Humanities
Note: Please refer to the Advanced Placement & Transfer Credit Section in the Course Catalog if you have Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Project Advance or transfer credit for any course that might apply to this requirement. Remember: Do not select a course for which you may already have credit.
Below is a list of courses that will fulfill the Humanities requirement.
Hover over course # to see a course description.
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
| AAS 231*African American literature and folklore from colonial days to 1900. Autobiographies, fiction, and poetry, including works by Wheatley, Douglass, Jacobs, Brown, Webb, Hopkins, Dunbar, Chesnutt, Dubois, Johnson, Washington. | African American Literature to 1800: An Introduction | 3 |
| ANT 185*Predominant views of reality and values in the cultures of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Humanistic study of cultures and nature of cross-cultural understanding. | Global Encounters: Comparing World Views and Values Cross Culturally | 3 |
| ENG 105*This course is designed to introduce the student to three types of creative writing: poetry, fiction and mixed literary forms, and the craft and skills needed to write effectively in each. | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENG 107*Introduction to visiting writers and their work. Lectures and small group sections emphasize dynamic and plastic nature of writing. Opportunity to question the authors directly on content, influences, and technique. | Living Writers | 3 |
| ENG 113*British literature before 1789. | British Literature, Beginnings to 1789 | 3 |
| ENG 117*American writing before 1865, mainly from the English-speaking colonies and the United States. | American Literature, Beginnings to 1865 | 3 |
| ENG 118*American writing since 1865, mainly from the United States. | American Literature, 1865 to Present | 3 |
| ENG 121*Selected plays of Shakespeare read in conjunction with performances on video. | Introduction to Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENG 125*This course examines the history and social significance of the Science Fiction genre; it features time in our library’s Special Collections and opportunities for creative and collaborative work, as well as critical reading and writing. | Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 142*Exploration of complexities of contemporary reading and interpretation of varied texts of culture. Concepts such as authorship, the book, readers, textuality, and contexts. | Narratives of Culture: Introduction to Issues of Critical Reading | 3 |
| ENG 145*Semiotic analysis of American culture and its artifacts. Topics of analysis may include consumerism, advertising, film, music, TV, video, language, gender/race/class, mythic characters, cultural outlaws, virtual culture | Reading Popular Culture | 3 |
| ENG 151*Critical study of poetry from various historical periods. Formal, theoretical, and interpretive issues. | Interpretation of Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 152*Critical study of drama from various historical periods. Formal, theoretical, and interpretive issues. | Interpretation of Drama | 3 |
| ENG 153*Critical study of fiction from more than one historical period. Formal, theoretical, and interpretive issues. | Interpretation of Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 154*Critical study of film from various historical periods. Formal, theoretical, and interpretive issues. | Interpretation of Film | 3 |
| ENG 155*Critical study of nonfiction from more than one historical period and geographic locale. Formal, theoretical, and interpretive issues. | Interpretation of Nonfiction | 3 |
| ENG 156*This course will explore the evolving form of digital games, tracing their historical roots in traditional board games and other associated cultural modes of play to current and possible future iterations of video games. We will employ a range of critical approaches to gaming; games will be “read” and critically interrogated as texts, and the relationships between game, player, design, software, interface, and structures of play will be discussed. | Interpretation of Games | 3 |
| ENG 164*Examining a variety of genres, including fairytales, folktales, and fables, nonsense poetry, didactic literature, adventure stories, picture books, and fantasy novels, we will consider the ways in which these texts represent childhood and how these representations are informed by historical, cultural, and psychological contexts. | Children’s Literature | 3 |
