USM Online

Online B.A. in Liberal Studies, Humanities Track

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

General Overview
7 Week Online Format
Admission & Transfer Information
Degree Requirements

PCE Student Services

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 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

To complete this degree in Liberal Studies, students must complete 36 credits, 15 in a particular concentration. In consultation with the humanities track coordinator, students may craft a sequence of classes that addresses a particular problem, question, region, or time period and interrogate it from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

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7-Week Online Format:

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.

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Admission & Transfer Information:

If you are interested in completing your bachelor’s degree through one of our online programs, simply complete the Pre-Admission Form or call us at 780-5900, and we will assist you through the application process.

A transfer student is an applicant who has attempted twelve semester hours of credit or more since graduating form high school or earning a GED. Students should have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 unless otherwise indicated by the desired program. For more information about how your courses might transfer to USM, contact Enrollment Advisor, Ashley Collins for an unofficial transfer credit evaluation.

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Degree Requirements:

To complete this degree in Liberal Studies, students must complete 36 major credits, 15 in a particular concentration. In consultation with the humanities track coordinator, students may craft a sequence of classes that addresses a particular problem, question, region, or time period and interrogate it from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Students must have a minimum of 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree.

USM Core Curriculum Requirements

Entry Year Experience (waived for students who transfer in 24 or more credits)
College Writing
Quantitative Reasoning
Creative Expression
Socio-Cultural Analysis
Science Exploration - with Lab
Cultural Interpretation
Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship
Diversity
International
Cluster course 1 (See Note)
Cluster course 2 (See Note)
Cluster course 3 (See Note)
Capstone (taken as part of the major – LSH 440)

Note:
USM students must complete either a Thematic Cluster OR a minor OR a double major. Students may overlap one cluster course with their major.

Liberal Studies, Humanities Major Requirements (36 credit hours)

Foundation Courses (15 credits)

LSH 240 Introducing the Humanities (3 credits)

A. History of Western Civilization (3 credits)
One of the following:

HTY 101 Western Civilization I
HTY 102 Western Civilization II

B. Language, Arts and Literature (6 credits)
One of the following:

ENG 245 Introduction to Literary Studies
PHI 220 Philosophy of Art
HUM 300 Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory

AND One of the following:

GRE 101 Beginning Greek I, GRE 102 Beginning Greek II, or GRE 251 Introduction to Greek Literature I
LAT 101 Beginning Latin, LAT 102 Beginning Latin II, or LAT 251 Introduction to Latin Literature I
CLA171 Etymology for Everyone
ENG 305 Rhetoric, Syntax, and Style
ENG 330 History of the English Language
LIN 185 Language, Mind, and Society

C. Introduction to Philosophy (3 credits)
One of the following:

PHI 103 Introduction to Philosophy: Human Alienation
PHI 105 Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy Through Its History
PHI 106 Introduction to Philosophy: Why Philosophize?
PHI 107 Introduction to Philosophy: World Philosophy
PHI 109 Introduction to Philosophy: Law, Politics, and Society
PHI 110 Introduction to Philosophy: Gender and Society
PHI 112 Introduction to Philosophy: Feminist Perspectives

Sequence (15 credits)
In consultation with the humanities track coordinator, students will complete one of the following sequences:

Media, Art, and Literature
Religion and Ethics
Gender, Race, and Identity
Students may also complete a period, region or theme-based concentration of their own design in consultation with the program coordinator.

Course options to complete the required upper-level (300-level or higher) sequences are listed in the USM Undergraduate Catalog.

Topics Course (3 credits)

LSH 340 Topics in Humanities

Capstone (3 credits)

LSH 440 Capstone Experience in the Humanities

To learn more about the degree requirements for this program, please view the official 2012-2013 catalog. You can also use this degree check sheet to track your progress.

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