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 |
HUMN 222 | Arts and Ideas: Renaissance to the Present | 3 |
HUMN 224W | Asian Film and Literature (W) | 3 |
HUMN 400W | Seminar in Humanities (W) | 3 |
HUMN 402 | Research Tools and Methods in the Humanities | 1 |
RELS 403 | Religion and the Arts | 3 |
Language Requirement | ||
Two semesters of language, or pass an oral and written proficiency exam, or equivalent proficiency (on request). | ||
Select two of the following: | 6-8 | |
Romance and Germanic Languages: | ||
Courses must be selected from the third and fourth semester levels. | ||
Intermediate French I | ||
Intermediate French II | ||
Intermediate German I | ||
Intermediate German II | ||
Intermediate Italian I | ||
Intermediate Italian II | ||
Intermediate Spanish I | ||
Intermediate Spanish II | ||
or SPAN 202N | Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers | |
Classical, non-Romance, and non-Germanic Languages: | ||
Courses may be selected from the first and second semester levels of a single language | ||
Beginning Arabic I | ||
Beginning Arabic II | ||
Special Problems 1 | ||
Beginning Japanese I | ||
Beginning Japanese II | ||
Period/Area Studies | ||
Select three of the following, one course from each of the three groups: | 9 | |
English: | ||
Shakespeare (W) | ||
Modern Poetry | ||
Studies in Major American Authors | ||
Modern World Literature | ||
History: | ||
Greek History | ||
The Roman Republic | ||
Premodern East Asia | ||
Renaissance Civilization: 1300-1550 | ||
The Reformation and Early Modern Europe: 1400-1660 | ||
Art History: | ||
Art History Issues (W) | ||
Medieval Art and Architecture (W) | ||
Contemporary Art (W) | ||
Maya Art (W) | ||
African Art (W) | ||
Electives | ||
Select three courses from the disciplines below or any of the courses above in Period/Area Studies: | 9 | |
Art and Art History: | ||
Greek Art and Architecture (W) | ||
Roman Art and Architecture (W) | ||
20th Century 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) | ||
Anthropology of the Islamic World (W) | ||
Museum Education | ||
Exhibit Research, Design, and Installation | ||
English: | ||
Survey of Early British Literature | ||
Survey of Later British Literature | ||
Approaches to Literary Genres | ||
International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures: | ||
World Literature in Translation (W) | ||
Or up to three literature courses in a foreign language | ||
Survey of French Literature | ||
Survey of French Literature | ||
Francophone Literatures and Societies | ||
Topics in German Literature | ||
Literary Explorations of the Hispanic World | ||
Literature of Mexico | ||
History: | ||
Romans of the East: The Byzantine Empire | ||
Modern Europe | ||
Muhammad and the Qur'an | ||
Middle Eastern Empires | ||
Middle Eastern Empires (W) | ||
Modern East Asia | ||
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Christians, Romans, and Barbarians (W) | ||
Tudor-Stuart Britain: 1485-1715 | ||
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: | ||
Religions of East Asia (W) | ||
Roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam since the Crusades | ||
Religion and Nature | ||
Theories and Criticisms of Religion | ||
Theatre Arts: | ||
History of Theatre I | ||
History of Theatre II (W) | ||
Total Units | 40-42 |
- 1
Must be taken for three units.
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.
While Honors in the Major is 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.
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.
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.