Humanities BA
Total Units Required: 120
Humanities is a program devoted to the study, appreciation, and analysis of cultural traditions from an interdisciplinary perspective. The Bachelor of Arts in Humanities focuses on the arts (including literature, music, theatre, sculpture, painting, architecture, film) and ideas (philosophical trends, artistic movements, and religious traditions) by examining individual works and thinkers in their particular cultural and historical contexts. The program allows students to specialize in a particular period (such as classical antiquity, the medieval period, the Renaissance, and modernism) or in cultures of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 40-42 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
Some courses appear under more than one area heading, but each course may be used to fulfill requirements in only one area.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| HUMN 220 | Ancient and Medieval Art and Literature | 3 |
| or HUMN 320W | Seminar: Ancient and Medieval Art and Literature (W) | |
| HUMN 222 | Arts and Ideas: Renaissance to the Present | 3 |
| or HUMN 222W | Arts and Ideas: Renaissance to the Present (W) | |
| or HUMN 322W | Seminar: Arts and Ideas from the Renaissance to the Present (W) | |
| HUMN 224W | Asian Film and Literature (W) | 3 |
| or HUMN 324W | Seminar: Asian Film and Literature (W) | |
| HUMN 312 | Digital Humanities | 3 |
| HUMN 400W | Seminar in Humanities (W) | 3 |
| HUMN 402 | Research Tools and Methods in the Humanities | 1 |
| Language Requirement | ||
| Two semesters of language, or pass an oral and written proficiency exam, or equivalent proficiency (on request). | ||
| Select two of the following from the same language: | 6-8 | |
| Beginning Arabic I | ||
| Beginning Arabic II | ||
| Intermediate Arabic I | ||
| Intermediate Arabic II | ||
| Beginning French I | ||
| Beginning French II | ||
| Intermediate French I | ||
| Intermediate French II | ||
| Beginning German I | ||
| Beginning German II | ||
| Intermediate German I | ||
| Intermediate German II | ||
| Beginning Ancient Languages | ||
| Intermediate Ancient Languages | ||
| Beginning Italian I | ||
| Beginning Italian II | ||
| Intermediate Italian I | ||
| Intermediate Italian II | ||
| Beginning Japanese I | ||
| Beginning Japanese II | ||
| Intermediate Japanese I | ||
| Intermediate Japanese II | ||
| Beginning Spanish I | ||
| Beginning Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
or SPAN 202N | Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers | |
| Approaches to the Humanities | ||
| Select four of the following, one course from each group: | 12 | |
Arts: | ||
| Hip Hop Culture | ||
| Art History Issues (W) | ||
| Greek Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Maya Art (W) | ||
| African Art (W) | ||
| Religion and Film | ||
| Religion and the Arts | ||
Historical Studies: | ||
| Greek History | ||
| The Age of Caesar and Augustus | ||
| Early Modern History | ||
| Twentieth-Century War in American Society | ||
| Religions of East Asia | ||
or RELS 300W | Religions of East Asia (W) | |
| Roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Religions of South Asia | ||
Literature: | ||
| American Indian Storytelling/Oral Narrative | ||
| Shakespeare (W) | ||
| Science, Technology and the Literature of Cultural Change (W) | ||
| World Literature in Translation (W) | ||
Theory: | ||
| Conservatives and Liberals | ||
or HUMN 300W | Conservatives and Liberals (W) | |
| Philosophy of Race (W) | ||
| Theories and Criticisms of Religion | ||
| Feminist Theory (W) | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the disciplines below or any of the courses above in Approaches to the Humanities: | 6 | |
Art and Art History: | ||
| Roman Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Medieval Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| 20th Century Art (W) | ||
| Contemporary Art (W) | ||
| Ancient Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Colonial and Modern Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Art History: Theory and Research Methods (W) | ||
Cultural Anthropology: | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| California Indians (W) | ||
| Africa: Continuity and Change (W) | ||
| The Islamic World (W) | ||
| Learning and Engagement in Museums | ||
| Exhibit Research, Design, and Installation | ||
English: | ||
| Survey of Early British Literature | ||
| Survey of Later British Literature | ||
| Approaches to Literary Genres | ||
| Literature of the Child (W) | ||
| Modern Poetry | ||
| Studies in Major American Authors | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
Geography: | ||
| Lands and Peoples of Latin America | ||
History: | ||
| Romans of the East: The Byzantine Empire | ||
| Modern Europe | ||
| Muhammad and the Qur'an | ||
| Middle Eastern Empires | ||
| Middle Eastern Empires (W) | ||
| Premodern East Asia | ||
| Modern East Asia | ||
| Renaissance and Reformations | ||
Humanities: | ||
| Chicana/o Arts and Ideas | ||
| Food and Film | ||
or HUMN 281W | Food and Film (W) | |
Languages and Cultures: | ||
| Survey of French Literature | ||
| Survey of French Literature | ||
| Francophone Literatures and Societies | ||
| Introduction to German Literature | ||
| Introduction to German Literature | ||
| Topics in German Literature | ||
| Literary Explorations of the Hispanic World | ||
| Literature of Mexico | ||
Music: | ||
| Music History (Antiquity to 1850) (W) | ||
| Music History (1850 to Present) | ||
| Music from a Global Perspective | ||
Philosophy: | ||
| History of Ancient Philosophy | ||
| History of Modern Philosophy | ||
| Continental Philosophy | ||
Religious Studies: | ||
| Judaism, Christianity, and Islam since the Crusades | ||
| Religion and Nature | ||
Theatre Arts: | ||
| History of Theatre I | ||
| History of Theatre II (W) | ||
| Total Units | 40-42 | |
Humanities and Art History Double Major
Students may elect a humanities and art history double major. Up to nine units of appropriate upper-division Art History (ARTH) courses may be applied to the humanities major. Prior approval by a department advisor and the chair is required.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
To be eligible for Honors in the Humanities Program, students must have completed at least 30 units of course work in the major with grades that place them in the top 5% of Humanities majors. Students will enroll for six units of credit in HUMN 499HW.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- Any upper-division Writing (W) course.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.