The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the humanities through opportunities to examine encounters between peoples and cultures and the formation and transformation of dominant and competing worldviews. The humanities, itself an interdisciplinary field, looks at human outputs. It includes literature, history, religious studies, linguistics, the arts, and philosophy. Students will be introduced to these interdisciplinary materials, concerns and skillsets through a series of chronologically organized case studies. The fundamental questions we ask concern how different sociohistorical visions of community interact with equally diverse ideas of the notion of the individual, how these visions are explored by cultures and individuals through different modes of literature, philosophy, religion and the visual arts, and what it means to create something new out of the traditions we are all formed by and grounded in. In addressing these questions through the humanities, students learn to think critically, speak clearly, write convincingly and ask questions, which prepares students for a wide range of contemporary work environments and professions.

Course designated for transfer credit. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

The Capstone seminar will allow students majoring in the social sciences and/or humanities to integrate the knowledge and skills gained through their interdisciplinary degree and apply them to a range of professional settings through case study examples. The students will explore relationships between the different content areas, while examining how their communication, writing, and critical thinking skills apply to issues and challenges commonly experienced in various professional settings. The seminar will culminate in a substantial written or a creative project (e.g., op-ed, website, podcast, etc.) that will highlight the interdisciplinary connections between the students’ prior coursework. Creative projects will be accompanied by a shorter academic narrative.

The Capstone Independent Study will allow humanities majors to integrate the knowledge and skills gained through their interdisciplinary degree and apply them to a range of professional settings through case study examples. The students will explore the relationships between the different areas of the humanities, while examining how their communication, writing, and critical thinking skills apply to issues and challenges commonly experienced in various professional settings. The independent study will culminate in a substantial written or a creative project (e.g., artwork, website, podcast, etc.) that will highlight the interdisciplinary connections between the students’ prior coursework. Creative projects will be accompanied by a shorter academic narrative.