| ENG 174*Readings from classics of antiquity and the first millennium, including Gilgamesh, The Iliad, Ramayana, the Bible, Chinese and Japanese literature, the Quran, and 1001 Nights. Texts are explored in historical context, both past and present. | World Literature, Beginnings to 1000 | 3 |
| ENG 182*Construction and representation of “race,” especially as it affects the production and reception of literary and other cultural texts. | Race and Literary Texts | 3 |
| ENG 192*Construction and representation of “gender,” especially as it affects the production and reception of literary and other cultural texts. [Crosslisted with WGS 192.] | Gender and Literary Texts | 3 |
| ENG 193*This course delves into a broad range of Asian American literatures. | Introduction to Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 215*Practice in writing poetry. | Introductory Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENG 217*Practice in writing fiction. | Introductory Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| HOA 105* Introductory overview of art and architecture from antiquity through the late medieval period that emphasizes how visual culture relates to historical and intellectual circumstances, society values, technology and diverse and changing identities. |
Arts and Ideas I | 3 |
| HOM 125*Elementary note reading, meter, intervals; diatonic harmony including key signatures, major & minor scales, triads, 7th chords and accompanying chord symbols. For non-music majors only. | Introductory Music Theory | 3 |
| HOM 267*MHL 267 European music before 1800 in its cultural and philosophical contexts. Extensive listening. Analytical focus on selected composers and works. Presupposes familiarity with musical notation, terms, and contexts. | European Music before 1800 | 3 |
| HST 111*Major characteristics of European political, social, and cultural life from Middle Ages to advent of democratic revolutions. | Early Modern Europe: 1350-1815 | 3 |
| HST 210*The Ancient Mediterranean emphasizing major political, cultural, religious, and social developments. The Near East, Classical Greece, Hellenistic Civilization, Roman Republic, Roman Empire up to the fourth century A.D. | The Ancient World | 3 |
| JSP 114*The Bible is among the world’s most widely-read literature and has influenced art, literature, law and politics as well as religious traditions. This survey of Jewish and Christian scriptures pays particular attention to the function of the Torah, the Gospels, and the Bible as ancient and modern scriptures, as well as their literary contents, their composition, and their role in the development of Western religions and cultures. [Crosslisted: REL 114] | The Bible in History, Culture and Religion | 3 |
| JSP 131*Introduction to fiction by Jewish authors. Topics include modernization, rebellion against authority, alienation, childhood, superstition, and the holocaust. Some films included. Cross-listed with LIT 131/REL 131. | Great Jewish Writers | 3 |
| JSP 135*Survey of Judaic ideas, values, and cultural expressions as found in biblical, talmudic, medieval, mystical, and modern texts. [Crosslisted: REL 135] | Judaism | 3 |
| LIN 201*Introduction to the study of human language. Language change and diversity, usage, meaning, phonetics, grammatical description, and language learning. | The Nature and Study of Language | 3 |
| LIT 131*Introduction to fiction by Jewish authors. Topics include modernization, rebellion against authority, alienation, childhood, superstition, and the holocaust. Some films included. Cross-listed with JPS 131/REL 131. | Great Jewish Writers | 3 |
| LIT 226*Lectures, readings, discussions, and reports on Dostoevsky’s and Tolstoy’s major novels. | Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy | 3 |
| MES 165*Islam as a faith and a civilization. Understanding its origins, beliefs, rituals, and historical development of its intellectual traditions in the pre-modern and modern eras, and its geographic, cultural, and theological diversity today. [Crosslisted: REL 165 and SAS 165] | Discovering Islam | 3 |
| PHI 107*An introduction to some major questions about knowledge and reality, such as the existence of God, the mind-body problem, free will and the nature and limits of knowledge. Historical and contemporary readings. Credit will not be given for both PHI 109 and PHI 107. | Theories of Knowledge and Reality (not to be taken with PHI 109) | 3 |
| PHI 125*Introduction to theories of major modern political philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, Hume, J.S. Mill, Marx). Contemporary theories of liberty, justice, and equality. [Crosslisted with PSC 125] | Political Theory | 3 |
