Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Humanities - History of Culture Concentration, BA


Department of Liberal Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

61-70 credits

Introduction/What is the Study of Humanities?

The humanities include the disciplines which study philosophy, religion, history, literature, and the arts. The B.A. in Humanities programs attracts students who want to major in more than one Humanities discipline, using interdisciplinary methods of investigation. The department supports study of religions and of cultural history in Europe and the Americas, China, Japan, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and in predominantly Islamic areas. Its courses give attention to historical development and cross-cultural interaction, both in the past and in the modern period.

The small size of classes and seminars in the Humanities B.A. programs encourages close relationships between students and faculty. Students conduct independent research on topics of their own choosing. Working closely with faculty, students learn to formulate problems clearly, to consider and evaluate different methods and concepts, to do efficient and thorough research, and to write clearly, concisely and effectively.

Graduates have gone on to a variety of professional graduate schools and careers, including teaching, law, library science, archive administration, and research and administrative positions with business and non-profit organizations. Students who have done excellent work in the department have succeeded in graduate academic programs in literature, history and the study of religion.

Why Consider a History of Culture Concentration in the Humanities Major? 

The History of Culture Concentration focuses on how cultures change. Students acquire a substantial knowledge of religious, philosophical, literary and aesthetic movements in the history of Western culture. Students also study works of the humanities in at least one other culture, and that culture’s history. Using methods from different humanities disciplines, students learn to analyze individual works of the humanities and to relate them to social and cultural developments. Learning how to understand cultural differences and cultural change helps students exercise leadership in a more closely knit, global world.

Students acquire skills which are broadly applicable to professional careers. These skills include problem solving, critical thinking, research skills, integrative skills, and written and oral communications skills. The History of Culture Concentration has proved to be excellent preparation for professional careers in teaching, law, library science, archive administration, and for research and administrative positions with businesses and non-profit organizations.

Students who plan a career in secondary education should contact the department for advising as soon as possible.

 Contact Information

Department Chair
Scott Pearce
Bond Hall 152A
360-650-3897
Scott.Pearce@wwu.edu

Secretary Supervisor
Kim Kolb Ayre
Bond Hall 152
360-650-3031
Kim.Ayre@wwu.edu

 Sample Careers

Attorney | Teacher | Professor | Librarian | Writer | Business Administrator | Historian | Non-Profit Organization Administrator | Congressional Aid | Research Assistant | Editor | Lobbyist

 Major/Career Resources

http://www.wwu.edu/careers/students_choosingamajor.shtml

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

Students interested in the Humanities degree should contact the Liberal Studies Department as soon as possible.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.

An average grade of B in Liberal Studies courses is required for admission to LBRL 302. (NOTE: LBRL 302 is ordinarily offered spring quarter only.) LBRL 302 is prerequisite to LBRL 421, 422, 423, 424. It is recommended that students undertake study of a foreign language concurrently with the major.

Requirements