| Humanities |
HUMA 401 - Introduction to the Humanities
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the
humanities. Taking as its entry point a significant work,
the course is organized by topics related to that work,
selected and arranged to invoke lively intellectual debate
among faculty and students alike. Group lectures by the
three core humanities faculty members. The instructors
teaching the course will provide material for smaller
weekly discussion sections led by each of those faculty
members. Requirements include lively discussions, papers,
and examinations. Not repeatable.
HUMA 401W - Introduction to Humanities
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the
humanities. Taking as its entry point a significant work,
the course is organized by topics related to that work,
selected and arranged to invoke lively intellectual debate
among faculty and students alike. Group lectures by the
three core humanities faculty members. The instructors
teaching the course will provide material for smaller
weekly discussion sections led by each of those faculty
members. Requirements include lively discussions, papers,
and examinations. Writing intensive.
HUMA 411 - Humanities I
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the humanities and Western culture through
literature, history, philosophy, music, art, and
architecture. Examination of selected historical periods
from classical Greece through the Renaissance through
readings, films, slides, and field trips. Special fee.
Writing intensive.
HUMA 412 - Humanities II
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the humanities and Western culture through
literature, history, philosophy, music, art, and
architecture. Examination of selected historical periods
from the Enlightenment to the present through the use of
readings, films, slides, and field trips. Writing intensive.
HUMA 444 - Idea of University
Credits:
4.00
An inquiry course that introduces first-year students to
the history of the university and to the philosophical,
artistic, and political crises it has undergone and
continues to undergo today. HUMA 444 is an
interdisciplinary course, team-taught by three professors
from different fields. Writing intensive.
HUMA 444A - Everlasting Fame: The Hero in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture
Credits:
4.00
An interdisciplinary introductory seminar designed for
first-year students. Course uses an inquiry-guided
approach to examine the concept of the hero and the heroic
life through a variety of media. How do we define a hero?
What are the common characteristics inherent in the heroic
life? How has the idea of the hero evolved over time? Do we
share a common definition of the hero? What criteria are
essential to the heroic life? What does it mean to be a
hero today? Students will explore possible answers to these
questions through an examination of primary texts from
ancient Indo-European myths to Celtic sagas, articles from
historical, anthropological, and literary sources, and
popular culture.
HUMA 444B - Richard Wright's Native Son and the American 1930s and 1940s
Credits:
4.00
This inquiry course uses Richard Wright's groundbreaking
novel, Native Son, to explore ways in which literature can
reflect, interact with, and change the world out of which
it arises. After a careful reading of the novel, we
consider how a writer's comments on his art can help us
understand the art, how a novel's composition and reception
affect our understanding, how the historical context of a
work can help us reflect upon the relationship of
literature and history, how other media such as film
versions of the novel interpret it, and how social and
philosophical interpretations of experience are reflected
in the narrative.
HUMA 444C - Mozart and the Enlightenment: Social Norms and Sexual Behavior in the Age of Reason
Credits:
4.00
An interdiciplinary introduction to the European
Enlightenment (apporximately 1690-1790) as a cultural
phenomenon, arising from developments in the natural
sciences, that infused all areas of human endeavor with new
ways of thinking and behaving, including social norms and
sexual behavior, and how it was communicated and
disseminated, not only through the written word but also
through theater and music, especially in works of Mozart
exploring the use and abuse of Human Reason in daily life.
Writing intensive.
HUMA 500 - Critical Methods in the Humanities
Credits:
4.00
Critical analysis of works in the humanities. Focuses on
major texts, evaluation of secondary literature, research
writing, criticism. Required of all HUMA majors. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 510A - Ancient World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is a human being? How should we explain or understand
what happens to us? How ought we to live? This team-taught
course examines these important questions by focusing on
the literature, art, philosophy, and science of ancient
Greece and Rome. Writing intensive.
HUMA 510B - Ancient World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is a human being? How should we explain or understand
what happens to us? How ought we to live? This team-taught
course examines these important questions by focusing on
the literature, art, philosophy, and science of ancient
Greece and Rome. Writing intensive.
HUMA 510C - Ancient World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is a human being? How should we explain or understand
what happens to us? How ought we to live? This team-taught
course examines these important questions by focusing on
the literature, art, philosophy, and science of ancient
Greece and Rome. Writing intensive.
