Humanities (B. A.)
The Humanities program is an interdisciplinary study of the human condition, past and present. The program is based on careful examination of substantial works from a variety of disciplines and is intended to develop intellectual skills, specialized knowledge, and breadth of understanding. It provides students with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills in the liberal arts combined with a coordinated, self-designed program of studies in an area of individual student interest.
Humanities students develop skills of analysis, critical assessment, and effective communication as they study diverse works of art, music, literature, history, philosophy, and the sciences. Individually designed programs may cover the full range of student interests: for example, the social and ethical implications of genetic engineering or the examination of an historical period through study of its literature, arts, history, philosophy, and sciences.
A liberal arts degree Humanities opens doors to careers in a variety of areas and prepares students for graduate study in subjects such as law or education. Skills and knowledge developed through the major are important in virtually all social and career responsibilities. A Humanities major or minor can also complement work in other majors such as elementary or secondary education, business, communications, or computer information systems.
For more information contact John Resch, Program Coordinator, at jpr@unh.edu or 603-641-4134; or contact the Office of Admissions.
For the Humanities major at UNH Manchester, students must complete a minimum of 128 credits and satisfy the University’s Discovery Program and foreign language requirements and students must complete 40 credits with a minimum grade of C in each course.
The required courses for the Humanities major are:
Core Courses (required of all majors)
HIST 500, Introduction to Historical Thinking
or
ENGL 419, Introduction to Critical Analysis
HUMA 411, Humanities I
HUMA 412, Humanities II
Discovery Program Capstone Courses
Students complete their major with two capstone seminars. The first, HUMA 795, Study of Creativity, explores the nature of creativity through the lives and works of individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Kathe Kollwitz, Mozart, Freud, Einstein, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The second seminar, HUMA 796, Study of Contemporary Issues, explores current social and political issues with a focus on developments in public policy, science, and business, and their impact on social values.
Self-Designed Concentration
This is an approved program of studies designed by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor. In addition to courses available on the Manchester campus, students may, with prior approval, use courses from area colleges and the University’s Durham campus. The concentration is made up of two humanities courses (HUMA prefix) at the 600 or 700 level and three courses from any relevant discipline at any level.
Humanities Minor
The Humanities minor is an excellent way to add breadth of perspective to specialized study in particular disciplines. Many professions encourage students to develop skills and knowledge outside their area of professional interest. The Humanities minor can meet this objective and make college education a more enlightening and rewarding experience.
To earn a minor in Humanities students must complete 20 credits with a minimum grade of C in each course. Students must take the following courses: HUMA 411 Humanities I; HUMA 412 Humanities II; one course in any Humanities discipline at any level; one 600 or 700 level Humanities course; HUMA 795 Humanities: Study of Creativity or HUMA 796 Humanities: Study of Contemporary Issues
For more information contact John Resch, Minor Supervisor, at jpr@unh.edu or 603-641-4134; or contact the Office of Admissions.
Andrew Laurie Stangel
Adjunct Faculty Member, Art History
Humanities Program
Humanities Division
University Center
artifacts@gsinet.net
Victoria (Torie) DiPippo
Victoria (Torie) DiPippo is a third year Humanities major (focusing on French) who has so far left an impressively selfless mark on the UNH Manchester community.
Andres Reyes
Andres Reyes is more than just a signature ponytail and baseball hat. He graces the hallways of UNH Manchester with creative determination and a hunger to help. When he is not working, studying, wrestling, or writing, Reyes is busy coordinating musical, artistic, and generally inspiring events for the UNH Manchester community.
Finding Comfort in Ireland...
Annie Donahue, library director and associate professor, has a passion for traveling to different cultures. "I love to travel, whether road trips around New England, weekends in Manhattan, or flights abroad; I thoroughly enjoy seeing new places and meeting new people." Europe is one of her favorite destinations and she's visited Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, France, and Germany, but Annie claims, "there are still many places to see in that tiny area of the world, I haven’t sampled enough of it yet."
The UNH Manchester Experience; A Refugees Point of View
"Believe that you can do it. Keep dreaming and keep going! Studying a language isn't an easy thing, you need to have a vision and reach for it! Language is a process and you cannot be complaisant. It doesn't matter if you're a native speaker or not; you can always learn from each other."
Terry Savage
Program Coordinator and Associate Professor for the UNH Manchester Humanities Degree Program
Natalie Glisson
A relentless drive to give back and unmatched desire for wanting others to succeed are just two of the qualities that define University of New Hampshire at Manchester Senior Natalie Glisson. As testament to what is truly important in life, Glisson, who was home schooled completely for all grades including high school, put her own academic dreams on hold for two years before coming to UNH Manchester.
