Humanities
Humanities
courses
Humanities
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Director of undergraduate studies: Norma Thompson, Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St., 432-1313, norma.thompson@yale.edu; director: R. Howard Bloch, 53 Wall St., 432-0670, howard.bloch@yale.edu
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM OF HUMANITIES
Professors
Jeffrey Alexander (Sociology), Charles Bailyn (Physics), R. Howard Bloch (French), Harold Bloom (Humanities), David Bromwich (English), Katerina Clark (Comparative Literature, Slavic Languages & Literatures), Carlos Eire (History, Religious Studies), Ron Eyerman (Sociology), Benjamin Foster (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Paul Freedman (History), Beatrice Gruendler (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Cyrus Hamlin (Emeritus) (German), Valerie Hansen (History), Christine Hayes (Religious Studies), Edward Kamens (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Ivan Marcus (Religious Studies), Millicent Marcus (Italian), Linda Mayes (Child Study Center), Winfried Menninghaus (German), María Rosa Menocal (Humanities), Mary Miller (History of Art), Rainer Nägele (German), Steven Pincus (History), Claude Rawson (English), Cynthia Russett (History), Stuart Schwartz (History), William Sledge (School of Medicine), Frank Snowden (History), William Summers (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Henry Sussman (German), John Treat (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Francesca Trivellato (History), Frank Turner (History), Miroslav Volf (Religious Studies), Harvey Weiss (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Anthropology), Anders Winroth (History)
Associate Professors
Murray Biggs (English), David Krasner (Adjunct) (Theater Studies), Catherine Labio (Comparative Literature, French)
Assistant Professors
Alexander Beecroft (Humanities, Comparative Literature), Shannon Craigo-Snell (Religious Studies), El Mokhtar Ghambou (English), Colleen Manassa (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Karuna Mantena (Political Science), Hala Khamis Nassar (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Julia Prest (French), Kishwar Rizvi (History of Art), Barbara Sattler (Philosophy), Ludger Viefhues-Bailey (Religious Studies)
Senior Lecturers
Jane Levin (Humanities), Norma Thompson (Humanities)
Lecturers
Edward Barnaby (Comparative Literature), Karen Foster (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Marie-Hélène Girard (Humanities), Charles Hill (International & Area Studies), Virginia Jewiss (Humanities), Margaret Litvin (Humanities), David Miller (Humanities), Brian Noell (History), Kevin Repp (History), Kathryn Slanski (Humanities, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Justin Zaremby (Political Science)
The interdisciplinary program in Humanities is designed to contribute to an integrated understanding of the Western cultural tradition. Selected works of European literature, music, philosophy, and visual arts are studied in relation to each other and to the history of ideas and political institutions. The varied program of study offers a wide range of options for students in all years interested in interdisciplinary and broad-based work in the humanities, from special seminars for freshmen to the Franke and Shulman Seminars for senior majors. Most courses are open to nonmajors.
The major in Humanities offers three areas of concentration: the arts in the humanities, intellectual history, and the West and its encounters. The major is intended to emphasize breadth and interdisciplinary effort without sacrificing depth. It brings together traditional disciplines in the humanities such as history, literature, history of art, philosophy, and history of music in a manner that is both broadly based and intensively rigorous.
Prerequisite. There is a prerequisite in ancient civilization, which can be satisfied by Directed Studies or by two courses in classical civilization or in ancient Near Eastern civilization.
Requirements of the major. In addition to the prerequisite, thirteen term courses are required for the major, including two core seminars in one of the areas of concentration; any five Humanities electives (including Franke and Shulman Seminars), with at least one in each of the three areas of concentration; five additional electives selected to complement the student's area of concentration, with approval of the director of undergraduate studies; and the senior essay, normally written in the spring term of the senior year. Majors in Humanities are strongly encouraged to enroll in at least one term course on literature in a foreign language. Students are expected to declare their intent to major in Humanities in a meeting with the director of undergraduate studies before their junior year.
Core courses. Two core seminars must be selected from one area of specialization: the arts in the humanities, intellectual history, or the West and its encounters. All seminars listed under these subheads in the printed YCPS are core seminars.
The Franke Seminar and the Shulman Seminar. Sponsored by the Whitney Humanities Center and designed to speak across disciplinary lines and to broad public and intellectual issues, the Franke Seminar (HUMS 452b) and the Shulman Seminar (HUMS 472b) each include a series of coordinated public lectures. The seminars are for enrolled students; the lecture series is open to the Yale and local communities. Humanities majors may enroll in a Franke or a Shulman Seminar with permission of the director of undergraduate studies and the instructor.
Summer program in Rome. Humanities majors who take the spring-term course HUMS 396b, The City of Rome, and develop individual research topics to be pursued in Rome may apply for enrollment in a two-credit summer course offered by Yale Summer Session. Museums, archaeological sites, churches, piazzas, libraries, and the city itself are part of the classroom for the summer course, which addresses key issues relevant to all three areas of concentration in the Humanities major. Further information is available on the Whitney Humanities Center Web site and the Summer Session Web site.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisite: Directed Studies, or 2 courses in classical or ancient Near Eastern civ
Number of courses: 13 term courses beyond prereq (incl senior essay)
Distribution of courses: 2 core sems in 1 area of concentration; 5 Humanities electives, with at least 1 in each of the 3 areas of concentration; 5 addtl electives
Senior requirement: Senior essay (HUMS 491a or b)
