This first course in the Humanities masters degree program introduces students to the interdisciplinary area referred to as “the humanities.” Students will read and work in subfields, developing knowledge and overall understanding about the range of subject matter in the humanities–as well as the conversations about its traditions and evolution–and about the methods of inquiry …

An examination and critique of the idea that there is a “sacred.” Exploring influential concepts of the sacred, the course analyzes some representative historical efforts to institutionalize the sacred in symbols, myths, rituals and spaces that influence people’s lives and choices. Finally, the course analyzes two conflicting trends of the present day: on the one …

This is a course introducing students in the Humanities master’s program to the history of ideas focusing fundamentally on the study of ourselves, our bodies and our minds from a variety of perspectives. Students will consider conceptualizations of the body, conceptualizations of the mind (psyche, spirit, soul, animus/a), and conceptualizations of the relationship between body …

Through the lenses of literature, art, philosophy and history, the fourth course explores the nature and place of family and the lifecycle in a human’s sense of self, identity, values and understanding of life’s purpose, understanding these in part as cultural constructions that vary according to historical time and geographic place.

This course will address the manner in which culture creates meaning by examining texts from literature, film, philosophy, cultural studies and ethnic studies. The starting concept will be that culture produces ideas and that ideas are linked to power struggles. Culture is a field of contending ideas and historical contingencies, and the task will be …

This course examines how the conceptualization of space and place have contributed to a variety of different cultural understandings of the human condition. The course looks at the conceptions underlying the creation and representation of space and the role of landscape in determining the human condition. The course attempts to assess why differing conceptions of …

In this course, the focus of the humanities lens is on the putative divisions between what is defined as “science” and what is seen as “magic” in studies of human inquiry and discovery. The present course foregrounds the old and continuing tensions between ideas referred to as magical on the one hand and scientific on …

This course examines the formation of the modern nation-state in 17th and 18th century Europe. Exploring the origins of nation-states in ethnic, linguistic, cultural and other identities and the principles that hold them together (e.g., moral, religious and legal systems), the course will focus in particular on how they are constructed or problematised textually through …

This course will examine questions of knowledge, norms and values as they are represented in philosophy, literature, religion and cultural studies. It traces the development and transformation of these norms and considers the manner in which ideas and ways of knowing change with time and across cultures and different forms of representation. It examines how …

The final course reflects on the programmatic theme, captured in Socrates’ dictum that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” HUMA 650 is an examination of and reflection on that which may matter in order to live a good life, with special emphasis on how particular worldviews (specially those the participants’ might identify as their …

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; Admission to candidacy. HUMA 696A prepares students to write their final comprehensive exams as well as to meet the writing requirements of the program. The comprehensive exam itself (HUMA 697) is completed during the semester in which students complete all of the requirements for the degree. (Credit/No Credit only)

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; Admission to candidacy. HUMA 696B prepares students to write their final comprehensive exams as well as to meet the writing requirements of the program. The comprehensive exam itself (HUMA 697) is completed during the semester in which students complete all of the requirements for the degree. (Credit/No Credit only)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Students will work toward the completion of the comprehensive examination with guidance from faculty. Comprehensive exams are completed during the semester in which students complete all the requirements for the degree. (Credit/No Credit only)

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor; Consent of director of the graduate program; Consent of department chair. Maximum of 3 units may be applied to the student’s program. May be substituted for one course with program director’s permission.

The Master of Arts degree in Humanities is designed for midcareer professionals and other lifelong learners who are interested in the nature and foundations of ideas, are curious about different worldviews and their origins, and seek to understand these through the lenses provided by the range of disciplinary fields in the humanities. We live in …

Program Faculty All faculty teaching in the program are full-time faculty members at California State University, Northridge. Xochitl Alvizo (Religious Studies) Aimee Carrillo Rowe (Communication Studies) Ranita Chatterjee (English) James Craine (Geography) Ron Davidson (Geography) Sid Hansen (Philosophy) Tomo Hattori (Asian American Studies) Krystal Howard (Interdisciplinary Studies and Liberal Studies) Claire Kravette (Religious Studies) Joel …