Catalog - Humanities

Associate in Arts and Sciences with a major in Humanities (083)

Department Information

Jeff Andersen, Department Chair
Noel Brown, Rick Davis, Rod Matson, Glade Merrell, Vaughn Stephenson
Departmental Office (208) 356-1279

The Department of Humanities is committed to the concept that a Liberal Arts education forms the basis for every other academic discipline. The Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree with a major in Humanities prepares the student for transfer to a four-year degree program at any university. Our curriculum has been designed to provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills upon which to build future studies in the Arts, Social Sciences, Education, Law or Business Administration.

Associate in Arts and Sciences with a major in Humanities (083)

Recommended sequence of courses:

First Semester
Religion 2
General Education 7
Majors Courses 7
Total Credits 16

Second Semester
Religion 2
General Education 5
Majors Courses 7
Electives 2
Total Credits 16

Third Semester
Religion 2
General Education 4
Major Courses 7
Electives 3
Total Credits 16

Fourth Semester
Religion 2
General Education 3
Majors Courses 6
Electives 5
Total Credit 16

General Education

Note that the Arts & Letters requirement, the Basic Skills Option and one of two courses required in the Social Sciences are all satisfied as you complete the required major courses.

Courses for Majors

Students majoring in Humanities must complete the following courses:
*Hum 201 Western Cult 3
*Hum 202 Western Cult 3
Hum 242 Intro Islamic World 3
Hist 111 World Civ 3
Eng 251 Fund Lit Intrp 3
201 level of a foreign language of your choice (normally this involves taking 101 and 102 as well).

*Note: Students who complete the Humanities 201-202 sequence satisfy both the Arts and Letters requirement for GE.

We recommend participating in our annual travel-study program in Europe. For information about this year’s itinerary and course offerings, contact one of the Humanities instructors.

Electives:
After satisfying both General Education and Major requirements, you will probably need to earn only 8 or 9 credits to complete the 64 credits required for graduation. You may want to use these to develop personal talents or interests through such courses as PE, music, art or dance, or to explore in more detail one aspect on the Humanities such as philosophy or literature.

Course Descriptions

Hum 101* Introduction to Humanities 3
Three hours per week
Designed to give the general student a broad overview of painting, sculpture, music, literature, architecture and film. The course shows how the arts reflect humanity’s attempt to find meaning and fulfillment in life.

Hum 201* The Arts in WesternCulture: Pre-Historic to Renaissance 3
No Prerequisite: An in-depth study of the development of Western civilization, examining the art, architecture, music, and literature of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and Medieval Europe and the Middle East within historical, religious, and philosophical contexts.

Hum 202* The Arts in WesternCulture: Renaissance to Modern 3
No Prerequisite: An in-depth examination of the development of Western thought as expressed through art architecture, music and literature from the Renaissance to the present.

Hum 242 Humanities of the Islamic World 3
No Prerequisite: Survey of Islamic civilization including fundamental Islamic beliefs, historical development, art, architecture, music, literature and science. Students discover the cultural roots of current conflicts between Islam and the West.

*Gives G.E. credit in the Art area of the Arts & Letters requirement.

HumanitiesDept@ricks.edu