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| Humanities (Hum) |
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Barrentine, Carmichael (Coordinator), LaPierre, Magness and Rand
Remembering history, imagining the future: the Humanities include a broad category of disciplines such as the classics, literature, languages, history, music, visual and performing arts, philosophy, and religion, all of which are concerned with studying aspects of the human condition, what it means to be human. Through a process of asking questions, evaluating assumptions, and analyzing beliefs, students of the Humanities reflect on what they know, assess what they think, and judge why they think it. This type of exploration demands disciplined thought, clear articulation of ideas, and cooperative discussion as preparation for the complex decisions and judgments that life and work present.
The mission of the Humanities Program is to provide courses which meet the University’s general education requirements. Emphasis is placed on small group discussion, critical reading of classical and modern texts, and written responses to the materials of the course; reading, writing, research, dialogue, and conversation are central to class meetings. The study of the Humanities promotes the development of many important skills:
• reading
• writing
• critical thinking (reasoning, organizing ideas, making distinctions, recognizing important similarities, grasping what is essential)
• decision-making (maturity and refinement of judgment, ability to give good reasons)
• communication (clear, cogent expression of ideas and beliefs, both orally and in written form)
• self-understanding
• valuation (ability to deal rationally with questions of value, to set priorities and balance competing ideals)
• cross-cultural awareness
• aesthetic sensibility
• civic responsibility
The Humanities Program also administers the Integrated Studies Program, a nationally-known, award-winning interdisciplinary general education program for first year students. See the Integrated Studies Program listing for more information.
Courses
101. Introduction to Humanities I. 4 credits. This course is designed to introduce beginning university students to the major disciplines of the Humanities: literature, philosophy, history, religion, drama, music, and art. The literature chosen each semester will vary, often focusing on a central theme. Class time will be used to discuss the texts and students will be expected to attend events in the fine arts. F
102. Introduction to Humanities II. 4 credits. While this course has the same structure and goals as Humanities 101, its subject matter often focuses on the writing of classical Greece. The authors read usually include Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Plato. S
212. Integrated Cultural Experience. 3 credits. Prerequisite: consent of instructor for TRIO students only. This course seeks to examine human concerns and motivations through the examination of artistic and cultural expressions. Students will attend and analyze various types of cultural events, including dramatic productions, art shows, films, and music concerts to examine the sub-text of the human condition. They will also study texts in which authors present philosophies regarding the nature of art and the importance of particular mediums (poetry, visual arts, film, etc.) in voicing personal and social concerns. In addition, students will study the philosophy of philanthropy by researching and gaining personal experience in a community service activity. F,S
224. Integrated Social Science Inquiry. 2-4 credits. Readings and discussion of selected works that reflect the methodology and concerns of the social sciences; integration of social science topics and methods with other Integrated Studies courses/topics. F, S
225. Advanced Integrated Social Science. 2-4 credits. A continued, in-depth exploration of social science topics raised in Humanities 224: Integrated Social Science. This course will require that students pursue more advanced research in and consideration of topics included in the social sciences as they relate to the Integrated Studies Program theme. S
270. Integrated Studies Life Sciences. 3 credits. An exploration of historical and modern developments in evolution and genetics that have altered our conception of what it means to be human. This course examines the philosophical, psychological, and sociological implications of contemporary neo-Darwinian thought. No laboratory. Enrollment limited to Integrated Studies students. F,S
271. Integrated Studies General Science. 3 credits. An exploration of the nature of science, with the aim of discovering how scientists employ powerful epistemological methods in order to construct a body of cumulative knowledge that represents a fairly accurate, although always tentative, approximation of external reality. This course examines the inextricable conceptual connections which link and unify seemingly disparate sciences. F, S
271L. Integrated Studies General Science Lab. 1 credit. Corequisite: HUM 271. Three-hour weekly laboratory to complement HUM 271. Students will design and implement experiments. F,S
300. Knowledge, Truth and Reality. 2 credits. An interdisciplinary exploration of the nature of knowledge, truth, and reality from the perspectives of science, philosophy, and religion. On demand.
391. Advanced Humanities Seminar. 1-4 credits. An interdisciplinary reading, writing and discussion course whose focus varies from semester to semester, but which draws on texts from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. F,S,SSUniversity of North Dakota. |
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