BA in Liberal Studies, Humanities
General Overview
Explore history, philosophy, art, literature, language and more with the distinguished Humanities faculty at USM. This major provides the opportunity to combine existing liberal arts credits from other institutions with USM Humanities courses to create an efficient and coherent path to degree completion.
The humanities is the study of the human condition and its relationship to human cultures, social and political formations, and the natural world. The humanities comprise a variety of disciplines such as history, philosophy, religion, the arts, language, and literature. Methodologically, humanists are eclectic, drawing upon multiple approaches ranging from critical theory and cultural studies to empiricism, hermeneutics, historicism, philology, narrative, and exegesis. The humanities also includes scholarly, professional, technical, and creative writing.
The Humanities offer the framework and skills for meeting the challenges of our complex and constantly changing world:
- knowledge of cultural, intellectual, artistic, and literary traditions
- appreciation of the cultural and historical contours of diversity
- skills of close reading, analysis, synthesis, persuasion/rhetoric, and communication
- intellectual curiosity
- global, historical, and ethical awareness
7-Week Online and Traditional Live Format:
This major has been developed to be offered in both a traditional live format as well as in an online format. LSH-prefixed courses are offered online only.
Finishing a degree is challenging. Work and family commitments often make it difficult to maintain steady progress toward a degree. USM's 7-week online format offers students both the convenience of taking classes online and the opportunity to focus on one course at a time. The traditional 15-week fall and spring semesters are divided into two 7-week sessions. Students can make steady progress while taking one course per session. If life interrupts a session, the next session is right around the corner. In addition, USM offers a 4-week online winter session, and two 7-week sessions each summer. Graduation is a step closer every seven weeks.
Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree
All students are reminded that, in addition to meeting Departmental requirements for a major leading to a baccalaureate degree, they must also meet the requirements of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the University's Core curriculum.
Major Credit and Grade Policy
Courses to be taken for major credit at other institutions must be approved in advance. Grades of C or better must be achieved in all courses for major or minor credit. Courses taken pass/fail are not acceptable.
Required Courses* (36 total credits)
Please note prerequisites.
- LSH 240 Introducing the Humanities* (3 credits)
- Foundation Courses* (12 credits)
- Western Civilization: HTY 101 or HTY 102
- Language and Literature
- One of the following: ENG 245, PHI 220, HUM 300
AND - One of the following: GRE 101, 102, or 251; LAT 101, 102, or 251; CLA 171, ENG 330, ENG 305, LIN 185
- One of the following: ENG 245, PHI 220, HUM 300
- Philosophy: PHI 103, 105, 106, 110, or 112
- LSH 340: Topics in the Humanities (3 credits)
- Sequence/Concentration* (15 credits)
In consultation with the humanities track coordinator, students will complete one of the following sequences.
1. Media, Art, Literature
2. Religion and Ethics
3. Gender, Race, and Identity
4. Students may also complete a period, region, or theme-based concentration in consultation with the coordinator. - LSH 440: Capstone in the Humanities* (3 credits)
Below are the course options to complete the required upper-level sequences. With the permission of the program coordinator, students may substitute relevant courses. At least three courses must be at the 300-level or above.
Media, Art, and Literature
ARH 310 Art History: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
ARH 311 Gender Identity and Modern Art
ARH 318 History of Photography
ARH 321 Classical Art
ARH 322 Medieval Art
ARH 323 Renaissance Art
ARH 324 Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Art
ARH 325 American Art
ARH 326 Nineteenth-Century European Art
CLA 283 The Epic Hero in Ancient Literature
CLA 285 Classical Mythology
CLA 384 What Would Antigone Do?
