The interdisciplinary major in Humanities is one of the many options available to a student who wants to select a major in the School of Humanities. As such, the major in Humanities is on a par with the major in Spanish, the major in Classics, the major in Philosophy, and other majors in the School. The major in Humanities accommodates students who want to organize their undergraduate education around a humanistic perspective on a topic, a field, or a problem which is interdisciplinary in scope (e.g., Literature and Politics in Twentieth-Century America; The Problem of Community; Social and Religious Thought in the Age of the Reformation); Italian Society and Culture. The student enters the program at the end of the sophomore year and, in consultation with the Humanities Major Committee, devises an individually tailored set of "major requirements," not all of which need be offered in the School of Humanities. The Committee will assign an advisor on the basis of the student's own preference, if possible. At the end of the senior year the student will prepare, under the advisor's supervision, a long paper (4050 pages) in the area of the special major. This requirement is satisfied by taking Humanities 199. A student majoring in the Humanities must also meet the regular School, UCI, and University requirements for graduation. Inquiries by third-quarter sophomores should be addressed to the Senior Academic Counselor in the School's Office of Undergraduate Study.
Residence Requirement: At least five upper-division courses in Humanities required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI.
A variety of interdisciplinary minors are available to all UCI students. See the Interdisciplinary Studies section of the Catalogue for complete information.
The minor in African-American Studies offers undergraduate students an opportunity to study those societies and cultures established by the people of the African diaspora and to investigate the African-American experience from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and theoretical approaches.
The minor in Asian American Studies examines the historical and contemporary experiences of Asians after their arrival in the United States and seeks to provide an awareness of the history, culture (e.g., literary and creative art accomplishments), psychology, and social organization of Asian American communities.
The minor in Chicano/Latino Studies is designed to provide an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the language, history, culture, literature, sociology, anthropology, politics, social ecology, health, medicine, and creative (art, dance, film, drama, music) accomplishments in the Chicano/ Latino communities.
The minor in Global Peace and Conflict Studies addresses international violence, the threat of war, paths to cooperation in global and regional security, and international economic and environmental matters.
The minor in Global Sustainability trains students to understand the changes that need to be made in order for the human population to live in a sustainable relationship with the resources available on this planet.
The minor in the History and Philosophy of Science explores how science is actually done and how it has influenced history, and is concerned with determining what science and mathematics are, accounting for their apparent successes, and resolving problems of philosophical interest that arise in the sciences.
The minor in Latin American Studies is designed to develop in students an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of Latin American issues in the areas of language, history, culture, literary studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, health, folk medicine, and creative (art, dance, film, drama, music) accomplishments.
The minor in Native American Studies focuses on history, culture, religion, and the environment. The three core courses serve as an introduction to the Native American experience from the perspective of different historical periods and frameworks of analysis.
The minor in Religious Studies focuses on the comparative study of religions in various cultural settings around the world and seeks to provide a wide-ranging academic understanding and knowledge of the religious experience in society.
The minor in Women's Studies offers a curriculum drawing from the humanities, social sciences, and the arts to examine contributions of women from different backgrounds to culture and society and to explore women's and men's lives in the context of changing gender relations.
174 Humanities Office Building; (714) 824-5441
Linda M. Georgianna, Coordinator
The concentration in Medieval Studies allows undergraduate students in the Schools of Humanities and the Arts to augment their major by completing a coherent program of courses in the area of medieval studies. The concentration is available to students in any major offered by the Schools and is particularly well-suited to majors in English and Comparative Literature, History, Philosophy, and the Arts.
Students in the concentration must complete at least two quarters of Humanities 110, the Core Course in Medieval Studies. These courses are interdisciplinary, team-taught examinations of such topics as Medieval Cities, The Dark Ages, Medieval Liturgy and Theater, Medieval Women, and The Plague. In addition, students must complete at least four additional courses in medieval studies selected from an approved quarterly list. One of these four courses may be satisfied by completing a senior essay in some area of medieval studies.
