Humanities and Arts Requirement
Humanities and Arts Requirement: 5 + 1 (Five Courses + One Concluding Inquiry Seminar or Practicum)
Humanities and Arts Notes
Studying the Humanities and Arts is a vital and important part of your education at WPI. We encourage you to continue to explore the Humanities and Arts requirement. You may have already taken some courses to complete this requirement for graduation. If so, you may opt to continue to take courses. If you have not taken any Humanities and Arts courses, you may opt for at least one during your C and D terms. To complete the requirement, you must take five courses in Humanities and Arts and follow those courses with either an Inquiry Seminar or Practicum experience as your concluding sixth course. It is a good idea to begin to explore courses in Humanities and Arts as soon as you can in your first year. Keep in mind that you must take:
- At least two courses in a focused topic* selected within an intellectual cluster, at least one of those courses must be at or beyond the 2000 level. *usually in a single discipline, although students may define this focused topic differently after getting approval from the professor teaching the Inquiry Seminar or Practicum. You are highly encouraged to complete a third course at the 3000 level. This will provide you with some DEPTH within an area of the Humanities and Arts;
- At least one course in an intellectual cluster outside of your depth cluster. This will provide you with some BREADTH of exposure to Humanities and Arts.
- One concluding Inquiry Seminar or Practicum taken AFTER completing five courses;
*Please note that students who choose to study in a foreign language (German or Spanish) take six courses in the language. An element of Practicum will be incorporated into their final advanced course in the language. The language courses are offered as follows: A term: Beginning Arabic I, Beginning Chinese I, Elementary German I, Advanced German I, Intermediate Spanish I. B term: Beginning Arabic II, Beginning Chinese II, Elementary German II, Advanced German II, Intermediate Spanish II. Beginning Arabic III, Beginning Chinese III, Beginners Spanish and Advanced Spanish are offered in C term. D term: Intermediate Chinese I. If you have no Spanish background and would like to complete your requirement in Spanish, you will begin your humanities in the spring.
What are the INTELLECTUAL CLUSTERS? Intellectual clusters in Humanities and Arts are divided into three disciplinary groupings:
First Cluster: Art, Art History, Drama/Theatre, Music
Second Cluster: Languages (German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese), English, Literature, Writing/Rhetoric
Third Cluster: History, Philosophy/Religion
You may begin to use your Humanities and Arts worksheet to help keep track of the courses that you have fully completed and to register for your Inquiry Seminar/Practicum. Click here to learn more about courses offered Terms A and B
View the C Term and D Term schedules.
What about course levels? All 1000-level courses, whatever the discipline, introduce the student to the study of the Humanities and Arts and some of the basic skills needed to pursue more advanced courses. If you are in doubt about where to begin, a 1000 level introductory course is a good place to start. You might take a course in one area during A term and another in B term to determine the area or discipline in which you are interested. If you decide to take a course from the same area of study in both A and B term, you should follow a 1000 level course with a 2000 level course. 2000 level courses assume some familiarity with the basic concepts of the disciplines within Humanities and Arts. Some students begin coursework at the 2000 level if they have some background in one or more of the Humanities and Arts disciplines. Courses at the 3000 level are always seminar courses and assume a wider exposure to a discipline than most beginning students will have. A 3000 level course is almost always a poor place to begin your studies.
*Please note that if you are considering a foreign language, you must complete all courses within that particular language.
Humanities and arts courses in the above disciplines, as well as in other areas of Humanities and Arts and foreign languages, may be pursued via the Colleges of Worcester Consortium after consultation with, and approval from, a WPI Humanities and Arts faculty member.
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 or cross-disciplinary thematic focus 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.
AP credit information within the Humanities and Arts
Please take a look at the chart below regarding AP Credit information. Students should consult with a Humanities and Arts faculty member about the appropriateness of advanced placement credit. Rather than thinking in terms of "piling up advanced placement credit," students are encouraged to think about ways in which what they have learned through advance placement courses may fulfill a breadth component or add elementary background to a depth area. Students may not piece together a program composed largely of advanced placement "credits."
American History/US History - HU 1100 (elective)
Art-General - HU 1100 (elective)
Art-Drawing - HU 1100 (elective)
English Language and Composition - HU 1100 (elective)
European History - HU 1100 (elective)
French Literature - HU 1100 (elective)
German Language - GN 1511
German Literature - HU 1100 (elective)
Latin: Vergil - HU 1100 (elective)
Latin: Horace - HU 1100 (elective)
Music: Listen/Literature - HU 1100 (elective)
Music: Theory - HU 1100 (elective)
Spanish Language - SP 1523
Spanish Literature - HU 1100 (elective)
Can I use my AP credit towards this requirement?
The Humanities and Arts Department will accept a maximum of 1/3 unit of AP credit towards the Humanities and Arts requirement. Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP test in German or Spanish automatically receive 1/3 unit of credit in the language, provided they do not begin German or Spanish study at WPI with Elementary German I (GN 1511) or Elementary Spanish I (SP 1523). Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP test in studio art may be eligible for HUA credit, subject to a portfolio review by art faculty. Students who score a 5 or 6 on the AP test in other subject areas of the humanities and arts will receive credit in the relevant discipline. AP credit beyond one course (1/3 unit) in the Humanities and Arts may be counted toward other requirements such as general elective credit or particular majors and minors at WPI.
