• Introduction to WPI
• Section 1: The WPI Plan
• Section 2: Department and Program Descriptions
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• Drama/Theatre Minor
• Minor in Foreign Language
• Music Minor
• Writing and Rhetoric Minor

Humanities and Arts

Department Web Site

J. P. Hanlan, Interim Head; P. H. Hansen, Associate Head
Professors: F. Bianchi, J. J. Brattin, S. C. Bullock, D. B. Dollenmayer, R. S. Gottlieb, J. P. Hanlan, K. P. Ljungquist, W. T. Mott, L. E. Schachterle, S. Vick
Associate Professors: W. A. B. Addison, Jr., M. Ephraim, P. H. Hansen, A. A. Rivera, J. Rudolph, M. D. Samson, R. L. Smith
Assistant Professors: C. Clark, B. Eddy, J. DeWinter, J. Farbrook, T. Robertson, J. Rosenstock, J. Sanbonmatsu, E. Shim
Adjunct Faculty: I. Alvarez, W. A. Baller, U. Brisson, J. Delorey, J. Dempsey, R. G. Falco, J. L. Forgeng, D. E. Gray, M. Halpine, L. D. Higgins, I. E. Matos-Nin, B. L. McCarthy, S. Nikitina, R. J. Njoroge, D. O’Donnell, Y. Payusova, J. R. Policelli, D. A. Rawson, S. Runstrom, J. T. Sands, D. J. Spanagel, J. E. Watters, D. G. Weeks, J. Zinn
Professors Emeritus: L. Curran, L. Fontanella, E. Hayes, C. Heventhal, J. Manfra, D. McKay, L. Menides, E. M. Parkinson, T. Shannon, M. Sokal, J. Zeugner

Mission Statement

We are committed to helping students develop both a knowledge of, and an ability to think critically about, the humanities and arts. We also seek to foster the skills and habits of inquiry necessary for such learning: analytical thought, clear communication, and creative expression. Such an education, we believe, provides a crucial foundation for responsible and effective participation in a complex world.

Program Distribution Requirements for the Humanities and Arts Major

1. Humanities and Arts (including MQP) (Note 1)	6
2. Mathematics and Science (Note 2)	2
3. Electives (Note 3)	2

Notes:

1. Humanities and Arts majors may choose to complete 2 units of work and an MQP in one of the following areas of Concentration: History, Literature, Music, Philosophy/Religion, Drama/Theatre, Writing and Rhetoric, Art or Art History, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, American Studies, Environmental Studies, or Humanities Studies of Science and Technology.The remaining 3 units of work may be from any area within the Humanities and Arts except that no less then 1 unit should be from an area of Humanities and Arts outside of the area of the student’s main concentration.
2. Must include 2/3 units in mathematics and 2/3 units in basic science. The remaining 2/3 unit may be from mathematics, basic science or computer science.
3. May be from any area except Air Force Aerospace Studies, Military Science, or Physical Education. Courses used to satisfy other degree requirements (i.e. the IQP) may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Concentrations for Humanities and Arts Majors

Humanities and Arts majors may focus their studies by choosing a Concentration within a specific area of the Humanities and Arts, or within an interdisciplinary area closely related to the Humanities and Arts. Concentrations within the Humanities and Arts Department comply with WPI’s requirements for Concentrations. Students must complete an MQP and two units of integrated study in the area of their Concentration. Concentrations within the Humanities and Arts (History, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Drama/Theatre, Writing and Rhetoric, Art History, German Studies, Hispanic Studies) require two units of work in an area designated by specific disciplinary course prefixes, as described below. For example, a Concentration in History requires two units of HI courses at the 2000 level or higher and an MQP in history. Concentrations that are interdisciplinary in nature (American Studies, Environmental Studies, and Humanities Studies of Science and Technology) each require that courses be selected from specific lists of designated courses.

All of these Concentrations are excellent preparation for a variety of careers. Graduates of the Humanities and Arts major have gone to law, business, and medical schools, as well as to graduate programs in the discipline of their Humanities and Arts concentration. Some graduates have pursued careers as writers, teachers, engineers, or scientists. Other students have found work in the theatre as actors, technicians, or playwrights, or in music as composers or performers. The advantages our graduates find in their pursuit of further study and careers are the advantages of a rigorous study of the liberal arts: a good foundation in our cultural traditions and the cultural diversity of the world, and strong skills in research, analysis, writing, or performance.

