Degrees

HUMANITIES CONCENTRATION
Associate in Arts

• Objectives
• Degree Information
• Recommended Course of Study
• Course Descriptions
• Liberal Studies Concentration

Objectives:

Content

1. To acquaint the student with the principal historical and economic forces and events that have shaped modern American society and the global community.
2. To acquaint the student with world philosophical traditions, particularly in relation to ethical teachings.
3. To acquaint the student with the global movements and major authors that have shaped the history of literature.
4. To acquaint the student with the painters, sculptors, architects and composers whose works form the artistic heritage of world civilization.
5. To acquaint the student with mathematical functions and statistical analyses, at least at introductory levels, if not beyond, and with scientific method, principles and laboratory procedures at intermediate levels.

Essential Skills

1. To develop the communications and critical thinking skills of each student to a level of mastery that will allow him or her to succeed professionally in bachelor’s degree studies and/or careers requiring heavy application of such skills.
2. To develop the computer skills of each student to a level of mastery that will allow him or her to utilize office technology competently.
3. To develop the library and research skills of each student to a level of mastery that will enable him or her to access and use critically all print, non-print, and electronic resources relevant to particular assignments.

Degree Information

Courses in the Humanities Concentration offer a broad introduction to learning, encouraging students to discover themselves and to cultivate an awareness of the values of the society in which they live. The studies provide the foundation for developing habits of clear thinking and creative reasoning, a recognition of the role of each person in society, responsibility for one's fellow man, an appreciation of the aesthetic and cultural values of life, and a desire for continuing growth in pursuit of truth.

Leading to the Associate in Arts degree, the program establishes a background in the humanities, with emphasis on literature, philosophy, history and social science. The program is also intended to facilitate transfer to bachelor's degree programs requiring well developed research and communication skills.

Recommended Course of Study

* Developmental courses may be required as prerequisites

Course Descriptions

HIS 105 (Formerly HI 101) - US History I

U.S. History I is a survey course which reviews American history from the pre-Colonial era (1600) to the Civil War Era (1865). The course is designed to acquaint the student with the major political, economic, social and cultural developments of these eras with emphasis on the rise of Colonial America and the Constitution, Westward Expansion, the Age of Jackson, Antebellum American and the Civil War Era (3 Credits) Click here to view HIS 105 course objectives

ART 105 (Formerly AR 103)- Fine Arts Survey

This is an interdisciplinary course which surveys music, painting, architecture and sculpture in various historical periods and from various philosophical perspectives (Classicism, Romanticism, Modernism, etc.). Through slides and recordings as well as textbook presentation and classroom lectures, students gain both a deeper appreciation of the arts and a deeper understanding of the interrelationships among the various arts in history (3 Credits). Click here to view ART 105 course objectives

ENG 215 (Formerly EN 231) - Survey of American Literature to 1900

English 215 is a one semester course designed to provide the student with an appreciation of American poetry, fiction and drama by presenting the achievements of classic American writers of the late seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in their historical context. By reading and discussing in class a number of representative works from William Bradford, Benjamin Franklin, James Fenimore Cooper, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and others, students should develop greater analytic power, literary insight and deeper understanding of the main currents of American thought (3 Credits). Click here to view course objectives.

ENG 225 (Formerly EN 237)- Masterworks of Western Literature I

English 237 introduces the student to masterpieces of post-Renaissance Europe. The course focuses on literature from the Enlightenment, the Romantic Age, the late nineteenth century and the Modern Era. Its purpose is to make each student more knowledgeable about and more appreciative of the literary foundations of modern Western civilization (3 Credits). Click here to view ENG 225 course objectives.

ENG 230 (Formerly EN 238) - Masterworks of Western Literature II

English 230, Masterworks of Western Literature II, introduces the student to representative masterpieces of post-Renaissance Europe. The course focuses on literature from the Enlightenment, the Romantic Age, the late nineteenth century and the Modern Era. Its purpose is to make each student more familiar with and more appreciative of the literary foundations of Western civilization (3 Credits). Click here to view course objectives.

ENG 235 (Formerly EN 240) – Masterworks of World Literature

English 235 introduces students to masterpieces of non-Western cultures as well as to literature from the Native American, African-American and Latino traditions of Western Culture. With such a multi-cultural perspective, this course heightens students’ awareness of the diverse influences that have shaped today’s global literary community (3 Credits). Click here to view course objectives.

PHI 105 (Formerly SS 121)- Intro to Philosophy

SS 121 introduces the student to the philosophic nature and science of the human person. Major theories concerning the relationship between mind and body perception and knowledge, and cause and effect are discussed. Further, the course includes an account of the history of philosophy in its cultural context (3 Credits). Click here to view PHI 105 course objectives

PHL 120 (Formerly SS 122)- Meta-Ethics

SS 122 is an introduction to the philosophical study of moral problems and ethical theories through both historical and contemporary sources. The intent of this course is to determine not merely how men act but how they should act. Topics include relativism, egoism and utilitarianism, as well as more specific moral issues such as abortion, war, discrimination, women’s rights, genocide, population control, etc. (3 Credits). Click here to view PHL 120 course objectives.