HumanitiesHumanitiesProfessors—Arias, Birt, Chandler, Knier, Leonard, Luft, Lunine, Nathan
Associate Professors—Scott, Steier
Assistant Professor—Ruotolo
B.A. in Humanities
Minor in Humanities
M.A. in Humanities
The program enables students to seek understanding of cultural experience through interdisciplinary study of the humanities. Social conduct, values, and artistic insights reflecting many human communities are studied in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Humanities majors develop methods of bringing the various humanities, such as literature, music, visual forms, and architecture, into an integrative view of the world's cultural diversity.
Students who wish to base their careers on broad knowledge of American and world cultures will find this major applicable to posts in government, business, education, and the arts. Practical training in a specific professional field (library work, foreign teaching or career service, journalism, museum work, etc.) may well be taken in conjunction with the major or the minor in Humanities. Students earning the B.A. in Humanities may qualify themselves for high school teaching credentials in English or History through special advising and supplemental course work. Those earning the M.A. in Humanities are qualified to seek the Community College Instructor Credential.
For the B.A. in Humanities, students must complete a core of five courses (including a senior seminar) in basic methods of understanding culture through the humanities, and then choose combinations of courses in European, American, Asian, and Cross-Cultural Studies (the cross-cultural studies area consists of courses in which the subject matter is from another geographic area than the Americas, Europe, or Asia, and courses that specifically include a number of different cultures). In one of these culture-study areas, additional courses will be chosen, making it the area of emphasis in the major. Up to three appropriate courses in related departments such as ethnic studies, English, art, and music may be included in the major with an adviser's approval.
Students minoring in Humanities must complete four core courses and three additional courses in one or more of the culture-study areas, depending upon the emphasis desired.
The Master of Arts in Humanities is an interdisciplinary program which emphasizes the integrative study of culture, ideas, and the arts, with special concern for the questions of value—moral, intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic—that are inherent in major human expressions. It serves a variety of personal and career objectives, including preparation for advanced study in a wide variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary degree programs in the humanities, as well as for teaching credentials in areas in which the master's degree is required.
Online course descriptions are available.
The department's lower division General Education courses (HUM 130, 220, 225) or other lower division courses concerned with ideas, social conditions, and art forms are recommended for students planning to major or minor in Humanities. Study or practical experience toward mastery of a foreign language is strongly recommended along with the major or minor.
| Core | Units | |
| HUM 301 | Style and Expressive Forms | 3 |
| HUM 302 | Theories and Methods in the Humanities | 3 |
| HUM 303 | Cultural Periods and Styles | 3 |
| HUM 425 | Thought and Image | 3 |
| HUM 690 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Cross-Cultural Studies Three units selected from the following, or other appropriate courses on advisement: HUM 365 (great figures from outside Europe, the Americas, and Asia); 375 (cities outside Europe, the Americas, and Asia); courses numbered 310-399; 501 |
3 | |
| European Culture Studies Six units selected from the following, or other appropriate courses on advisement: HUM 365 (European great figures); 375 (European cities); courses numbered 400-449, except 425 |
6 | |
| American Culture Studies Six units selected from the following, or other appropriate courses on advisement: HUM 365 (American and Latin American great figures); 375 (American and Latin American cities); 376 (San Francisco); courses 450-495 |
6 | |
| Asian Culture Studies Six units selected from the following, or other appropriate courses on advisement: HUM 365 (Asian great figures); 375 (Asian cities); courses numbered 507-549 |
6 | |
| Additional Courses Units selected from one of the above culture study areas, or other appropriate courses on advisement |
6 | |
| Total units for the major | 42 | |
NOTE: Up to three appropriate courses (nine units) in related departments or programs may be substituted for departmental course work in the culture-study areas.
| Program | Units | |
| HUM 301 | Style and Expressive Forms | 3 |
| HUM 302 | Theories and Methods in the Humanities | 3 |
| HUM 303 | Cultural Periods and Styles | 3 |
| HUM 425 | Thought and Image | 3 |
| Three courses chosen on advisement in one or more of the culture study areas of the major. One of these (up to three units) may be taken outside the department | 9 | |
| Total units in the minor | 21 | |
Admission to classified standing in the program is given on evaluation of several factors in an applicant's education and experience. Of considerable importance are the subjects and range of undergraduate study; emphasis is given to courses in literature, history, philosophy, the arts, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary humanities, but studies in the sciences or social sciences may also be valuable. Other factors bearing on admission may include work experience, personal interests, and proficiency in one of the arts.
Level One: satisfactory score on Graduate Essay Test. Level Two: satisfactory completion of master's thesis or written comprehensive or final research paper.
In consultation with the graduate coordinator or other members of the department's graduate faculty, each student should prepare a plan for completion of degree work by the beginning of his/her second semester. It will outline all M.A. course work, and describe the culminating experience and special skill to be carried out for the degree. This plan will be the basis of the Graduate Approved Program submitted to the Graduate Division on the student's behalf, with the approval of the graduate adviser and coordinator.
Besides meeting general requirements of the program, students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in order to qualify for advancement to candidacy for the master's degree. Official advancement to candidacy comes about with acceptance of a Graduate Approved Program by the Graduate Division.
Online course descriptions are available. With the graduate adviser's approval, most upper division Humanities Department courses may be used to satisfy a portion of the Master of Arts requirements.
| Core Requirements | Units | |
| HUM 700 | Introduction to Integrative Study | 3 |
| HUM 721 | Culture and Style | 3 |
| Units selected from the following in the integrative study of cultural expression, on advisement (one course must be non-Western) | 6 | |
| HUM 710 | Seminar in European Forms and Culture | |
| HUM 711 | Seminar in American Forms and Culture | |
| HUM 712 | Seminar in African Forms and Culture | |
| HUM 713 | Seminar in Asian Forms and Culture | |
| Disciplines of the Humanities | ||
| Units selected under advisement from the following: | 6 | |
| HUM 701 | Fine Arts in the Humanities | |
| HUM 702 | Literature in the Humanities | |
| HUM 703 | History in the Humanities | |
| HUM 704 | Philosophy in the Humanities | |
| Issues in the Humanities | ||
| Units selected on advisement | 3-6 | |
| HUM 720 | Humanistic Themes | |
| HUM 722 | New Models in Humanistic Studies | |
| HUM 723 | Contemporary Humanistic Scholarship | |
| Electives | ||
| Units selected on advisement with the graduate coordinator and adviser | 3-6 | |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| HUM 895 | Special Project and Oral Defense | |
| HUM 896 | Directed Study in Selected Humanistic Works and | |
| Comprehensive Written and Oral Examinations | ||
| HUM 898 | Master's Thesis and | |
| Oral Defense | ||
| Minimum total | 30 | |
Culminating Experience. The chosen culminating experience (895, 896, or 898) should be integral with the candidate's larger M.A. plan and with his/her longer career objective. It will be carried out in the final semester of work for the degree, with the aid of a graduate faculty member acting as sponsor and tutor; at least two other faculty members will serve with the sponsor on the student's M.A. committee and will join in evaluation of the culminating experience. The candidate must present a proposal for his/her culminating project in writing to a sponsor/tutor to initiate it.
Foreign Language. Reading proficiency in a foreign language is required. Under exceptional circumstances a candidate may petition to substitute demonstrable proficiency in an auxiliary skill that has a clear relationship to his/her M.A. program.