HUMA 510D - Ancient World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is a human being? How should we explain or understand
what happens to us? How ought we to live? This team-taught
course examines these important questions by focusing on
the literature, art, philosophy, and science of ancient
Greece and Rome. Writing intensive.
HUMA 511A - Medieval World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is the soul and how is its health related to
temptation and also to specifically Christian virtues? How
closely does the medieval definition of an eternal God
determine good and evil in daily life? To what extent does
the hope of immortality affect the practice of writing
literature, making art, studying philosophy, and
investigating science? This team-taught course examines
these important questions by focusing on the literature,
art, philosophy, and science from the collapse of the
classical world to the rise of capitalism. Writing intensive
HUMA 511B - Medieval World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is the soul and how is its health related to
temptation and also to specifically Christian virtues? How
closely does the medieval definition of an eternal God
determine good and evil in daily life? To what extent does
the hope of immortality affect the practice of writing
literature, making art, studying philosophy, and
investigating science? This team-taught course examines
these important questions by focusing on the literature,
art, philosophy, and science from the collapse of the
classical world to the rise of capitalism. Writing intensive
HUMA 511C - Medieval World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is the soul and how is its health related to
temptation and also to specifically Christian virtues? How
closely does the medieval definition of an eternal God
determine good and evil in daily life? To what extent does
the hope of immortality affect the practice of writing
literature, making art, studying philosophy, and
investigating science? This team-taught course examines
these important questions by focusing on the literature,
art, philosophy, and science from the collapse of the
classical world to the rise of capitalism. Writing intensive
HUMA 511D - Medieval World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
What is the soul and how is its health related to
temptation and also to specifically Christian virtues? How
closely does the medieval definition of an eternal God
determine good and evil in daily life? To what extent does
the hope of immortality affect the practice of writing
literature, making art, studying philosophy, and
investigating science? This team-taught course examines
these important questions by focusing on the literature,
art, philosophy, and science from the collapse of the
classical world to the rise of capitalism. Writing intensive
HUMA 512A - Renaissance and Early Modern: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the interrelationship of art, literature,
philosophy, and science from the High Renaissance into the
18th century. Study of the works and ideas of such
influential figures as Shakespeare and Milton, Raphael and
Rembrandt, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, and Hume. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 512B - Renaissance and Early Modern: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the interrelationship of art, literature,
philosophy, and science from the High Renaissance into the
18th century. Study of the works and ideas of such
influential figures as Shakespeare and Milton, Raphael and
Rembrandt, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, and Hume. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 512C - Renaissance and Early Modern: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the interrelationship of art, literature,
philosophy, and science from the High Renaissance into the
18th century. Study of the works and ideas of such
influential figures as Shakespeare and Milton, Raphael and
Rembrandt, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, and Hume. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 512D - Renaissance and Early Modern: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the interrelationship of art, literature,
philosophy, and science from the High Renaissance into the
18th century. Study of the works and ideas of such
influential figures as Shakespeare and Milton, Raphael and
Rembrandt, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, and Hume. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 513A - Modern World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the central paradoxes of our culture in the
modern age. Is there such a thing as "progress" and if so
what is its nature? What is the relation of conscious and
unconscious? Is the contemporary world devoid of meaning?
Questions such as these are examined in relation to works
since the 18th century in the fields of literature, history
of science, philosophy, and art. Writing intensive.
HUMA 513B - Modern World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the central paradoxes of our culture in the
modern age. Is there such a thing as "progress" and if so
what is its nature? What is the relation of conscious and
unconscious? Is the contemporary world devoid of meaning?
Questions such as these are examined in relation to works
since the 18th century in the fields of literature, history
of science, philosophy, and art. Writing intensive.
HUMA 513C - Modern World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the central paradoxes of our culture in the
modern age. Is there such a thing as "progress" and if so
what is its nature? What is the relation of conscious and
unconscious? Is the contemporary world devoid of meaning?
Questions such as these are examined in relation to works
since the 18th century in the fields of literature, history
of science, philosophy, and art. Writing intensive.
HUMA 513D - Modern World: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Explores the central paradoxes of our culture in the
modern age. Is there such a thing as "progress" and if so
what is its nature? What is the relation of conscious and
unconscious? Is the contemporary world devoid of meaning?
Questions such as these are examined in relation to works
since the 18th century in the fields of literature, history
of science, philosophy, and art. Writing intensive.
