This course examines the development of medieval civilization through a consideration of thought, art, spirituality and politics. Medieval culture will be examined largely through primary texts centered on a series of key themes and historical-cultural watersheds. These texts will be contained in a course pack designed for this course. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: HUMN 1001 and 1002
Themes in Humanities is a seminar course in which themes having common interest to the Humanities will be discussed from the perspectives of the various disciplines. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: HUMN 1001 and 1002 or ENG 1000-1001
Corequisite: The former HUMN 3000
Humanities in the Early Modern Period is a study of the major cultural developments and achievements in art, literature, religion, philosophy, and science in Western Europe during the period 1450-1650. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours in at the 2000-level.
This course examines emerging conceptions of the modern self and its expression in philosophy, science, political revolution and constitution, visual art and literature during the period 1650-1850. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 2000-level.
The Nature of Interpretation in Humanities introduces students to central concepts and debates concerning the sorts of interpretation that distinguish Humanities as a discipline. Students gain familiarity with contemporary and historical approaches. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 2000-level.
Humanities and the Environment is an examination of the human understanding of the natural world from the perspectives of the literary arts, the visual arts, and music and religion. It is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours in at the 2000-level.
East Meets West - Asian Traditions and the Humanities is an examination of the influence of Asian currents of thought in the West in literature, philosophy, the visual arts, music and popular culture. This is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours in at the 2000-level.
This course can cover any aspect of Humanities and often is designed with the specific interests of current students in mind.
Prerequisite: 9 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 2000-level.
Humanities Postmodern is a study of major developments in the evolution of culture, thought, arts, science, and beliefs in the Western world from the nineteenth century to the present day. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 12 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 3000-level.
Authors, Events, and Texts is a seminar course in which themes having common interest to the Humanities will be discussed from the perspectives of the various disciplines. This course focuses on close readings of its subject matter and is distinct from theme-oriented courses in Humanities. The course is a designated writing (W) course.
Prerequisite: 12 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 3000-level.
This course focuses on the ways in which later writers reinterpret and appropriate core texts in the humanities tradition. For example, the transformation of Homer’s Odyssey in James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Prerequisite: 12 credit hours in Humanities with at least 3 credit hours at the 2000-level.
Prerequisite: 24 credit hours in Humanities including HUMN 3010.