Outstanding students who are interested in a career in management may wish to apply for entry into the Graduate School of Management's 3-2 Program. Students normally apply for this program early in their junior year. See the Graduate School of Management section for additional information.
601 Humanities Trailer Complex; (714) 824-6524
Robin Scarcella, Ph.D. University of Southern California, Director of the English as a Second Language Program and Associate Professor of Humanities (linguistics, bilingual emphasis)
Humanities 20A-B-C-D through 29 are for students who have been admitted to UCI and whose scores on the ESL Placement Test indicate the need for additional work in English as a second language. Students may receive up to 12 baccalaureate credits for English-as-a-second-language course work. Students may receive workload credit for courses taken beyond this 12-unit limit but will not receive additional credits applicable to the bachelor's degree.
Humanities 20A-B-C-D Writing for Students for Whom English Is a Second Language (4-4-4-4). Grammar, sentence structure, paragraph and essay organization of formal written English. Pass/Not Pass Only. Corequisite: Humanities 22A, if indicated by results of the ESL Placement Test. Prerequisite: ESL placement examination.
Humanities 21A ESL Speaking and Listening (2). Basic listening and speaking skills in five fundamental areas: pronunciation, lecture comprehension and discussion, academic oral reporting, informal interviewing, and nonverbal communication. Pass/Not Pass Only. Prerequisite: ESL placement examination. Primarily for graduate students.
Humanities 21B ESL Speaking and Listening (2). Further development of listening and speaking skills: oral reporting, panel presentation, functional/ situational dialogue, and public argumentation and debate. Primarily for graduate students. Pass/Not Pass Only. Prerequisite: ESL placement examination.
Humanities 22A ESL Reading and Vocabulary (2). Intensive reading exercises with occasional practice in extensive reading, focusing on comprehension, development of vocabulary, syntax, rhetorical features, reading strategies, and study skills. Pass/Not Pass Only. Corequisite: concurrent enrollment with Humanities 20A-B. Prerequisite: ESL placement examination.
Humanities 22B ESL Reading and Vocabulary (2). Extensive reading with emphasis on long magazine and journal articles, short stories, textbook chapters, notetaking, and the interpretation of charts, diagrams, tables, and figures. Pass/Not Pass Only. Prerequisite: ESL placement examination.
Humanities 29 Special Topics in ESL (1 to 2). Directed and individualized work in English as a second language not covered in the Humanities 20, 21, 22 sequence. Pass/Not Pass Only. Prerequisite: consent of ESL Director.
The following set of courses has no necessary relation to the undergraduate interdisciplinary major in Humanities. Most of the courses are open to any UCI student. Humanities 1A-B-C is required for the major in Humanities, as it is a requirement of any student majoring in the School of Humanities. Also, Humanities 199 is required of any undergraduate in the School who is approved to complete an interdisciplinary major in Humanities.
