Humanities & Arts
HU 1401. INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES and ARTS I.
Cat. I
This course provides an introduction to the Humanities and Arts by examining, discussing, and communicating our ideas about a fundamental question in human experience: what is real and how are claims made for that reality? Students will study this question from the points of view of literature, history, science, and art.
HU 1401 is open to all students with preference given to first-year students, especially those who would like to sample several different areas of the Humanities and Arts before deciding on an area of concentration. HU 1402 follows historically from HU 1401 and students are encouraged BUT NOT REQUIRED to take both courses.
HU 1402. INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES and ARTS II.
Cat. I
This course provides an introduction to the Humanities and Arts by examining, discussing, and communicating our ideas about a fundamental question in human experience: what is real and how are claims made for that reality? Students will study this question from the points of view of literature, history, science, and art.
HU 1402 is open to all students with preference given to first-year students, especially those who would like to sample several different areas of the Humanities and Arts before deciding on an area of concentration. HU 1402 follows historically from HU 1401 and students are encouraged BUT NOT REQUIRED to take both courses.
HU 1411. INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES.
Cat. II
This interdisciplinary course introduces students to a number of basic American Studies methodologies. Emphasis will vary according to the instructor, but usually the course will cover the following: the textual and contextual analysis (at the community, national, and transnational levels) of literary works; the relationships between the literary, performing, and visual arts in a specific time period; the analysis of radio, film, television, and digital media forms at the level of production and reception; the mediation and remediation of cultural, social, and political history.
This course will be offered in 2011-12 and in alternating years thereafter.
HU 1412. Introduction to Asia.
Cat. I
This course will explore Asia through an interdisciplinary approach. We will examine tradition and modernity in some or all of four cultural regions—South Asia (India), East Asia (China), Southeast Asia (Vietnam or Thailand), Inner Asia (Tibet)—and globalization in Japan and/or Hong Kong. We will explore the cultural traditions of these various regions, paying special attention to history, religion, society. We will also consider modern developments in these same regions. The impact of colonialism, nationalism, revolution, industrialization and urbanization on the lives of Asian peoples will be illustrated through films and readings. No prior knowledge of Asian history or culture is expected.
HU 2441. African History and Culture.
Cat. II
This survey course uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine fundamental issues in African political, social, and cultural history. The course may include various topics, such as ancient African kingdoms, the influence of Islam, the Atlantic slave trade, imperialism and decolonization, contemporary democratization, or African literature and art.
Suggested background: HI 1341 Introduction to Global History.
This course will be offered in 2011-12 and in alternating years thereafter.
HU 3411. Pro-Seminar in Global Perspectives.
Cat. II
This course examines the fundamentals of intercultural communication to prepare students to live and work with people from other cultures. It explores how different patterns of thinking and behavior, assumptions and values, have arisen from different cultural traditions and divergent histories in the world. Racism, prejudice, and bigotry—often the result of cultural, social, and technological differences in human experience—are among the concerns of the class. This course cannot teach students how to behave and think in all parts of the world, but it raises questions about ethnocentric assumptions often taken for granted by those working or studying in another culture. It is excellent preparation for an international IQP or educational exchange.
Suggested background: Previous courses in Humanities.
This course will be offered in 2011-12 and in alternating years thereafter.
HU 3900. Inquiry Seminar in Humanities and Arts.
Cat. I
This seminar serves as the culmination for a student's Humanities and Arts Requirement. The seminar provides opportunities for sustained critical inquiry into a focused thematic area. The seminar seeks to help students learn to communicate effectively, to think critically, and to appreciate diverse perspectives in a spirit of openness and cooperation through research, creativity, and investigation. The specific theme of each seminar will vary and will be defined by the instructor. Prior to enrolling in the seminar, a student must have completed five courses in Humanities and Arts, at least two of which must be thematically related and at least one of which must be at the 2000-level or above.
HU 3910. Practicum in Humanities and Arts.
Cat. I
The practicum serves as the culmination for a student's Humanities and Arts Requirement. The practicum provides opportunities for sustained critical inquiry into a focused thematic area. The practicum seeks to help students learn to communicate effectively, to think critically, and to appreciate diverse perspectives in a spirit of openness and cooperation through research, creativity, and investigation. The specific theme of each practicum will vary and will be defined by the instructor. Prior to enrolling in the practicum, a student must have completed five courses in Humanities and Arts, at least two of which must be thematically related and at least one of which must be at the 2000-level or above. Consent of the instructor is required for enrollment.
HU 4411. Senior Seminar in International Studies.
Cat. I
This course is designed to integrate each student's international courses, projects, and experiences in a capstone seminar in International Studies. Students will reflect on what they have learned in their previous courses and international experiences. They will assess what happened to them overseas, why it happened, and how it might be understood. They will also prepare a paper with an instructor in their area of international studies that integrates their previous academic courses. Students will also explore how they might translate their courses and experiences into future personal and professional opportunities.
Recommended background: previous courses in international studies, such as HI 1341 and HU 3411, and completion of an international IQP or an international educational exchange.
HU/AAS-50. AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SEMINAR.
ISP
Each fall the American Antiquarian Society and five Worcester colleges sponsor a research seminar at the Antiquarian Society library. The seminar is conducted by a scholar familiar with the Society's holdings in early American history, and the seminar topic is related to his or her field of research.
Selection is highly competitive. The ten participating students are chosen by a screening committee made up of representatives of the five participating colleges: Assumption College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, WPI, and Worcester State College.
The seminar topic and research methods combine several disciplines, and students from a wide variety of majors have participated successfully in this unique undergraduate opportunity.
