Humanities & Arts Requirement

At the heart of WPI's innovative curriculum is a distinctive requirement in the humanities and arts. To provide intellectual breadth and a better understanding of themselves and the diversity and creativity of human experience, every WPI student must complete a Humanities and Arts Requirement

The Humanities and Arts Requirement empowers students to meet the broad educational goals of WPI. The balance between technological and humanistic education and the emphasis on inquiry-based approaches to student learning have been and remain hallmarks of a WPI education. In concert with WPI’s other degree requirements, the humanities and arts requirement embodies the institute’s definition of an educated person. The humanities and arts requirement engages students with theory and practice—Lehr und Kunst—through the following educational goals.

Goals of the Humanities and Arts Requirement

to introduce students to the breadth, diversity, and creativity of human experience as expressed in the humanities and arts
to develop students’ ability to think critically and independently about the world
to enhance students’ ability to communicate effectively with others in a spirit of openness and cooperation
to enrich students’ understanding of themselves
to deepen students’ ability to apply concepts and skills in a focused thematic area through sustained critical inquiry
to encourage students to reflect on their responsibilities to others in local, national and global communities
to kindle in students a life-long interest in the humanities and arts

See Breadth and Depth for more information on meeting the new Humanities and Arts Requirement…

Before planning your HUA course sequence, please keep the following suggestions in mind:

The Inquiry Seminar or Practicum must be taken as the very last course in your HUA sequence. It represents the culmination of your coursework and will not satisfy the requirement unless you have passed the other courses before beginning the Seminar or Practicum. The schedule of Inquiry Seminars and Practicums is published on the Humanities and Arts website each year at the beginning of C term and lists the courses available during the following academic year.

Two courses in your “depth” area* should be regarded as the minimum preparation for an Inquiry Seminar or Practicum. In some cases you will be better prepared if you take 3 courses in your area of depth prior to beginning the Seminar or Practicum. We encourage you to choose at least one depth course at the 3000 level. In some cases an AP credit in your area of depth may be a reasonable equivalent to one of these courses, but in many cases it is not. You should always consult the professor teaching the Inquiry Seminar or Practicum (we recommend making contact at least two terms before Seminar and Practicum course schedules are released) to be sure your course preparation is adequate. Because enrollment in the seminars and practicums is limited, the instructor reserves the right to select the most qualified students for enrollment.

* An area of “depth” is a discipline within an intellectual cluster. The following disciplines are considered discrete areas of depth: art and art history; drama and theatre; music; English literature; writing; rhetoric; German; Spanish; history; philosophy; religion; and humanities.

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Last modified: May 22, 2012 12:56:31