Humanities 1A-B-C The Humanities Core Course (8-8-8) F, W, S. A freshman course required of all Humanities majors. Each year the course deals with problems of concern to the humanistic disciplines (history, literature, philosophy), emphasizing the careful reading of major texts that bear on these problems and developing the ability to think clearly and write well about the issues they raise. A writing program is integral to the course and counts for half the grade each quarter. Students held for Subject A will earn an additional two units of workload credit, and must take the course for a letter grade. (1A-B-C: I, IV; 1C: VII-A)
Humanities 5A World Religions I (4). An introduction to the history, doctrine, culture, and writing of the three "religions of Abraham": Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (IV, VII-B)
Humanities 5B World Religions II (4). An introduction to various religious traditions in selected areas of the world--including India, East Asia, Africa, the Americas, or elsewhere. Attention to the expressions, teachings, culture, and history of selected religious groups. (IV, VII-B)
Humanities 5C World Religions III (4). An examination of various aspects of religious expression, including symbolization of the sacred, collective religious behavior, and religious dissent. (IV)
Humanities 30 Latin America and the Caribbean: An Introduction (4). A foundational course in Latin American and Caribbean Studies that introduces students to the social, cultural, economic, and political processes which have circumscribed the insertion of this region into the world economy from the Pre-Conquest period until the present. (VII-B)
Humanities 51A Introduction to African-American Studies I (4). An undergraduate survey course. Introduction to the main contours of the African-American experience from the importation of Africans into the Americas to the present time. Focuses on the unique expressions of African-American society and culture. Same as History 15B. Formerly Humanities 51. (IV, VII-A)
Humanities 51B Introduction to African-American Studies II (4). Focuses on the development, significance, and persistence of racial ideas in American thought. Looking mainly at white racial thinking, examines some of the major issues that have emerged. Formerly Social Sciences 51B. (IV, VII-A)
Humanities 51C Introduction to African-American Studies III (4). Surveys a variety of academic discourses in the theories of race and "blackness." Formerly Social Sciences 51C. (IV, VII-A)
Humanities 60A Introduction to Asian American Studies I (4). Examines and compares the diverse experiences of major Asian American groups since the mid-nineteenth century. Topics include: origins of emigration; the formation and transformation of community; gender and family life; changing roles of Asian Americans in American society. Same as History 15C and Social Sciences 78A. (VII-A)
Humanities 60B Introduction to Asian American Studies II (4). Examines the renewal of Asian immigration following World War II. Focuses on domestic and international conditions influencing the liberalization of U.S. immigration laws, and the impact of contemporary Asian immigration on the U.S. political economy and social order. Same as Social Sciences 78B. (VII-A)
Humanities 60C Introduction to Asian American Studies III (4). Examines selected substantive, methodological, and/or theoretical issues in Asian American Studies. Possible topics include interracial dating and marriage, electoral politics, educational and occupational achievement, participant community research, uses of oral history, underrepresented Asian American ethnic groups, and disporic studies. Prerequisites: Humanities 60A and 60B. Same as Social Sciences 78C. (VII-A)
Humanities 75 Library Research Methods (2) F, W, S. Search strategy techniques relevant for library research at UCI and other academic institutions, with emphasis on application of these techniques to individual research interests. Recommended for, but not limited to, students with assigned papers for other classes.
Humanities 105A-B Senior Seminar in Religious Studies (2-2). A seminar for students completing the Religious Studies minor. 105A: Research techniques and preparation for the senior paper; discussion of topics. In-progress grading. 105B: Independent study with the advice of a faculty member and the instructor of Humanities 105A, leading to a research paper to be submitted to the Religious Studies Committee in the School of Humanities.
Humanities 110 Core Course in Medieval Studies (4). A seminar in selected topics in medieval studies. Interdisciplinary, ordinarily team-taught. Open to all students, and designed especially for those electing the concentration in Medieval Studies. May be taken for credit four times as topic varies. Same as English and Comparative Literature CL 104 and Art History 114 when topic is appropriate.
Humanities H120 Honors Proseminar (4) F, W, S. Interdisciplinary Honors courses organized each year around a single topic or problem designed to compare and contrast modes of analysis in history, literary studies, and philosophy. Required of participants in the Humanities Honors Program. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and the Humanities Honors Program Committee. May be taken three times for credit as topics vary.
Humanities H140 Senior Honors Seminar (4) F. Directed by the Humanities Honors Thesis Advisor and required of students in the Humanities Honors program and Humanities majors in the Campuswide Honors Program. Designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and research strategies among Honors students and to begin the process of writing the senior honors thesis. Prerequisites: senior standing and consent of the Honors Program Committee.
Humanities H141 Senior Honors Thesis (4) W. Directed independent research required of participants in the Humanities Honors Program and Humanities majors in the Campuswide Honors Program. Prerequisites: Humanities H140; consent of Honors Program Committee.
Humanities H142 Senior Honors Colloquium (4) S. Completion, presentation, and discussion of Senior Honors Theses. Satisfies upper-division writing requirement. Prerequisites: Humanities H141 and consent of Humanities Honors Program Committee.