Study Abroad Opportunities
After a student has taken three humanities classes, he or she can complete a Humanities and Arts Project at the WPI residential project center in London, during E Term, or at the Morocco project center during A term. In Morocco, students will study at Al Akhawayn University in Infrane, where tey will earn one unit of credit in eh area of Islamic ad North African History, culture, or society by takin coursework and doing a project under the supervision of a faculty member from WPI's HUA department. . After four German courses at WPI, a student may finish a project by attending the German-language Summer School at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany. First-year students are eligible to apply for this program after taking two humanities courses in any area during A and B Terms and will complete their project after returning to WPI from Morocco.
In selecting courses, students should keep in mind that their studies in the humanities and arts will culminate in an independent study project on some theme developed through their course work. The need for thematic coherence in a humanities and arts program does not, however, impose strict rigidity on that program. Students, therefore, are encouraged to design a program consisting of courses from more than one humanities and arts discipline.
Disciplines within the Humanities and Arts Department
Basic Humanities and Arts Program for International Students
Humanities Studies of Science and Technology
Art History/Architecture
Courses in art history and the history of architecture amount to a survey of human visual production and ways of studying it through the ages, with particular emphasis on the last two centuries. Also, students may take interdisciplinary courses, such as Introduction to American Studies, and courses in visual communication, which relate the visual arts to other areas. A student may take a studio art course at a Consortium college (or, with prior permission, elsewhere). The final Humanities and Arts project may, by prior arrangement
English
Drama/Theatre
Drama/Theatre students study dramatic literature, theatre performance and production, or a combination of literature and performance. Literature course offerings include American Drama, World Drama, Modern Drama, Shakespeare, British literature, and Theatre. The Department sponsors at least four major productions a year (including a new play festival) that provides the laboratory environment for production and performance projects. Off-site programs may occur in London or elsewhere periodically.
Literature
Students conducting a Humanities and Arts project in literature draw on courses in literature, drama, creative writing, and non-fiction prose. Strengths in this area include Shakespeare, nineteenth-century American and British literature, poetry, drama, comparative literature, rhetoric, and composition. Students may study classic or modern works, or they may develop their own writing portfolios.
Writing and Rhetoric
Students who study writing and rhetoric may focus on creative writing (poetry, fiction, drama, literary nonfiction), science writing, public relations and advertising, visual communication, Web design, public service writing, rhetorical studies, mass media, or a combination of these fields.
International Students
International students and other students whose native language is other than English should be aware of the special opportunities related to the Humanities and Arts requirement. They should begin the "Basic Humanities and Arts Program for International Students" by completing one or all of the courses listed below, depending on the particular abilities of the student:
Foreign Language and Culture
German Studies
Students who study German Studies combine study of German language, literature, civilization, and culture with courses in related areas of the humanities and arts. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities available at WPI to study in German-speaking countries.
Hispanic Studies
Students who study Hispanic Studies combine study of Spanish language, literature, civilization, and culture with courses in related areas of the humanities and arts, and sometimes with related courses that focus on matters of business or communications in the Latin American world. These students move considerably beyond the level of advanced language, often taking advantage of WPI course preparation to engage in one of
Chinese Studies
Students who choose to study Chinese may take up to for language courses in Mandarin, as well as a variety of History, International Studies, or Philosophy and Religion courses related to China or Asia. In following this thread, they will complete both depth and breadth by focusing on China across a range of disciplines.
Arabic Studies
Students who chose to study Arabic may take up to three language courses in Arabic as well as a variety of History, International Studies, or Philosophy and Religion courses related to the Arabic and speaking worl. In following this thread, the will complete both the depth and breadth by focusing on Islam or Arabic culture across a range of disciplines.
History
History Humanities and Arts projects can be conducted in American History, European History, the History of Science and Technology or global history. Extensive course offerings include strengths in diplomatic, intellectual, social, and legal history, and in the history of science and technology, imperialism and modernization. WPI also offers courses in the history, culture, and civilization of the United States, Britain, Russia, Germany, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Music
Music Humanities and Arts projects are derived from a variety of courses offered in music history, theory, performance, electronic music, and the history, theory, and performance of jazz. WPI has ensembles in all areas of instrumental and vocal performance that perform frequently on campus in the community and overseas, for which students may receive academic credit. The music division is housed in Alden Hall which contains two computer music laboratories, a piano lab, practice and rehearsal rooms pianos and an organ.
Philosophy, Religion
Philosophy and religion Humanities and Arts projects may combine the two areas or pursue them separately. Strengths in this area include environmental philosophy, biomedical ethics, religious ethics, the philosophy of knowledge, and philosophy of religion. Courses address religious and philosophical ideas in themselves and a range of social issues.
Interdisciplinary Studies
American Studies
American Studies enables a student to design an interdisciplinary course of study on American culture. The department is strong in many aspects of American Studies.
Environmental Studies
Students studying environmental studies acquire extensive knowledge of the philosophical, religious, historical and literary aspects of humanity's relationship with nature. This knowledge is deepened by being connected to the social and political aspects of the current environmental crisis. Students considering this area of study may benefit from extensive consultation with a faculty member. Students interested in environmental studies in the context of the Humanities and Arts may e-mail Professor Roger S. Gottlieb.
Humanities Studies of Science and Technology
Students may study Humanities Studies of Science and Technology. Programs in this area draw on departmental specialties within traditional disciplines-- for example, literature and science, history of science and technology, some philosophy courses-- and students studying in this area typically focus their efforts in one or another of those disciplines.
International Studies
For more information regarding this major, please visit their website.