Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities


NOTE: This document was generated from the 1995-1997 UIUC Programs of Study. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but be advised that requirements may have changed since this book was published. Errors may have also been introduced in the conversion to a WWW document. Thus for items of importance, it might be wise to seek confirmation from either the paper version or a live human being.

Requirements. At least 45 to 51 hours.

Humanities departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in addition to their own disciplinary majors, have developed and sponsor an interdisciplinary program of study, which encompasses several distinct programs designed to acquaint students in a coherent manner with topics that cross disciplinary boundaries. At present, the major in humanities includes program options in American civilization, cinema studies, history and philosophy of science, medieval civilization, and Renaissance studies. Although it is not possible to offer options in all specialties or topics of humanistic study, students whose interests do not coincide with one of the specific options are encouraged to consider developing their own programs through the Individual Plans of Study (IPS) major. Enrollment in the major in humanities requires election of one of the options.

Each option of the major in humanities is supervised by faculty members whose own scholarship and educational interests have involved them in interdisciplinary teaching and research. An adviser for students is available in each option and is responsible for approving students' plans of study.

MAJOR


NOTE: Some course selections may require prerequisite courses. Total hours will most likely be in excess of the 45-hour minimum; however, most students will complete two or perhaps three college general education distribution requirements in the process.

OPTIONS

American Civilization Option

This option offers a comprehensive introduction to the study of American civilization primarily through the study of art, history, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences.

Cinema Studies Option

This option offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of film from various literary, cultural, and social perspectives. The emphasis is on developing methods and skills of critical interpretation, but students are also encouraged to acquire basic competence in the technical aspects of film making by completing at least one course in cinematography. The option's underlying aim is to enrich the individual by exposure to the most significant patterns, philosophies, and artifacts of history and of narrative and dramatic expression.

History and Philosophy of Science Option

This option is designed to allow students to combine the study of science (including mathematics and the social sciences), the history of science, and the philosophy of science in an integrated program. Within the framework of specific requirements, an individual program of study will be designed to fit the student's particular interests.

Medieval Civilization Option

This option is intended to introduce students to medieval culture, provide them with a sense of periods and movements, names, ideas, and values, and thus give them a synoptic view of the field. A student whose interests are primarily literary should consult with an adviser in comparative literature or in one of the language and literature departments. The required courses are designed to encourage students to read medieval texts, insofar as practical, in the manner in which medieval university students would have read them. In addition, a certain amount of training in the reading of medieval documents, the interpretation of art, and the study of Latin and the medieval vernacular languages will bring students closer to the thought of the period.

Renaissance Studies Option

This option incorporates course work in the Renaissance and related periods and places an emphasis on independent study and the completion of research papers in the junior and senior years.

Departmental Distinction. To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a student must have a college grade-point average of 4.5 and a humanities major option grade-point average of 4.5 and completion of HUMAN 298 with a grade of A and completion of a semester paper in 298 that is judged to be deserving of "distinction" by a committee of at least two faculty members.

High Distinction. To be eligible for graduation with High Distinction, a student must have a college grade-point average of 4.5, a humanities major option grade-point average of 4.7, and must have completed HUMAN 292 (instead of HUMAN 298) with a grade of A and a thesis in 292 that is judged to be deserving of "high distinction" by a committee of at least two faculty members.


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