Humanities 150 Topics in African-American Studies (4). Examines in detail the history, culture, and discourses produced by the people of the African diaspora in the Americas. May be taken for credit four times as topics vary.
Humanities 160 Topics in Asian American Studies (4). Examines in detail the history, culture, and discourses of Asian Americans. May taken four times for credit. (VII-A)
Humanities 161 Topics in Asian Studies (4). Designed to provide students with work in various areas of the history/culture/politics/literature and the arts of Asia. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-B)
Humanities 181A-B Senior Seminar on Peace and Conflict I, II (2-4) F, W. Designed for seniors (juniors may also enroll) who are pursuing the Global Peace and Conflict Studies (GPACS) minor and/or International Studies major. Provides a forum in which students will mature as independent researchers and gain fundamental knowledge of contemporary global issues and scholarly approaches to the field. Same as Social Science 184A-B and Social Ecology 185A-B. (181B: VII-B)
Humanities 181C Senior Seminar on Peace and Conflict III (4) S. Continuation of Humanities 181A-B. Students write a senior research paper under the direction of a faculty member. Attendance at the GPACS Forum also is required. Prerequisites: Humanities 181A-B. Seniors only. Same as Social Science 184C and Social Ecology 185C.
Humanities 197 Individual Field Study (varying credit) F, W, S. Individually arranged field study. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Humanities 198 Directed Group Study (1 to 4) F, W, S. Directed group study on special topics. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
Humanities 199 Directed Research (1 to 4) F, W, S. Directed research for senior Humanities students. Prerequisite: senior standing and consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
The School of Humanities offers no degree called the Ph.D. in Humanities. However, some Ph.D. students in regular programs in the School may elect an interdisciplinary modification of their degree with the permission of the departments or programs concerned. Such students will do about 60 percent of their graduate work in a major field and about 40 percent in one or more minor fields. Those interested in an interdisciplinary degree should contact the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies or the Graduate Advisor in their major department.
200 Humanities Office Building; (714) 824-6718
Alexander Gelley, Director
Associate Faculty in the Critical Theory Emphasis
Stephen Barker, Associate Dean of the School of the Arts, Director of Arts Interdisciplinary, and Associate Professor of Drama
Lindon W. Barrett, Associate Professor of English
Marjorie A. Beale, Assistant Professor of History
Homer Obed Brown, Professor of English
Juan Bruce-Novoa, Department Chair of Spanish and Portuguese and Professor of Spanish
Ellen Burt, Associate Professor of French
David Carroll, Department Chair of French and Italian and Professor of French
Chungmoo Choi, Associate Professor of Korean Culture
Rey Chow, Professor of Comparative Literature
Michael Clark, Professor of English
Lucia Guerra-Cunningham, Professor of Spanish
Jacques Derrida, Professor of French, Philosophy, and Comparative Literature
Anne Friedberg, Associate Professor of Film Studies
James Fujii, Associate Professor of Japanese
Suzanne Gearhart, Professor of French
Alexander Gelley, Director of the Emphasis in Critical Theory and Professor of Comparative Literature
Wolfgang Iser, Professor of English
Murray Krieger, University Research Professor of English
Richard W. Kroll, Associate Professor of English
Julia Reinhard Lupton, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
Juliet Flower MacCannell, Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature
Steven Mailloux, Associate Dean of Humanities, Graduate Study, and Professor of English
Liisa Malkki, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
J. Hillis Miller, UCI Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Gonzalo Navajas, Professor of Spanish
Jane Newman, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
Margo Norris, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Mark Poster, Professor of History and of Information and Computer Science
Leslie Rabine, Professor of French
John Carlos Rowe, Professor of English
Gabriele Schwab, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Martin Schwab, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and Philosophy
Patrick J. Sinclair, Associate Professor of Classics
David W. Smith, Professor of Philosophy
John H. Smith, Associate Professor of German
Brook Thomas, Department Chair of English and Professor of English
Andrzej Warminski, Professor of Comparative Literature
Gary L. Watson, Professor of Philosophy
Linda Williams, Professor of Film Studies
An emphasis in Critical Theory, under the supervision of the Committee on Critical Theory, is available for doctoral students in all departments of the School of Humanities. Ph.D. students may, with Committee approval, complete the emphasis in addition to the degree requirements of their graduate program. Although there is no change in the existing Ph.D. program requirements or procedures, if the student wishes to have a letter (signed by the Dean and by the Director of Critical Theory) testifying that the student has satisfactorily added this theoretical dimension to the graduate program, then additional requirements must be met. Critical theory at UCI is understood in the broad sense as the study of the shared assumptions, problems, and commitments of the various discourses in the humanities. The faculty regards critical theory not as an adjunct to the study of one of the traditional humanistic disciplines but as a necessary context for the study of any humanistic discipline.