CLA 410 Capstone
CMS 374 Media Criticism and Aesthetics
CMS 380 Film Genres
CMS 384 Film and Cultural Studies
CMS 394 Theories of Film
ENG 315 Ancient Literature
ENG 316 The Bible
ENG 317 Studies in Ancient and Biblical Literature and Culture
ENG 318 Autobiography
ENG 319 Studies in Genre and Form
ENG 320 Continental Literature
ENG 321 Modernisms
ENG 322 Modern Autobiography
ENG 324 Studies in Canadian Literature and Culture
ENG 325 Epic and Romance
ENG 326 Studies in International Literature Since 1900
ENG 327 Modern Short Story
ENG 328 Modern Novel
ENG 329 Modern Drama
ENG 330 History of the English Language
ENG 336 Old English Language and Literature
ENG 337 Studies in Rhetoric
ENG 340 History of Literary Criticism and Theory
ENG 341 Contemporary Critical Theories
ENG 344 Sex/Gender and Sexuality
ENG 345 Racial Formations
ENG 346 Language, Literature and the Politics of Identity in Contemporary Ireland
ENG 350 Medieval English Literature
ENG 351 Chaucer and the Medieval World
ENG 352 Medieval Drama
ENG 353 Medieval Women Writers
ENG 354 Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture
ENG 355 English Renaissance Literature and Culture
ENG 357 Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama
ENG 360, 361 Shakespeare
ENG 362 Studies in Shakespeare
ENG 363 Studies in the Renaissance
ENG 365 Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture
ENG 366 Studies in the Restoration and Eighteenth Century
ENG 367 Literature and Culture of the Early Republic
ENG 368 Studies in Eighteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 369 Emergence of the Novel
ENG 370 Literature of Discovery, Exploration, and Colonialism
ENG 371 Romantic Writing
ENG 373 Studies in Romantic Literature and Culture
ENG 375 Nineteenth-Century British Novel
ENG 376 Victorian Literature and Culture
ENG 377 Studies in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Culture
ENG 378 The Novel of Self Development
ENG 379 Earlier Women Writers
ENG 380 Early Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 382 The Earlier American Novel
ENG 383 Studies in African-American Literature and Culture
ENG 384 Late Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 385 Studies in Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 387 Women Writers Since 1900
ENG 390 British Poetry Since 1900
ENG 391 American Poetry Since 1900
ENG 392 British Novel Since 1900
ENG 393 The American Novel Since 1900
ENG 394 Studies in American Literature and Culture Since 1900
ENG 395 Irish Literature and Culture
ENG 396 James Joyce
ENG 397 Studies in Irish Literature and Culture
ENG 398 Studies in British Literature and Culture Since 1900
FRE 293 French Cinema
FRE 331 Workshop in French Literary Analysis
FRE 367 Genres and Periods in French Literature
FRE 369 Topics and Themes in French Literature
FRE 467 Genres and Periods in French Literature
FRE 469 Topics and Themes in French Literature
HTY 311 Medieval Civilization
HTY 312 Renaissance and Reformation
HTY 355 The Age of Jackson
HTY 374 Photographing American History
HTY 377 Chinese Thought
MUS 206 Jazz History
MUS 220 20th Century Music
MUS 225 World Music
PHI 211 Media Ethics
PHI 215 Philosophy of Literature
PHI 220 Philosophy of Art
PHI 221 Philosophy of Film
PHI 235 Philosophy and Social Media
PHI 275 Nature of Compassion
PHI 310 History of Ancient Philosophy
PHI 380 Postmodernism
PHI 390 Hermeneutics
RUS 281 Russian Literature in English
RUS 293 Russian Cinema
RUS 351 Seminar in Russian Literature
THE 351-3 Dramatic Literature and Theatre I-III
THE 360 Butches, Bitches, and Buggers
Religion and Ethics
ARH 321 Classical Art
ARH 322 Medieval Art
ARH 323 Renaissance Art
ARH 324 Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Art
BIO 602 Ethical Issues in Biology
CLA 285 Classical Mythology
CLA 292 Rome, from Republic to Empire
CLA 384 What Would Antigone Do?