In addition, since each Humanities and Arts major completes some technical work, either via the Distribution Requirements or a double major in a technical field, our graduates receive unique preparation as technological humanists. This educational experience gives them a distinct advantage in many fields in which a solid knowledge of engineering or science is increasingly valuable, such as environmental studies, drama/theatre, or business. The Humanities and Arts major equips students with vital general professional skills and with broad cultural and technical perspectives. Our many courses devoted to international issues or to foreign languages and the active involvement of Humanities and Arts faculty in the university’s global programs provides superb training for technological humanists interested in international issues. Whatever their specific area of concentration, majors in the Humanities and Arts gain an intellectual curiosity and openness to the diversity of human cultural achievements that will enrich their lives and enhance their careers.

Requirements

Humanities and Arts with History Concentration
2 units of HI (2000 level or higher) and MQP in History

Humanities and Arts with Literature Concentration
2 units of EN, TH, or RH (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Literature

Humanities and Arts with Music Concentration
2 units of MU (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Music

Humanities and Arts with Philosophy Concentration
2 units of PY (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Philosophy

Humanities and Arts with Religion Concentration
2 units of RE (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Religion

Humanities and Arts with Drama/Theatre Concentration
2 units of TH, EN, or RH (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Drama/Theatre

Humanities and Arts with Writing and Rhetoric Concentration
2 units of RH, EN/WR, or TH (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Writing and Rhetoric

Humanities and Arts with Art History Concentration
2 units of AR or HU and MQP in Art History

Humanities and Arts with German Studies Concentration
2 units of GN (2000 level or higher) and MQP in German Studies

Humanities and Arts with Hispanic Studies Concentration
2 units in SP (2000 level or higher) and MQP in Spanish

Humanities and Arts with American Studies Concentration

This interdisciplinary concentration examines American culture from the multiple perspectives of American history, literature, and politics. American Studies at WPI takes advantage of the unparalleled resources at the American Antiquarian Society.

1. 1/3 units: one of the following courses: HU 1411  Introduction to American Studies, EN 1231 Introduction to American Literature, EN 1257 Introduction to African American Literature and Culture, HI 1311 Introduction to American Urban History, HI 1312 Introduction to American Social History, or HI 1314 Introduction to Early American History.
2. 2/3 units from List 1 ("American History")
3. 2/3 units from List 2 ("American Literature")
4. 1/3 units from List 3 ("American Politics, Law, and Policy"). This may not include courses taken to fulfill the Social Science Requirement.
5. MQP in American Studies

List 1. American History:
HI 2311 American Colonial History
HI 2313 American History, 1789-1877
HI 2314 American History, 1877-1920
HI 2315 The Shaping of Post-1920 America
HI 2316 American Foreign Policy from Woodrow Wilson to the Present
HI 2317 Law and Society in America, 1865-1910
HI 2331 American Science and Technology to 1859
HI 2332 American Science and Technology from 1859
HI 3311 American Labor History
HI 3312 Topics in American Social History
HI 3314 The American Revolution
HI 3333 Topics in American Technological Development

List 2. American Literature:
EN 2221 American Drama
EN 2231 American Literature: The Raven, the Whale, and the Woodchuck
EN 2232 American Literature: Twain to the Twentieth Century
EN 2233 American Literature: Twentieth Century
EN 2234 Modern American Novel
EN 2235 The American Dream: Myth in Literature and the Popular Imagination
EN 2237 American Literature and the Environment
EN 2238 American Realism
EN 3221 New England Supernaturalism
EN 3232 The Concord Writers
EN 3233 Worcester Between the Covers: Local Writers and Their Works
EN 3224 Modern American Poetry
EN 3237 Pursuing Moby-Dick

List 3. American Politics, Law, and Policy:
GOV 1301 U.S. Government
GOV 1303 American Public Policy
GOV 1310 Law, Courts, and Politics
STS 1207 Intoduction to Psycho-sociology of Science
GOV 2302 Science-Technology Policy
STS 2208 The society-Technology Debate
GOV 2304 Governmental Decision Making and Administrative Law
GOV 2310 Constitutional Law
GOV 2311 Environmental Policy and Law

Humanities and Arts with Environmental Studies Concentration

This interdisciplinary concentration combines course work from the humanities and arts, social sciences, and other areas to examine environmental issues.