HUMA 514A - 20th Century, 1900-1945: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
This course examines the relationships of literature, art,
philosophy, and science in the first half of the twentieth
century. Topics include the rise of modernism in literature
and the arts, the distinctive themes of 20th century
philosophy, and crucial innovations in the sciences.
Students study the works of such figures as Picasso, Woolf,
Einstein, Freud, and Wittgenstern. Writing intensive.
HUMA 514B - 20th Century, 1900-1945: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
This course examines the relationships of literature, art,
philosophy, and science in the first half of the twentieth
century. Topics include the rise of modernism in literature
and the arts, the distinctive themes of 20th century
philosophy, and crucial innovations in the sciences.
Students study the works of such figures as Picasso, Woolf,
Einstein, Freud, and Wittgenstern. Writing intensive.
HUMA 514C - 20th Century, 1900-1945: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
This course examines the relationships of literature, art,
philosophy, and science in the first half of the twentieth
century. Topics include the rise of modernism in literature
and the arts, the distinctive themes of 20th century
philosophy, and crucial innovations in the sciences.
Students study the works of such figures as Picasso, Woolf,
Einstein, Freud, and Wittgenstern. Writing intensive.
HUMA 514D - 20th Century, 1900-1945: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
This course examines the relationships of literature, art,
philosophy, and science in the first half of the twentieth
century. Topics include the rise of modernism in literature
and the arts, the distinctive themes of 20th century
philosophy, and crucial innovations in the sciences.
Students study the works of such figures as Picasso, Woolf,
Einstein, Freud, and Wittgenstern. Writing intensive.
HUMA 515A - 20th Century, 1945-1999: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Examines the relationships of literature, art, philosophy,
and science since the middle of the twentieth century.
Topics include the philosophical and literary implications
of the Holocaust and nuclear weapons, movements in the arts
and literature since World War II, the rise of the sciences
of life and information, and postmodernism. Students study
the works of such figures as Arendt, Turing, Beckett, and
Pollock. Writing intensive.
HUMA 515B - 20th Century, 1945-1999: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Examines the relationships of literature, art, philosophy,
and science since the middle of the twentieth century.
Topics include the philosophical and literary implications
of the Holocaust and nuclear weapons, movements in the arts
and literature since World War II, the rise of the sciences
of life and information, and postmodernism. Students study
the works of such figures as Arendt, Turing, Beckett, and
Pollock. Writing intensive.
HUMA 515C - 20th Century, 1945-1999: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Examines the relationships of literature, art, philosophy,
and science since the middle of the twentieth century.
Topics include the philosophical and literary implications
of the Holocaust and nuclear weapons, movements in the arts
and literature since World War II, the rise of the sciences
of life and information, and postmodernism. Students study
the works of such figures as Arendt, Turing, Beckett, and
Pollock. Writing intensive.
HUMA 515D - 20th Century, 1945-1999: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Credits:
4.00
Examines the relationships of literature, art, philosophy,
and science since the middle of the twentieth century.
Topics include the philosophical and literary implications
of the Holocaust and nuclear weapons, movements in the arts
and literature since World War II, the rise of the sciences
of life and information, and postmodernism. Students study
the works of such figures as Arendt, Turing, Beckett, and
Pollock. Writing intensive.
HUMA 519 - Classical Greece
Credits:
4.00
Examination of the culture of classical Greece through the
history, drama, philosophy, and art of the period. Open to
all students. Recommended for students in the humanities
major. Special fee.
HUMA 592 - Special Topics in the Humanities
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
Special topics; offered occasionally. May be repeated up
to a maximum of 12 credits.
HUMA #608 - Arts and American Society: Women Writers and Artists, 1850-Present
Credits:
4.00
Team-taught course studying the impact of gender
definitions on the lives and works of selected American
artists. Considers lesser-known figures such as Fannie
Fern, Lilly Martin Spencer, and Mary Hallock Foote as well
as better-known artists such as Willa Cather and Georgia
O'Keeffe. Prereq: permission or one of the following: WS
401, HIST 566, ENGL 585 or 586, ENGL 685 or 785, or a
600-level art history course. (Also offered as ARTS 608,
ENGL 608, and HIST 608.) Writing intensive.