Click on each course title to read the full description. For all courses offered at our campus, click here
HUMA 411 - Humanities I
Introduction to the humanities and Western culture through literature, history, philosophy, music, art, and architecture. Examination of selected historical periods from classical Greece through the Renaissance through readings, films, slides, and field trips. Writing intensive. Special fee.
Credits: 4
HUMA 412 - Humanities II
Introduction to the humanities and Western culture through literature, history, philosophy, music, art, and architecture. Examination of selected historical periods from the Enlightenment to the present through the use of readings, films, slides, and field trips. Writing intensive. Special fee.
Credits: 4
HUMA 444B - Richard Wright's Native Son and America in the 1930s and 1940s
This Inquiry* course uses Richard Wright's groundbreaking novel, Native Son, to explore ways in which literature can reflect, interact with and change the world out of which it arises. After a careful reading of the novel, we consider how a writer's comments on his art can help us understand the art, how a novel's composition and reception affect our understanding, how the historical context of a work can help us reflect upon the relationship of literature and history, how other media such as film versions of the novel interpret it and how social and philosophical interpretations of experience are reflected in the narrative.
Credits: 4
HUMA 519 - Classical Greece
Examination of the culture of classical Greece through the history, drama, philosophy, and art of the period. Open to all students. Recommended for students in the humanities major. Special fee.
Credits: 4
HUMA 608 - Arts and American Society: Women Writers and Artists, 1850-Present
Team-taught course studying the impact of gender definitions on the lives and works of selected American artists. Considers lesser-known figures such as Fannie Fern, Lilly Martin Spencer, and Mary Hallock Foote as well as better-known artists such as Willa Cather and Georgia O'Keeffe. Prereq: permission or one of the following: WS 401, HIST 566, ENGL 585 or 586, ENGL 685 or 785, or a 600-level art history course. (Also offered as ARTS 608, ENGL 608, and HIST 608.) Writing intensive.
Credits: 4
HUMA 622 - Studies of Freedom and Liberty
Principles of freedom and liberty that helped to form Western culture from the Renaissance to the present. Topics include concepts of human nature, theories of government and society. Readings include Machiavelli, Locke, Paine, Mill, Marx, Freud, Sartre, and Marcuse.
Credits: 4
HUMA 632 - The Beginning and End of the World: Genesis and Revelation in Western Humanities
Genesis and Revelation examined for the biblical views of history and time in general and then an exploration of various interpretations of this material in Western thought. After a careful reading of the texts, students examine how themes in these biblical works have influenced art and architecture, literature, science, history, and culture. Advantageous for students in English, literature, history, and humanities as well as for individuals who want a nondoctrinal reading of selections from one of the most influential literary works in the West. Special fee.
Credits: 4
HUMA 640 - The Birth of Rock and Roll
An interdisciplinary study of the cultural forces that brought forth the birth of rock and roll in the 1950s. This study of pre-rock music and culture will be further enriched by art, literature, and photography which focuses in the roots of rock and roll.
Credits: 4
HUMA 645 - American Culture and Communication Through the Life and Work of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Investigates the development of 20th Century American culture and communication through the prism of F. Scott Fitzgerald. A major writer, social observer, employee of the advertising and film industries and prominent public figure, Fitzgerald's life and work provide a rich context for examining various dimensions of American culture and for exploring the nature of authorship as an aspect of communication. Topics covered include: modernity, the rise of mass media, consumerism, social class, imperialism, mechanization, gender, youth culture and generational identity. Prereq: One 400- or 500-level HUMA course.
Credits: 4
HUMA 680 - New England Culture: Roots and Branches
Interdisciplinary examination of the richness, variety, and significance of selective periods of New England culture using literature, history, art and photographic images, music, artifacts, and oral histories. Subjects include native American lore, European-American contributions to regional culture, New England's literary tradition and influence on American culture.
Credits: 4
HUMA 795 - Humanities: A Study of Creativity
A study of human creativity through representative lives and works of such figures as da Vinci, Einstein, Kathe Kollwitz, Bach, Dickens, and Freud. Lectures, class discussions, films, and slides supplemented by gallery tours, plays, and concerts. Open to students with a background in humanities or by permission of the instructors. Writing intensive. Special fee.
Credits: 4
HUMA 796 - Humanities: A Study of Contemporary Issues
Current social and political issues with focus on recent developments in public policy, science, and business, and their impact on social values. Prereq: junior status or permission. Writing intensive.
Credits: 4
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Program Coordinator
John Resch
Program Coordinator and Professor