1. 3/3 units from List 1 ("Designated Environmental Courses in Humanities").
2. 2/3 units from List 2 ("Related Environmental Courses in Social Sciences"). These may not include courses taken to fulfill the Social Science Requirement.
3. 1/3 units from List 3 ("Environmental Courses in Other Areas")
4. MQP in Environmental Studies

List 1. Designated Environmental Courses in Humanities:
AR 2113 Topics in 19th- and 20th-Century Architecture
EN 2237 American Literature and the Environment
HI 1311 Introduction to American Urban History
HI 1341 Introduction to Global History
HI 2334 European Technological Development
HI 3331 Topics in Science, Technology, and Society
HI 3333 American Technological Development
PY 2712 Social and Political Philosophy
PY 2713 Bioethics
PY 2717 Philosophy and the Environment

List 2. Related Environmental Courses in Social Sciences
ECON 2117 Environmental Economics
ECON 2125 Development Economics
GOV 2311 Environmental Policy and Law
GOV 2312 International Environmental Policy
PSY 2405 Environmental Problems and Human Cognition

List 3. Environmental Courses in Other Areas:
BB 2040 Principles of Ecology
CHE 3910 Chemical and Environmental Technology
CHE 3920 Air Quality Management
CE 3059 Environmental Engineering
CE 3070 Urban and Environmental Planning
CE 3074 Environmental Analysis
ME 3422 Environmental Issues and Analysis

Humanities and Arts with Humanities Studies of Science and Technology Concentration

This interdisciplinary concentration enables students to apply to the methods of the humanities and social sciences to the study of science and technology.

1. 2/3 units from List 1 ("Designated HSST Courses")
2. 2/3 units from List 1 or List 2 ("Closely Related Courses in Humanities")
3. 2/3 units from List 3 ("Science-Technology-Studies Courses in Other Areas"). These may not include courses taken to fulfill the Social Science Requirement.
4. MQP in Humanities Studies of Science and Technology

List 1: Designated HSST Courses
AR 2113 Topics in 19th- and 20th-Century Architecture
EN 2252 Science and Scientists in Modern Literature
EN 3215 Genres of Science Writing
HI 1331 Introduction to the History of Science
HI 1332 Introduction to the History of Technology
HI 2330 History of American Science and Technology
HI 2333 History of Science from 1700
HI 2334 European Technological Development
HI 2351 History of Ecology
HI 2401 U.S. Environmental History
HI 2402 History of Evolutionary Thought
HI 3317 Topics in Environmental History
HI 3331 Topics in Science, Technology, and Society
PY 2713 Bioethics
PY 2717 Philosophy and the Environment

List 2: Closely Related Courses in Humanities

AR 3112 Modernism, Mass Culture, and the Avant-Garde
HI 1311 Introduction to American Urban History
HI 2324 Industry and Empire in British History
HI 3311 American Labor History
HI 3323 Topics in the Western Intellectual Tradition
PY 2711 Philosophical Theories of Knowledge and Reality

List 3: Science-Technology-Studies Courses in Other Areas.

AR/ID 3150 Light, Vision and Understanding and the Scientific Community
STS 1207 The Psycho-Sociology of Science
STS 2208 The Science-Technology Debate
GOV 2302 Science-Technology Policy
GOV 2304 Governmental Decision Making and Administrative Law
GOV 2311 Environmental Policy and Law
GOV 2312 International Environmental Policy

Double Major in Humanities and Arts

Students may pursue a double major in Humanities and Arts and in an area of science, engineering, or management. To pursue the double major, a student must satisfy all of the degree requirements of the technical discipline including an MQP and Distribution Requirements. In addition, the double major in Humanities and Arts requires 6 units of studies in the Humanities and Arts, including the MQP. Students pursuing a double major, one of which is Humanities and Arts, are not required to complete the Degree Requirement in Humanities and Arts, nor are they required to complete a second IQP. Students interested in pursuing this option should contact Prof. B. Addison, 39 Dean St., Room 260, for additional information.

The demand for graduates equipped with the background possessed by a WPI student with a double major in the Humanities and Arts is likely to increase. Many fields, including medicine, law, industry, theatre technology, commerce, and public service, will be open to those who have acquired both the skills of humanistic education and technical or managerial knowledge.

 

Humanities and Arts Minors

Minors can be arranged in areas other than the above. See Prof. Addison, 39 Dean Street, for further information about minors in other areas and interdisciplinary minors.

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Last modified: February 05, 2009 12:44:18