HUMA 609 - Ethnicity in America: The Black Experience in the 20th Century
Credits:
4.00
Team-taught course investigating music, literature, and
social history of black America in the period of the
Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression, World War II, and
in the 1960s. Special attention to the theme of
accommodation with, and rejection of, dominant white
culture. (Also offered as AMST 609, ENGL 609.) Writing
Intensive.
HUMA 610 - Regional Studies in America: New England Culture in Changing Times
Credits:
4.00
Team-taught course investigating some of the major
contributions New England has made to American life.
Focusing on three periods: the Puritan era, 1620-90; the
Transcendental period, 1830-60; and the period of emerging
industrialism in the late 19th century. Prereq:
second-semester sophomore. (Also offered as AMST 610, ARTS
610, ENGL 610, and HIST 610.) Not for art studio major
credit. Writing intensive.
HUMA 622 - Studies of Freedom and Liberty
Credits:
4.00
Principles of freedom and liberty that helped to form
Western culture from the Renaissance to the present.
Topics include concepts of human nature, theories of
government and society. Readings include Machiavelli,
Locke, Paine, Mill, Marx, Freud, Sartre, and Marcuse.
HUMA 640 - Birth of Rock and Roll
Credits:
4.00
An interdisciplinary study of the cultural forces that
brought the birth of rock and roll in the 1950's. This
study of pre-rock music and culture will be further
enriched by art, literature, and photography which focuses
on the roots of rock and roll. Writing intensive.
HUMA 650 - Humanities and the Law: The Problem of Justice in Western Civilization
Credits:
4.00
Interdisciplinary modular course examines interpretations
of the nature of justice, its origins, the role of the
professional judiciary, and the relationship of law and
ethics. Students take three successive five-week modules
during the semester. (Not offered every year.) Writing
intensive.
HUMA 651 - Humanities and Science: The Nature of Scientific Creativity
Credits:
4.00
Interdisciplinary modular course examines the historical
and intellectual foundations of the physical, biological,
and human sciences. Students take three successive
five-week modules during the semester. (Not offered every
year.) Writing intensive.
HUMA #680 - New England Culture: Roots and Branches
Credits:
4.00
Interdisciplinary examination of the richness, variety,
and significance of selective periods of New England
culture using literature, history, art and photographic
images, music, artifacts, and oral histories. Subjects
include Native American lore, European American
contributions to regional culture, New England's literary
tradition and influence on American culture.
HUMA 698 - Independent Study
Credits:
4.00
Independent study open only to highly qualified juniors
and seniors who have completed at least four humanities
courses above the 400 level. Requires original research and
substantial writing projects under the direction of a
member of the core faculty of the humanities. Prereq: HUMA
junior or senior majors; four HUMA courses above the 400
level.
HUMA 700 - Seminar
Credits:
4.00
Provides an opportunity for in-depth reading, viewing,
and/or listening to texts and artifacts. Emphasis on the
multiple perspectives and methodologies that can be brought
to bear upon these works from several humanistic
disciplines. May be repeated for credit. Writing intensive.
HUMA 730 - Special Studies
Credits:
4.00
Selected topics not covered by existing courses, with
subjects to vary. May be repeated for credit. Prereq: one
400- or 500-level HUMA course or junior standing. Writing
intensive.
HUMA 795 - Study of Creativity
Credits:
4.00
A study of human creativity through representative lives
and works of such figures as daVinci, Einstein, Kathe
Kollwitz, Bach, Dickens, and Freud. Lectures, class
discussions, films, and slides supplemented by gallery
tours plays, and concerts. Open to students with a
background in humanities or by permission of the
instructor. Special fee. (Normally offered every other
year.) Writing intensive.
HUMA 796 - Study of Contemporary Issues
Credits:
4.00
Current social and political issues with focus on recent
developments in public policy, science, and business, and
their impact of social values. Prereq: junior status or
permission. (Normally offered every other year.) Writing
intensive.
HUMA 798 - Research Seminar
Credits:
1.00
Provides a context within which students may discuss and
receive direction in the course of completing a major
research paper. At the end of the seminar, students present
their research to the faculty and their fellow students.
Prereq: senior standing; permission. Writing intensive.
HUMA 799 - Research Seminar
Credits:
3.00
Provides a context within which students may discuss and
receive direction in the course of completing a major
research paper. At the end of the seminar, students present
their research to the faculty and their fellow students.
Restricted to majors. Prereq: HUMA 798; senior standing;
permission. Writing intensive.