| PHI 171*Presentation and evaluation of reasoning, including arguments, explanations, and the justification of decisions. Topics of current social and ethical interest will serve as examples, with one topic selected for extended study. | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| PHI 175*Classical and contemporary readings on basic topics in social and political philosophy; political obligation and authority, justice and basic rights, liberty and equality, the justification of democracy. | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 191*Philosophical reflection on the question: what is the meaning of life. Survey of some of the most influential answers philosophers have given to this question, including god, happiness, work, action, play, mortality, and the absence of meaning. | The Meaning of Life | 3 |
| PHI 192*Major philosophical theories about moral rightness, virtue, and the good life, such as utilitarian, Kantian, and Aristotelian theories. Historical and contemporary sources. Credit cannot be received for both PHI 192 and PHI 209. | Introduction to Moral Theory | 3 |
| PHI 197*Philosophical theories of human nature, their underlying metaphysical claims, and their ethical consequences. | Human Nature | 3 |
| PHI 251*Logic as a formal language, as a component of natural language, and as a basis of a programming language. Varieties of logical systems and techniques. Syntax, semantics and pragmatics. | Logic | 3 |
| PHI 293*Great traditions in ethical theory; application to television, film, new media. Role of ethics in program and content development; and in business practices. Ethical issues arising from social networking, globalization, and new trends in the media. | Ethics and Media Professions | 3 |
| REL 101*The nature and significance of religion within human culture and existence as evidenced in various religions of the world both past and present. | Religions of the World | 3 |
| REL 103*The religious/ceremonial origins of sports; importance of sports in human culture; issues of identity, gender, race, ethnicity as defined by sports. Special emphasis on lacrosse. | Religion and Sports | 3 |
| REL 114*Jewish and Christian scriptures in their ancient Near Eastern and Hellenistic contexts, with particular attention to their literary forms, the history of their composition, and their role in the development of Western religions and cultures. Credit is not given for REL/JSP 114 and either REL/JSP 215 or REL 217. | The Bible in History, Culture and Religion | 3 |
| REL 131*Introduction to fiction by Jewish authors. Topics include modernization, rebellion against authority, alienation, childhood, superstition, and the holocaust. Some films included. [Crosslisted with JSP 131 and LIT 131.] | Great Jewish Writers | 3 |
| REL 135*Survey of Judaic ideas, values, and cultural expressions as found in biblical, talmudic, medieval, mystical, and modern texts. [Cross-listed as JSP 135.] | Judaism | 3 |
| REL 165*Islam as a faith and a civilization. Understanding its origins, beliefs, rituals, and historical development of its intellectual traditions in the pre-modern and modern eras, and its geographic, cultural, and theological diversity today. [Crosslisted: MES 165 and SAS 165] | Discovering Islam | 3 |
| REL 191*Exploration of the age-old quest for meaning, knowledge and faith in the face of suffering and loss through art, philosophy, music and literature. | Religion, Meaning and Knowledge | 3 |
| SAS 165*Islam as a faith and a civilization. Understanding its origins, beliefs, rituals, and historical development of its intellectual traditions in the pre-modern and modern eras, and its geographic, cultural, and theological diversity today. [Crosslisted: MES 165 and REL 165] | Discovering Islam | 3 |
| WGS 101*Introduces the interdisciplinary field of women’s and gender studies; gender as a social construct shaped by race, class, sexuality, disability, and nation; and feminist theories of oppression, power and resistance. | Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies | 3 |
| WRT 114*Nonacademic writing; creative nonfiction, memoir, the essay. Students write texts experimenting with style, genre, and subject; read contemporary nonfiction texts by varied authors; attend lectures/readings of visiting writers. | Writing Culture | 3 |
| WRT 115*Rhetorical study and practice of critical, research-based writing in response to environmental issues and their material and discursive contexts. Emphasizes audience and genre-awareness to produce persuasive, culturally situated interventions in environmental debates. | Writing, Rhetoric and the Environment | 3 |
| WRT 116*Examination of persuasive strategies of written arguments and genres intended to support and promote social action. | Writing, Rhetoric and Social Action | 3 |