Humanities Department
WHAT ARE THE HUMANITIES?
The humanities can be described as the study of how people process and document the human experience. Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language to understand and record our world. These modes of expression have become some of the subjects that traditionally fall under the humanities umbrella. Knowledge of these records of human experience gives us the opportunity to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries.
Course Descriptions
History
HIS-111 -- World Civilizations I
This course introduces world history from the dawn of civilization to the early modern era. Topics include Eurasian, African, American, and Greco-Roman civilizations and Christian, Islamic and Byzantine cultures. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in pre-modern world civilizations.
HIS-112 -- World Civilizations II
This course introduces world history from the early modern era to the present. Topics include the cultures of Africa, Europe, India, China, Japan, and the Americas. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in modern world civilizations.
HIS-121 -- Western Civilization I
This course introduces western civilization from pre-history to the early modern era. Topics include ancient Greece, Rome, and Christian institutions of the Middle Ages and the emergence of national monarchies in western Europe. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in early western civilization.
HIS-122 -- Western Civilization II
This course introduces western civilization from the early modern era to the present. Topics include the religious wars, the Industrial Revolution, World Wars I and II, and the Cold War. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in modern western civilization.
HIS-131 -- American History I
This course is a survey of American history from pre-history through the Civil War era. Topics include the migrations to the Americas, the colonial and revolutionary periods, the development of the Republic, and the Civil War. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in early American history.
HIS-132 -- American History II
This course is a survey of American history from the Civil War era to the present. Topics include industrialization, immigration, the Great Depression, the major American wars, the Cold War, and social conflict. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in American history since the Civil War.
Humanities
HUM-110 -- Technology and Society
This course considers technological change from historical, artistic, and philosophical perspectives and its effect on human needs and concerns. Emphasis is placed on the causes and consequences of technological change. Upon completion, students should be able to critically evaluate the implications of technology.
HUM-115 -- Critical Thinking
This course introduces the use of critical thinking skills in the context of human conflict. Emphasis is placed on evaluating information, problem solving, approaching cross-cultural perspectives, and resolving controversies and dilemmas. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate orally and in writing the use of critical thinking skills in the analysis of appropriate texts. Students will also explore the parameters of selected ethical issues.
HUM-121 -- The Nature of America
This course provides an interdisciplinary survey of the American cultural, social, and political experience. Emphasis is placed on the multicultural character of American society, distinctive qualities of various regions, and the American political system. Upon completion, students should be able to analyze significant cultural, social, and political aspects of American life.
HUM-130 -- Myth in Human Culture
This course provides an in-depth study of myths and legends. Topics include the varied sources of myths and their influence on the individual and society within diverse cultural contexts. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate a general familiarity with myths and a broad-based understanding of the influence of myths and legends on modern culture.
HUM-160 -- Introduction to Film
This course introduces the fundamental elements of film artistry and production. Topics include film styles, history, and production techniques, as well as the social values reflected in film art. Upon completion, students should be able to critically analyze the elements covered in relation to selected films.
HUM-161 -- Advanced Film Studies
This course provides an advanced study of film art and production, building on skills learned in HUM 160. Topics include advanced film production techniques, film genres, examination of master directors' styles, and the relation of film to culture. Upon completion, students should be able to recognize and critically analyze advanced elements of film production.
HUM-220 -- Human Values and Meaning
This course presents some major dimensions of human experience as reflected in art, music, literature, philosophy, and history. Topics include the search for identity, the quest for knowledge, the need for love, the individual and society, and the meaning of life. Upon completion, students should be able to recognize interdisciplinary connections and distinguish between open and closed questions and between narrative and scientific models of understanding.
HUM-230 -- Leadership Development
This course explores the theories and techniques of leadership and group process. Emphasis is placed on leadership styles, theories of group dynamics, and the moral and ethical responsibilities of leadership. Upon completion, students should be able to identify and analyze a personal philosophy and style of leadership and integrate these concepts in various practical situations.
Philosophy
PHI-210 -- History of Philosophy
This course introduces fundamental philosophical issues through an historical perspective. Emphasis is placed on such figures as Plato, Aristotle, Lao-Tzu, Confucius, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Nietzsche, and Sartre. Upon completion, students should be able to identify and distinguish among the key positions of the philosophers studied.
PHI-215 -- Philosophical Issues
This course introduces fundamental issues in philosophy considering the views of classical and contemporary philosophers. Emphasis is placed on knowledge and belief, appearance and reality, determinism and free will, faith and reason, and justice and inequality. Upon completion, students should be able to identify, analyze, and critically evaluate the philosophical components of an issue.
PHI-240 -- Introduction to Ethics
This course introduces theories about the nature and foundations of moral judgments and applications to contemporary moral issues. Emphasis is placed on moral theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Upon completion, students should be able to apply various ethical theories to moral issues such as abortion, capital punishment, poverty, war, terrorism, the treatment of animals, and issues arising from new technologies.
Political Science
POL-110 -- Introduction to Political Science
This course introduces basic political concepts used by governments and addresses a wide range of political issues. Topics include political theory, ideologies, legitimacy, and sovereignty in democratic and non-democratic systems. Upon completion, students should be able to discuss a variety of issues inherent in all political systems and draw logical conclusions in evaluating these systems.
POL-120 -- American Government
This course is a study of the origins, development, structure, and functions of American government. Topics include the constitutional framework, federalism, the three branches of government including the bureaucracy, civil rights and liberties, political participation and behavior, and policy process. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts and participatory processes of the American political system.
POL-130 -- State & Local Government
This course includes state and local political institutions and practices in the context of American federalism. Emphasis is placed on procedural and policy differences as well as political issues in state, regional, and local governments of North Carolina. Upon completion, students should be able to identify and discuss various problems associated with intergovernmental politics and their effect on the community and the individual.
POL-220 -- International Relations
This course provides a study of the effects of ideologies, trade, armaments, and alliances on relations among nation-states. Emphasis is placed on regional and global cooperation and conflict, economic development, trade, non-governmental organizations, and international institutions such as the World Court and UN. Upon completion, students should be able to identify and discuss major international relationships, institutions, and problems.
Religion
REL-110 -- World Religions
This course introduces the world's major religious traditions. Topics include Primal religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Upon completion, students should be able to identify the origins, history, beliefs, and practices of the religions studied.
REL-211 -- Introduction to Old Testament
This course is a survey of the literature of the Hebrews with readings from the law, prophets, and other writings. Emphasis is placed on the use of literary, historical, archeological, and cultural analysis. Upon completion, students should be able to use the tools of critical analysis to read and understand Old Testament literature.
REL-212 -- Introduction to New Testament
This course is a survey of the literature of first-century Christianity with readings from the gospels, Acts, and the Pauline and pastoral letters. Topics include the literary structure, audience, and religious perspective of the writings, as well as the historical and cultural context of the early Christian community. Upon completion, students should be able to use the tools of critical analysis to read and understand New Testament literature.