Elective Courses

HUM 201 The Humanities Through Art (3)
Offers interdisciplinary topics in the study of visual art. Subject, era, and focus to be determined by the instructor.

HUM 202 The Humanities through Philosophy (3)
Does the political subject still exist, or are we merely the demographically determined targets of political campaigns? Do we still need the "state?" Or is this 19th Century concept no longer valid in an era when global capital, transnational corporations, NGOs and other "non-state actors" (e.g. "terrorists") all wield power? Does the complex concept articulate the relations between political subjects and the political community? We will investigate these questions in works by Derrida, Foucault, Zizek, and others.

HUM 211 Explorations of Non-Western Ideas (3)
Interdisciplinary exploration of non-Western ideas—expressions and perspectives of India, China, Japan, Africa, and Southeast Asia—focusing on the broad themes of individual, society, creativity, and cosmos.

HUM 222 Charles Darwin: His Life and His Legacy (3)
Biology, sociology, psychology, even theology, literature, and the arts have all been shaped by the Darwinian paradigm.  Politicians struggle with the impact of his theories, which continue to drive the most fundamental questions: “Who are we, and where did we come from?”  This course looks at the historical Darwin and the contemporary understanding of Darwinism on post-modern life.

HUM 224 20th Century World Views (3)
Surveys contemporary worldviews, including some that profoundly shaped the world in the 20th Century, and now define the 21st Century.  Includes such modes of thought as idealism, phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, Marxism, critical theory, psychoanalysis, structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction, postmodernism, and feminism.  Thematically, our interdisciplinary concern will be with such issues as the rise of Humanism and the reaction against it, the flirtation with Marxism, the rise of the women’s movement, the loss of colonial empires, etc.

HUM 225 Special Topics in Humanities (1-3)
May be repeated as topic varies.

HUM 295 Directed Individual Study (1-3)
May be repeated for credit. Must comply with the MSMC requirements stated on the DS form.

HUM 296A Capstone Project Proposal Workshop (1)
Workshop prepares students for their final project. Required.

HUM 296B Capstone Project (2)
Students may elect to do a Masters thesis or a creative project under the direction of a faculty advisor.  Before registering for the project, students must complete HUM296A and must have their proposals approved by their advisors, the Humanities Committee, and the Director of the Program.  Forms and guidelines are available from the Program Director.

HUM 297ABC Capstone Project Continuation (1,1,1)

HUM 298 Introduction to the Humanities (1)
This 1-unit workshop, taken in the student's first or second semester, explores the concept and interdisciplinary nature of the Humanities and provides an introduction/review of research methods and academic writing. Required.