Requirements for the emphasis are: a three-quarter Critical Theory Workshop, three Humanities 270 courses offered under the supervision of the Committee on Critical Theory, participation in two mini-seminars (six to eight hours) offered by visiting scholars and sponsored by the Committee, and a research paper (which may be part of the dissertation) written under the guidance of a three-member committee selected by each individual student in consultation with the Director.
220 Humanities Office Building 2; (714) 824-6565
Brian Skyrms, Director
An emphasis in the History and Philosophy of Science is available for doctoral students in the Departments of History and Philosophy. The emphasis is administered by the Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science. It provides a means for doctoral students to supplement their general studies in history and philosophy with specific studies directed toward the natural and social sciences. It also allows history of science and philosophy of science students to broaden their knowledge of each other's fields.
The history of science encompasses such topics as how science is actually done and how it has been influenced by and has influenced other aspects of culture. The history of science has recently proven a very active and influential field of historical research. It has changed many assumptions about science and mathematics in a way that has deeply influenced the philosophy of science and has arguably influenced the practices of the sciences themselves.
The philosophy of science includes such topics as the nature of scientific explanation, the role of logic and language in science and mathematics, the problems inherent in inductive or ampliative inference, the cognitive and epistemic status of scientific laws and theories, and the nature of empirical evidence and its role in theory construction. Students in the emphasis study various ways to assess the epistemological foundations of scientific and mathematical inquiry, account for the apparent successes of the sciences, and resolve problems of philosophical interest that arise within the context of particular sciences.
Students are required to take three graduate-level courses in the history of science and three in the philosophy of science, as well as fulfill special examination and dissertation requirements. Additional information is available from the Director.
Graduate courses in Humanities are under the direction of the School's Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and are designed for all graduate students in the School of Humanities.
Humanities 200 and 220 introduce study in various disciplinary areas, either to students planning a degree in history or one of the literature departments or to those seeking familiarity with disciplines other than their own.
Humanities 200A, B, C History and Theory (4, 4, 4) F, W, S. Introduction to role of theory in historical writing, focusing on several major theorists, their relation to their setting, the structure of their thought, and its application to significant historical issues. Same as History 200A, B, C.
Humanities 220A, B, C Studies in Literary Theory and Its History (4, 4, 4) F, W, S. Introduction to criticism and aesthetics for beginning graduate students. Readings from continental, English, and American theorists. Restricted to graduate students only. Same as English and Comparative Literature CR 220A, B, C.
Humanities 260A-B-C Critical Theory Workshop (4) F, W, S. A year-long Critical Theory Workshop, conducted by a team of instructors, conceived as a reading group, and developed with the input of all participants, where significant texts are discussed and analyzed in class. In-progress, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only.
Humanities 270 Advanced Critical Theory (4) F, W, S. Seminars on various topics in critical theory. Students should have taken introductory courses before enrolling in these seminars.
Humanities 291 Interdisciplinary Topics (4) F, W, S. Group of seminars and colloquia in interdisciplinary topics or in topics in a particular discipline designed for students in other disciplines.
Humanities 399 University Teaching (4) F, W, S. Required of and limited to Teaching Associates in the Humanities Core Course. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