ENG 316 The Bible
ENG 317 Studies in Ancient and Biblical Literature and Culture
HTY 303 History of the Ancient Near East and Greece
HTY 304 History of Rome
HTY 305 The Historical Jesus
HTY 306 Roman Sexuality and Early Christianity
HTY 307 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
HTY 308 Polytheists, Jews, and Christians in the Roman Empire
HTY 309 Religious Violence and Persecution in Early Western History
HTY 311 Medieval Civilization
HTY 312 Renaissance and Reformation
HTY 326 History of England
HTY 351 Colonial America
HTY 366 History of Religion in America
HTY 372 American Social and Intellectual History I
HTY 373 American Social and Intellectual History II
HTY 377 Chinese Thought
PHI 211 Media Ethics
PHI 212 Environmental Ethics
PHI 230 Philosophy of Religion
PHI 235 Philosophy and Social Media
PHI 240 Political Philosophy
PHI 260 Philosophy of Law
PHI 285 Genetics and Society
PHI 295 Medicine Madness and Disease
PHI 310 History of Ancient Philosophy
PHI 315 Eastern Philosophy
PHI 320 History of Medieval Philosophy
PHI 330 History of Early Modern Philosophy
PHI 340 History of Late Modern Philosophy
PHI 350 American Philosophy
PHI 360 Existentialism
PHI 370 Analytic Philosophy
PHI 380 Postmodernism
PHI 390 Hermeneutics
POS 390 Ancient and Medieval Political Theory
POS 391 Modern Political Theory
POS 392 American Political Thought
Gender, Race, and Identity
ARH 310 Art History: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
ARH 311 Gender Identity and Modern Art
ARH 325 American Art
ARH 326 Nineteenth-Century European Art
CLA 283 The Epic Hero in Ancient Literature
CLA 285 Classical Mythology
CLA 292 Rome, from Republic to Empire
CLA 321 Art, Architecture, and Archeology of the Ancient World
CLA 384 What Would Antigone Do?
CLA 410 Capstone
ENG 318 Autobiography
ENG 321 Modernisms
ENG 322 Modern Autobiography
ENG 326 Studies in International Literature Since 1900
ENG 344 Sex/Gender and Sexuality
ENG 345 Racial Formations
ENG 346 Language, Literature and the Politics of Identity in Contemporary Ireland
ENG 353 Medieval Women Writers
ENG 367 Literature and Culture of the Early Republic
ENG 370 Literature of Discovery, Exploration, and Colonialism
ENG 371 Romantic Writing
ENG 373 Studies in Romantic Literature and Culture
ENG 375 Nineteenth-Century British Novel
ENG 376 Victorian Literature and Culture
ENG 377 Studies in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Culture
ENG 378 The Novel of Self Development
ENG 379 Earlier Women Writers
ENG 380 Early Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 382 The Earlier American Novel
ENG 383 Studies in African-American Literature and Culture
ENG 384 Late Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
ENG 387 Women Writers Since 1900
ENG 391 American Poetry Since 1900
ENG 393 The American Novel Since 1900
ENG 394 Studies in American Literature and Culture Since 1900
ENG 395 Irish Literature and Culture
ENG 396 James Joyce
ENG 397 Studies in Irish Literature and Culture
HTY 306 Roman Sexuality and Early Christianity
HTY 307 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
HTY 308 Polytheists, Jews, and Christians in the Roman Empire
HTY 309 Religious Violence and Persecution in Early Western History
HTY 311 Medieval Civilization
HTY 312 Renaissance and Reformation
HTY 316 French Revolution and Napoleon
HTY 326 History of England
HTY 341 Black Women in the Americas
HTY 351 Colonial America
HTY 355 The Age of Jackson
HTY 377 Chinese Thought
MUS 206 Jazz History
MUS 225 World Music
PHI 225 Philosophy of Mind
PHI 235 Philosophy and Social Media
PHI 312 Gender in African Film and Literature
PHI 360 Existentialism
POS 392 American Political Thought
THE 360 Butches, Bitches and Buggers
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